Confusing
Computer Terminology
Explained
platform The term platform as used in a computer context
can refer to (1) the type of processor and/or other hardware on which a
given operating system or application program
runs, (2) the type of operating system on a computer or (3) the combination
of the type of hardware and the type of operating system running on it. The
first meaning, also called the hardware platform, can refer to the the
type of system in general (such as mainframe, workstation, desktop, handheld
or embedded) and/or the specific type of processor (such as x86, SPARC,
PowerPC or Alpha). For example, the statement, "Linux can run on many
platforms," can refer to the fact that Linux runs on everything from
mainframes to embedded systems and/or to the fact that it runs on a variety
of processors.
port This term has three very different meanings.
One is (1) a combined physical and electronic connector, typically located on
the back of a computer, into which a mating connector on a cable can be
inserted. Such ports are usually classified as being either parallel
(multiple bits sent simultaneously) or serial (bits sent one by one). A second
meaning is (2) a logical connection used in networking. Each such port is
assigned a port number, and some of them are standardized, such as 80
for HTTP (hypertext transfer protocol) traffic. A third meaning is (3) to
modify a program so that it will run on another operating system or processor
type. For example, many Linux programs have been ported to Microsoft Windows.
print The word print is traditional UNIX terminology that can refer to
displaying text output on the monitor as well as writing it to a file or
sending
it to a printer. It is a holdover from the days before monitors were common
and when most output was, in fact, printed by a printer on paper (or punched
into tape or cards). Although this term is sometimes said to be archaic, it
is still widely used, particularly in the man online manual.
root The word root has several common
meanings with regard to Unix-like operating systems. The most frequent is (1)
root user, which is the administrative
user or superuser. It is usually just referred to as root (not
preceded by an article), and sometimes it is referred to as the root
account. The (2) root directory
is the single directory that contains all other directories as well as their
subdirectories and files and which is designated by a single forward slash (
/ ). It derives its name from the fact that it is analogous to the root of a
tree. The (3) /root directory, not to be confused with the
root directory, is the home directory of the root user. The (4) root
filesystem is the filesystem that
is contained on the HDD partition on which the root directory is located, and
sometimes it is the only part of the filesystem that can be utilized when
attempting to repair a damaged operating system. A (5) rootkit is a
set of tools used by an intruder after breaking into a computer system.
running A process is an
instance of a program that is running (i.e., operating or executing).
Thus, it would seem logical that processes are running, too. However, any
given process is actually running (i.e., progressing in the CPU) only
a fraction of the time that the program it represents is running; the rest of
the time it is waiting for its next turn to progress in the CPU. Thus the
expression a running process refers specifically to a process that is
currently active in the CPU of a multitasking operating system rather
than processes which are currently awaiting their next time slices (i.e.,
alloted turns) in the CPU. A multitasking operating system is one in which
multiple processes operate seemingly simultaneously by taking turns to
progress in the CPU.
server The term server can refer to (1) a software
program that provides a specific kind of service to client software running
on the same
computer or other computers on a network. It can also refer to (2) the
computer
on which that software runs or (3) the combination of the software and
hardware. Some beginners confuse the term with the term mainframe,
which is a very large and heavy duty computer; this is logical because years
ago the two were essentially the same thing. Today, virtually any computer
can be used as a server.
software
piracy So-called software piracy is an example of a term
that was created for its dramatic public relations value rather than because
of any relationship to the traditional usage. It is a controversial term,
just as the concept itself is highly controversial, because it implies that
people or organizations who create or use copies of computer programs in
violation
of their licenses are similar to pirates. Pirates are violent gangs
that raid ships at sea in order to steal their cargoes and rob their crews;
they also frequently injure or kill the crews and sink their ships. Many
people who have heard about real pirates can easily sense that this term is a
great exaggeration when applied to software. The term unauthorized copying
might be a much more appropriate alternative.
switch The word switch can refer to (1) a network switch, commonly called
just a switch,
which is a network device that is used to connect segments of a LAN
(local area network) or multiple LANs and to filter and forward packets among
them. It can also refer to (2)
an option, which is a single-letter or a full word that modifies the behavior
of a command in some predetermined way and which is also sometimes called a
flag.
umount This is the command to logically disconnect
a partition, floppy disk, etc. from the main filesystem. umount might
appear to novices to be a misspelling of unmount, but it is not. And
it may seem to be a nuisance to have to be concerned about mounting and
unmounting in Unix-like operating systems, because such tasks are automated
and hidden from users in the Microsoft Windows systems. Mounting and
unmounting can likewise be automated in Unix-like operating systems, but the
option
of doing it manually provides for greater system flexibility and security..
Unix The terms UNIX (all upper case letters) and Unix
are a source of never-ending confusion, controversy and even legal battles.
The former is the name of the original UNIX operating systems that was
written by Ken Thompson at Bell Labs in 1969 as well as of its direct
descendants (e.g., System V). It is also
a trademark that is now owned by The Open Group, an international industry
consortium that attempts to protect its status as a trademark and prevent it
from becoming a generic term (and thus no longer a legally valid
trademark). However, many people in the computer field refer to all Unix-like
operating systems as being UNIX or Unix.
A Unix-like operating system is a system
that has functions and behavior similar to the original UNIXs developed at
Bell Labs and subsequently at the University
of California at
Berkeley (UCB), even if they are clones such as Linux
and MINIX. Apple Computer refers to its OS X
operating system as being UNIX because it claims that this term has become
generic and thus anyone can use it without restrictions; this has resulted in
a lawsuit by The Open Group. The BSD operating systems (which were derived
from the version of UNIX developed at UCB) and Linux generally avoid
referring to themselves as UNIX or Unix in order to avoid potentially costly
legal problems.
windows The term window has long been used by the
computer industry to refer to a (usually) rectangular portion of the display
on a computer monitor screen that presents its contents (e.g., the contents
of a directory, a text file or an image) seemingly independently of the rest
of the screen. Windows are one of the elements that comprise a graphical user
interface (GUI). This
term was later incorporated by Microsoft into the family name for its
GUI-based operating systems, i.e., Microsoft Windows. Because the
terms window and its plural form, windows, are generic words
(which have been in use in the English language for hundreds of years), they
cannot be trademarked or owned by any one company, in the opinion of many
legal experts.
