• daemon
  a program which runs for an extended period (usually "forever") to handle requests for service as needed
   
• database
  An indexed collection of information which can be accessed, modified and queried using a query language such as SQL. Popular databases applications for Linux include the commercial Oracle product and Informix-SE.
   
• datagram
  A packet which includes both the source and destination addresses provided by the user, and not the network. Datagrams can also include data.
   
• DBM
  DataBase Management, a library of functions which maintain key-content pairs in a data base
   
• dd
  copies a file (from standard input to standard output, by default) using specific input and output blocksizes, while optionally performing conversions on it
   
• de Icaza, Miguel
  the lead developer of the GNOME desktop
   
• debug
  To rid hardware or software of errors, or bugs
   
• Defragment
  The process of taking pieces of files that are scattered or fragmented on the hard disk and unifying them. Linux has an intelligent file system. This filesystem makes de-fragmenting unnecessary, because hardly any fragments occur in the first place.
   
• delta
  The set of changes that RCS records for an RCS file
   
• denial of service
  A denial of service attack is when an attacker consumes the resources on your computer for things it was not intended to be doing, thus preventing normal use of your network resources for legitimite purposes.
   
• device
  In Linux devices are accessed as files which are located in the /dev directory. The entries contains the device numbers used by the kernel.
   
• device driver
  code that controls and communicate with a device such as a graphics card, sound card or other peripherals
   
• df
  reports the amount of disk space used by the specified files, and by each directory in the hierarchies rooted at the specified files.
   
• DHCP
  Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol: DHCP's purpose is to enable individual computers on an IP network to extract their configurations from a server (the 'DHCP server') or servers, in particular, servers that have no exact information about the individual computers until they request the information. The overall purpose of this is to reduce the work necessary to administer a large IP network.
   
• diff
  find differences between two files
   
• digest
  A collection of new messages mailed to the members of an archived list as one message. A list is called digested when it is archived and, periodically, a digest is sent out
   
• dircolors
  outputs a sequence of shell commands to define the desired color output from ls (and dir, etc.).
   
• directory
  A file that contains the names of other files. Linux has a directory called root (represented by /), along with subdirectories.
   
• Directory Service
  A directory is like a database, but tends to contain more descriptive, attribute-based information. The information in a directory is generally read much more often than it is written. As a consequence, directories don't usually implement the complicated transaction or roll-back schemes that regular databases use for doing high-volume complex updates. Directory updates are typically simple all-or-nothing changes, if they are allowed at all
   
• DLL
  Dynamically Linked Library, a library linked to an executable program at run-time
   
• DNS
  Domain Name System. DNS converts machine names to the IP addresses that all machines on the net have. It maps from name to address and from address to name
   
• Document Object Model
  An application programming interface (API) for HTML and XML documents. It defines the logical structure of documents and the way a document is accessed and manipulated. In the DOM specification, the term "document" is used in the broad sense - increasingly, XML is being used as a way of representing many different kinds of information that may be stored in diverse systems, and much of this would traditionally be seen as data rather than as documents. Nevertheless, XML presents this data as documents, and the DOM may be used to manage this data.
   
• domain name
  A name "key" that is used by NIS clients to be able to locate a suitable NIS server that serves that domainname key. Please note that this does not necessarily have anything at all to do with the DNS "domain" (machine name) of the machine(s)
   
• dot file
  A file that is hidden from general file browsing partly because it contains important configuration options
   
• downtime
  The length of time a computer is not functioning (down). It is the reverse of uptime.
   
• Draeker, Scott
  the President of Loki Entertainment, a key gaming Linux developer. Loki have released a number of important Linux games including Civilization: Call to Power, Myth II, Railroad Tycoon II, Eric's Ultimate Solitaire, Heretic II, Heroes III & Quake III
   
• DSML
  Directory Services Markup Language, an XML dialect for working with directory information
   
• DSP
  Digital signal processors - specialized microprocessors that perform the same task repetitively at very high frequency. Most often used in telecommunications and multimedia application platforms
   
• du
  tells you how much disk space your files occupy
   
• dumb terminal
  a display and input device that doesn't process data and input locally. Instead it transmits input to a computer to which it is connected and displays the resulting output
   
• DVI
  DeVice Independent: a typesetter independent file which is generated from TeX
   
• dxpc
  An X protocol compressor designed to improve the speed of X11 applications run over low-bandwidth links (such as dialup PPP connections)

Key:  Commands - People - General

Last Updated Saturday, October 29 2005 @ 03:11 AM EDT