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Glossary
absolute pathname The full pathname
of a file, including all the directories
leading to it, starting with the root direc-
tory (“/”) and ending with the filename
itself. See also file, filename, path-
name.
access permissions Settings that allow
a user or group of users to read, write, or
execute files. See also file access per-
missions.
active window The window that is re-
ceiving input from the keyboard at the
present time. If there is no active win-
dow, anything you type is lost. Only one
window can be active at a time. The ac-
tive window is said to have the “key-
board focus.”
ANSI The American National Stan-
dards Institute, a non-profit organization,
made up of various expert committees,
that publishes standards for use by na-
tional industries. ANSI has adopted the
IEEE standards for local area networks.
argument The part of a command line
that identifies the file or directory to be
acted on.
attachment unit interface (AUI) A
transceiver cable that conforms to IEEE
802.3 specifications.
back up v. To make a copy of the file
system on a tape or disk that can be
stored separately from the original files.
Also called “backing up the system” or
simply “system backup.”
bitmap Generally speaking, an array of
data bits used for graphic images. Strict-
ly speaking, a pixmap of depth one, ca-
pable of representing 2-color images.
boot Short for bootstrap service. A ser-
vice provided by a short program, stored
in the read-only memory of your work-
station, that loads the operating system
(or any complex program) into main
memory. Partner workstations provide
bootstrap service to diskless worksta-
tions. See also boot ROM.
boot console interface The interactive
firmware that enables you to interact
with the hardware of your workstation
before the workstation boots the operat-
ing system. The boot console interface
allows you to perform special tasks, dis-
play information, and set certain system
parameters.
boot ROM A read-only memory that is
incorporated into a workstation for the
purpose of starting the operating system,
testing the terminal, and producing a
standard display.
bootstrap service See boot.
byte A fundamental character-code
unit, usually consisting of 8 bits.
CD-ROM Compact Disc Read-Only
Memory. See also CD-ROM disc, CD-
ROM drive.
CD-ROM disc CD-ROM discs are
identical to the audio compact discs
(CDs) used to record stereo music, ex-
cept that they store data. CD-ROM discs
are 120 mm (4.7 inches) in diameter, and
use one data surface with a capacity of
600 MB. The data surface contains pits