Exploring the JDS Linux Desktop

Glossary

access permissions

The operations a person or group can perform on a file or other resource; a security feature also known as access rights. Permissions traditionally can be read, write, or execute.

address book

The software component of JDS’s Email and Calendar program that organizes names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and other details associated with the user’s personal and business contacts.

application

A software program sometimes distributed separately from the operating system and sometimes included and integrated with the operating system to share the same windowing, control features, and look and feel with other applications and system tools. An application offers a user an interface with controls for manipulating data—in the case of the StarOffice, the control of formatted text, text files, and many other file formats; in the case of Web Browser, the control of access to Web pages on the Internet. A few other examples of applications included with JDS are Email and Calendar, Instant Messenger, GIMP and File Roller. See operating system.

archive

A single file containing multiple files, often compressed. Facilitates transfer of files between computers. Archival formats include TAR, ZIP, and GZ and are usually reflected in the trailing extension (.tar, .zip, .gz, etc.) of the filename.

background process

A program that runs while users do other things. Some processes known as daemons are started in the background and remain there. Other processes run in the ...