Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 3-1
The
Quick Linux Glossary
Term/Concept
Definition
Bash
The most popular
shell
choice, used in the majority of Linux distributions.
Bootloader
Software responsible for loading the Linux kernel. The most common is GRUB.
Console
A version of the terminal that is always available, and the first thing you see on
the Pi.
Desktop
environment
Software to make the GUI look pretty. GNOME and KDE are popular desktop
environments.
Directory
The Linux term for what Windows calls
folders
, where files are stored.
Distribution
A particular version of Linux. Pidora, Arch and Raspbian are distributions.
Executable
A file that can be run as a program. Linux files must be marked executable in
order to run.
EXT2/3/4
The EXTended file system, the most common file system used in Linux.
File system
The way a hard drive or other storage device is formatted so it's ready for file
storage.
GNOME
One of the most common Linux desktop environments.
GNU
A free software project, which provides many of the tools used in Linux distri-
butions.
GRUB
The GRand Unified Bootloader, created by GNU and used to load the Linux
kernel.
GUI
A graphical user interface, in which the user operates the computer via a
mouse or touch.
KDE
Another extremely popular Linux desktop environment.
Linux
Properly, the kernel used by GNU/Linux. Popularly, an open source operating
system.
Live CD
A Linux distribution provided as a CD or DVD, which doesn't require installation.
Package
A collection of files required to run an application, typically handled by the
package manager.
Package manager
A tool for keeping track of, and installing new, software.
Partition
A section of a hard drive that is ready to have a file system applied to it for
storage.
Root
The main user account in Linux, equivalent to the Windows
administrator
account. Also called the
superuser
.
Shell
A text-based command prompt, loaded in a terminal.
sudo
A program that allows restricted users to run a command as the
root
user.
Superuser
See
Root
.
Terminal
A text-based command prompt in which the user interacts with a
shell
program.
X11
The X Window system, a package that provides a graphical user interface (GUI).
