Linux Terms Glossary | TLDev's Tech

Linux, a powerful and versatile operating system, has a rich vocabulary that can be daunting for newcomers. To help you navigate this terminology, here’s a concise explanation of 100 common Linux terms:

Common Linux Terms

Absolute Path: A full path to a file or directory starting from the root directory (/), specifying the complete location in the file system.
Access Control Lists (ACL): A method of defining more granular permissions for files and directories beyond the standard read, write, and execute permissions.
Administrator (root): The superuser account with complete system access and control, typically with user ID 0.
Alias: A custom shortcut or alternative name for a command, created to simplify complex commands or provide easier-to-remember command names.
Apache: An open-source web server software widely used for hosting websites and web applications.

Bash (Bourne Again Shell): The default command-line shell on most Linux distributions, providing a text-based interface for interacting with the operating system.
Bind Mount: A method of mounting a directory or file at another location, creating a mirror or link to the original location.
BIOS (Basic Input/Output System): Firmware used to perform hardware initialization during the booting process and to provide runtime services for operating systems.

Cgroups (Control Groups): A Linux kernel feature that limits, accounts for, and isolates resource usage of process collections.
Chroot: A Unix operation that changes the apparent root directory for the current running process, creating an isolated environment.
CLI (Command Line Interface): A text-based interface for interacting with the computer by typing commands.
Compiler: A program that translates source code written in a high-level programming language into machine code.
Cron: A time-based job scheduler in Unix-like operating systems for running scheduled tasks.

Daemon: A background process that runs continuously, typically started at system boot and often providing system services.
Desktop Environment: A collection of software that provides a graphical user interface and a suite of applications.
Distribution (Distro): A complete Linux operating system package that includes the Linux kernel, system utilities, and software applications.
Docker: A platform for developing, shipping, and running applications in containers.

EFI (Extensible Firmware Interface): A modern replacement for the traditional BIOS, used in booting computers.
Environment Variable: A dynamic-named value that can affect the way running processes behave on a computer.
Ext4 (Fourth Extended Filesystem): A widely used Linux filesystem that supports large file systems and improvements over previous ext versions.

Firewall: A network security system that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic.
File Permissions: A system of access rights that determines who can read, write, or execute a file.
FOSS (Free and Open Source Software): Software that is both free to use and has its source code openly available.

GNOME: A popular open-source desktop environment for Linux systems.
Grep: A command-line utility for searching text using pattern matching.
GUI (Graphical User Interface): A visual way of interacting with a computer using windows, icons, and menus.

Hardlink: A directory entry pointing to the same inode as another file, creating multiple names for the same file content.
Hostname: The name assigned to a computer on a network to identify it.
Hypervisor: Software that creates and runs virtual machines.

inode: A data structure that stores metadata about a file in a filesystem.
IP Address: A unique identifier assigned to a device on a computer network.
ISO: A disk image file format commonly used for distributing Linux distributions.

Kernel: The core of the Linux operating system that manages system resources and provides essential services.
KDE: Another popular desktop environment for Linux systems.
Kernel Module: A piece of code that can be loaded and unloaded into the kernel to extend its functionality.

LAMP Stack: A set of open-source software (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP/Python/Perl) used for web development.
Lightweight Desktop Environment: A less resource-intensive desktop environment designed for older or less powerful computers.
Locale: Settings that define language, country, and character encoding preferences.

Mount: The process of making a filesystem available at a specific point in the directory tree.
Multiplex: Running multiple terminal sessions within a single window.
MIME Type: A standard that indicates the nature and format of a document, file, or assortment of bytes.

Namespace: A Linux kernel feature that provides isolation for system resources.
Network Socket: An endpoint for communication between two machines.
NFS (Network File System): A protocol that allows file sharing across a network.

Open Source: Software with source code that is freely available for modification and redistribution.
Overlay Filesystem: A filesystem method that allows one filesystem to be layered on top of another.

Package Manager: A tool for installing, upgrading, configuring, and removing software packages.
Pipe (|): A method of connecting the output of one command to the input of another.
POSIX: A family of standards specified by the IEEE to maintain compatibility between operating systems.

Quota: A system for limiting disk space usage for users or groups.

RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks): A data storage virtualization technology that combines multiple physical disk drive components.
Relative Path: A path to a file or directory relative to the current working directory.
Repository: A storage location for software packages.
Rice: It refers to the process of customizing your operating system’s appearance and functionality to your personal preferences. It involves tweaking various aspects of your desktop environment.

SSH (Secure Shell): A cryptographic network protocol for secure data communication.
Symlink (Symbolic Link): A special type of file that points to another file or directory.
Sudo: A command that allows authorized users to execute commands with elevated privileges.

Tar: A utility for archiving files.
Terminal: A text input/output environment where users can enter commands.
Timezone: A region of the globe that observes a uniform standard time.

udev: A device manager for the Linux kernel.
Umask: A command that determines the default permissions for new files and directories.
User Space: The area of memory where user applications run, separate from kernel space.

Virtual Machine: An emulation of a computer system running on another computer.
Vi/Vim: A powerful text editor included in most Linux distributions.

Wget: A command-line utility for retrieving files using HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP protocols.
Wildcard: Special characters used to perform pattern matching in file and directory names.

X Window System: The standard toolkit and protocol for building graphical user interfaces on Unix-like systems.
XFCE: A lightweight desktop environment.
Xorg: The most common implementation of the X Window System.

Zsh: An advanced shell with many improvements and features over Bash.
Zombie Process: A process that has completed execution but still has an entry in the process table.

Common Linux Terms

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