Glossary

The value of the environment variable representing the home directory.

Symbolizes your home directory. For example, if your home directory is /home/anna/, then /HomeDirectory/bitmaps/smile.bm represents /home/anna/bitmaps/smile.bm.

The full path name of a file, including all the directories leading to it, starting with root (/) and ending with the file name itself. For example, /home/michael/myfile is an absolute path name.

See also file, file name, path name, relative path name.

A key or combination of keys provided as a shortcut for choosing a command. Accelerators are most commonly used with menu commands, but may also be used for other frequent actions.

File characteristics (including read, write, and execute permission) that determine if a process can perform a requested operation on the file (such as opening a file for writing).

Hence, access permissions control who can read or alter files or directories. They define read, write, and execute permissions for the file's owner, members of the file's group, and all others.

An HP VUE construct used to provide a user interface for applications and other commands. You can create actions to start applications or execute commands. Actions are defined in a database of files located along the database search path.

An icon representing an HP VUE action in a File Manager or Toolbox window.

A host computer that provides access to a collection of actions.

A window that is receiving input from the keyboard at the present time. If there is no active window, anything you type is lost. Only one window can be active at a time. The active window is said to have the "keyboard focus."

An alternative name for a person or a list of people, used as a shortcut when sending electronic mail.

For example, if you often send mail to someone whose mail address is christine@market.elm.com, you could set up the alias chris. Then you could send mail just to chris instead of typing the entire address.

See software application.

A host computer that provides access to application software.

See window.

The part of a command line that identifies what element (file, directory, etc.) is to be acted upon.

A program, usually low priority, run non-interactively by the shell without terminal I/O, while other processing occupies the terminal. Place an ampersand (&) at the end of a command line to cause that command to be run as a background process.

A copy of all or part of the file system.

An image stored in a raster format. Usually the term bitmap implies that the image is limited to exactly two colors (a foreground and a background color). An image that uses more than two colors is usually called a pixmap.

To start up your system, loading it into the computer memory.

A command interpreter. As of the HP-UX 10.0 release, the OSF POSIX shell replaces the Korn Shell and Bourne Shell. Thus, /usr/bin/sh will be the POSIX shell. However, /usr/old/bin/sh will still contain the Bourne shell.

A control that executes a command, starts an action, or selects an option. There are three main kinds of buttons: push buttons, toggle buttons, and radio buttons.

Also, a button on a mouse.

An HP-UX command interpreter, invoked as csh.

A push button that closes a dialog box without implementing any changes.

A read-only memory file system on compact disk. You can read data from a CD ROM file system, but you cannot write to one.

Compact Disc Read-Only Memory.

To perform a command or action by moving the mouse pointer (an arrow) over an object and clicking. To choose with the keyboard, see Chapter 3 “Learning Basic Skills”.

To press and release a mouse button. The term comes from the fact that pressing and releasing the buttons of most mice makes a clicking sound.

A group of workstations connected via a LAN. One computer, the cluster server, performs as a server to the cluster. It provides file access, login access, file transfer, printing and other services across the network to the cluster nodes.

A program that reads lines of text from standard input (typed at the keyboard or read from a file), and interprets them as requests to execute other programs. An HP-UX command interpreter is called a "shell".

A command line prompt shows that the computer is ready to accept your commands. Each terminal window has a command line prompt that acts just like the command line prompt that would be shown if your computer was not running HP VUE. Usually the command line prompt is %, >, or $. You can find the command line prompt by pressing Enter in an HP VUE terminal window.

A graphical user interface component that enables you to manipulate an object, select choices, or type information. Menus, text fields, and Front Panel push buttons and indicators are examples of controls.

The keyboard key, normally labeled "CTRL", that is used as a modifier key. You hold down this key while pressing another key.

A session that was saved when you logged out of the previous session. Returning to the saved session allows you to continue working where you left off. (Some applications may not participate in "session management," so you must start them manually after logging in.)

The directory in which you are currently located. Relative path name searches begin in this directory. It is also called the working directory.

An image used to indicate the focus of keyboard input. The cursor can have several forms. For instance, the text entry cursor appears as an I.

A place to put files, directories, actions, and applications for quick access. A Desktop is available in each HP VUE workspace. To put an object on the Desktop, drag its icon from a File Manager or Toolbox window and drop it on the workspace backdrop. An object on the desktop operates just like its original icon. The HP VUE Desktop is not available in HP VUE Lite.

A secondary window displayed by an application window. The Color dialog belonging to Style Manager's main window is an example of a dialog.

An organizational unit of your workstation's disk drive, composed of files and subdirectories. A directory is analogous to a file folder containing letters (text files), which is contained in a filing cabinet (disk).

Pressing and releasing a mouse button twice in rapid succession.

Pressing and holding down a mouse button while moving the mouse, which moves the pointer on the screen.

Releasing an object, such as a file icon, that has been dragged to a new position. To drop the icon, release the mouse button.

An area of the display that accepts a dropped file. Drop zones include the Trash, Printer, Mailer, and Personal Toolbox control and icons in the toolboxes that use file arguments. You can also drop objects on the Desktop for quick access. There are no drop zones in HP VUE Lite.

The set of defined shell variables (some of which are PATH, TERM, SHELL, HOME) that define the conditions under which your commands run. These conditions can include your terminal characteristics, home directory, and default search path. These variables are set in your .profile.

Users with execute permission on a file can execute (run) the file as a program by typing the file name at the command prompt. If the file is a directory, they can access the directory's contents.

The basic named unit of data stored on disk. See also directory, file name.

File name characteristics (including read, write, and execute) that determine whether a process can perform a requested operation on the file (such as opening a file for writing). Access permissions can be changed by a chmod(1) command.

An HP VUE application for adding text or audio annotations to files. Annotations do not alter the contents of the file or directory being annotated. (Audio annotations are available only on systems capable of recording and playing audio.)

An HP VUE application for managing the files and directories on your system. File Manager is not available in HP VUE Lite.

The name given to a particular file. See also file, absolute path name, relative path name, and path name.

The organized set of files and directories on a hard disk.

An HP VUE mechanism used to associate particular data files with the appropriate applications and actions. Filetypes can determine the type of a file based on file naming conventions, such as a particular extension name, or by the contents of the file.

A command, such as cat, grep, or sort, that reads data from the standard input, performs a transformation on the data, and writes it to the standard output.

A complete set of characters (letters, digits, and special characters) of one size and one typeface. "Ten-point, Helvetica, bold" is an example of a font.

The process occupying the currently active terminal I/O, which may be a window. The shell will not return a prompt until a foreground process has finished executing.

A centrally-located window containing a variety of controls for accessing applications and utilities on your computer. The Front Panel also contains the workspace switch. The Front Panel occupies all workspaces.

A container for system-wide actions built into HP VUE or put there by your system administrator. To display the General Toolbox, choose General in the Tools subpanel.

An association of users permitted to access the same set of files. The members of a group are defined in the files /etc/passwd, /etc/group, and /etc/logingroup (if it exists) via a numerical group ID. Users with identical group IDs are members of the same group.

The group access list is a set of supplementary group IDs, associated with a process, used in determining resource accessibility.

Graphical User Interface.

Includes the connection of hardware (disk drives, printers, monitors, terminals) and the physical placement of hardware in enclosures.

The HP VUE application that provides online help.

A personal directory where you keep files and additional subdirectories that belong to you. By default, File Manager and Terminal Emulator windows are set to your home directory when you first open them.

A session you explicitly save without logging out.

The unique identifying name given to a machine in a network. There are generally different host name domains associated with different networks. Also called node name. For example, hpabc. Appears in any File Manager or Toolbox window.

A connection from one help topic to another related topic. A hyperlink can be a word, a phrase, or a graphic image. Any underlined text within a help window is a hyperlink.

Most hyperlinks cause a "jump" to a related help topic. However, hyperlinks can also be used to perform other behavior, such as executing commands or invoking actions.

A small graphic representation of an object. Objects can be "iconified" (turned into icons) to clear a cluttered desktop. Icons can be restored to their original size when needed. Any processes executing in an object continue to execute when the object is iconified.

The act of turning a window into an icon.

A file name in which the first character is a dot (.). Invisible file names are not displayed by the HP-UX listing commands such as ls and ll unless you use the -a option.

An HP-UX shell which, as an extension of the Korn Shell, uses hierarchical softkey menus and context-sensitive help to aid users in building command lines. Invoked as usr/bin/keysh.

The command for invoking a Key Shell.

An HP-UX shell, featuring command history recall and line-editing. Invoked as /usr/bin/ksh. As of the 10.0 Release of HP-UX, this shell is obsolete, replaced by the POSIX shell.

Stands for Local Area Network. The systems and/or clusters that share data, hardware, and software resources via networking software.

An NLS environment variable used to inform a computer process of the user's requirements for "native language," "local customs," and "coded character set."

A control, also called selection list, that contains scrollable choices from which you can select.

To begin a session on the computer by entering the necessary information, such as your user name (login name) and password.

The login name by which you are known to the system. This may be any group of characters, as long as it meets system rules.

The program that controls the initial startup of HP VUE, accepts your user name and password, and then starts the Session Manager.

To enlarge a window to fill a workspace. The push button that maximizes a window is located in the upper right corner of a window frame.

A list of commands that is displayed from a window or software application. The window menu enables you to control the size, shape, and position of that window. An application menu enables you to operate the application.

The bar directly beneath a window's title bar that contains the titles of the pull down menus for the software application.

To turn a window into an icon. The push button that minimizes a window is located near the upper right corner of the window frame.

A single, underlined character in a command. The mnemonic indicates that the command can be executed by typing that letter. Mnemonics are used most commonly in menu commands. However, other buttons may also have mnemonics.

The mouse pointer (also called just "pointer"), shows the mouse location on the screen. The pointer's shape depends on its location. On the desktop, the pointer is an X. On a window frame, the pointer is an arrow.

A container for actions available locally that are located on other host computers on your network. To display the Network Toolbox, choose the Network control in the Tools subpanel.

A session managed across multiple systems. Using a networked session allows you to see the same session, regardless of which system you use to log in. It also provides a single home directory across multiple systems.

An unseen character that marks the end of a line of text in a document. It tells a printer or screen to break a line and start a new one.

Network File Services.

A file system accessible over a network via the NFS Services product.

An NLS environment variable used to indicate the search path for message catalogs.

Any logical piece of data that has associated behavior. For example, in File Manager, files, directories, actions, and applications are all considered objects. Each type of object has specific associated actions. Typically, each object is represented as an icon.

The kernel (/stand/vmunix), commands, input-output control, system accounting, mass storage, and other services.

The owner of a file is usually the creator of that file. Ownership of a file can be changed by the superuser or the current owner.

A directory that contains other directories, each of which is then called a subdirectory. See also subdirectory.

In a shell environment, an existing process that has caused a new process (a child process) to be created.

An encrypted sequence of characters used by HP-UX to identify an authorized user and to permit authorized login on a system.

Specifies the location of a particular file or directory within the directory structure by specifying the directories you need to pass through to get there. The directory names are separated by slashes. For example, /home/michael/myfile is the path name for myfile.

There are two kinds of path names. See also relative path names and absolute path names, and file name.

See access permissions.

A container for personal applications and utilities. To display the Personal Toolbox, choose the Tools control in the Front Panel.

Process identifier (number).

An image stored in a raster format. Usually the term pixmap implies that the image may have more than two colors. An image that is limited to two colors is usually called a bitmap.

See mouse pointer.

POrtable Systems Interface, complying with UNIX standards 1003.1 and 1003.2 from IEEE.

POSIX-compliant version of the Korn Shell.

An invocation of a program. Generally, process refers to a program running in memory, while program is the code (a sequence of instructions stored on disk that cause the system to perform some function). Several users can access the same program simultaneously. Each generates a separate process from the same program.

A unique identification number assigned to all processes by the operating system. Also see PID.

See command line prompt.

A control that starts an action when it is chosen. OK, Cancel, and Help are examples of push buttons commonly found in dialogs.

A control that—combined with other radio buttons—offers you a fixed set of choices that are mutually exclusive.

Users with read permission can view the contents of a file or directory.

A string of characters that selects text.

The name of a file, listing all the directories leading to that file in relation to the current working directory.

For example, if you are in the /home directory, michael/myfile is the relative path to /home/michael/myfile.

See also absolute path name.

To change the height or width of a window.

A mechanism of the X Window System for specifying an attribute (appearance or behavior) of a window or application. Resources are usually named after the elements they control.

To change a minimized (iconified) or maximized window back to its regular size.

See superuser.

The highest level directory of the hierarchical file system, from which all other files branch. In HP-UX, the slash (/) character refers to the "root directory." The root directory is the only directory in the file system that is its own "parent directory."

The system state determined at boot that defines, among other things, multi- or single-user status.

The HP System Administration Manager, a tool that allows you to perform many system administration tasks without having to know the specific HP-UX commands that are associated with the task. You must have superuser permission to run SAM.

A window component for controlling the contents of a scrollable area. Scroll bars are used when information is too large to display within a window.

To specify an object by moving the mouse pointer (an arrow) over the object and clicking. No action is performed until you choose another object, such as the OK button. To select with the keyboard, see Chapter 3 “Learning Basic Skills” in Part 1 of this guide.

A computer program that provides file access, login access, file transfer, printing and other services across a network. Sometimes, but not always, a server consists of a dedicated computer.

Generally describes the time between beginning to use an application and quitting the application. More specifically, used to describe the time between logging in and logging out.

The program that provides the ability to restore the previous or home session the next time the user logs in. When a user logs in, the Session Manager starts the HP VUE applications that were running during a previous session.

An HP-UX command interpreter (Bourne, Korn, Key, POSIX or C), providing a working environment interface for the user. The shell takes command input from the keyboard and interprets it for the operating system.

To take the system from multi-user state to a quiescent (inactive) state, using the shutdown command.

The state of a computer where there is little or no process activity and no users logged in. The system is only accessible to the current system administrator (root). This mode is brought about by execution of shutdown(1). Also called single-user mode.

A control that "slides" back and forth across a range of measurements or values. Style Manager's Color dialog controls that choose the red, green, and blue color values are examples of sliders.

A program used to perform a particular task, usually interactively, such as computer-aided design, text editing, or accounting. Style Manager, Text Editor, and File Manager are examples of software applications.

The destination of error and special messages from a program, intended to be used for diagnostic messages. The standard error output is often called stderr. Standard error usually appears on the display unless it is directed otherwise.

The source of input data for a program. The standard input file is often called stdin. Standard input is usually supplied by entering data at the keyboard.

The destination of output data from a program. The standard output file is often called stdout. Standard output appears on the display unless it is redirected otherwise.

The HP VUE application with which you easily customize some visual elements and system device behaviors of your environment, including colors and fonts, and keyboard, mouse, window, and session startup behaviors.

A directory that is located in, or anywhere on a path below, another directory, which is then called its parent directory. Sometimes called child directory.

A component of the HP VUE Front Panel that provides additional controls. Subpanels usually contain groups of related controls. For instance, the Printers subpanel provides access to multiple printers. Subpanels are accessed by clicking on the small arrow just above certain Front Panel controls.

A login that allows special permissions for modifying system files that most users do not have permission to modify. Superuser is also called "the root user" or simply "root" since the user ID for superuser is root. On most computer systems, only a few users have permission to become superuser.

See SAM.

The person responsible for system and network installation, updating, maintenance, and security at your site.

See terminal window.

A window that emulates a particular terminal type for running non-window programs. Terminal windows are normally used for interacting with the HP-UX operating system by typing commands. The two most common terminal windows in HP VUE are hpterm and xterm.

The HP VUE application with which you create and edit documents.

A rectangular area in a window where you type information. Text fields with keyboard focus have a blinking text insertion cursor.

A rectangular area of a window frame (at the top of the window) that identifies the contents of the window. Usually, a window's title is the name of the application—for example, Style Manager. The title bar can be dragged to move the window.

A control that specifies the option or setting to be used when a command, such as OK, is performed. Typically, toggles allow you to turn an option on or off. If the option is on, selecting the toggle turns it off. If the option is off, selecting the toggle turns it on.

A container for action icons. There are three toolboxes: Personal Toolbox, General Toolbox, and Network Toolbox.

The system administrator defines a user account for every person authorized to use the system. Each user account contains the name the computer uses to identify the person (user name) and the person's password. See also user name, password.

The name that identifies your account to the login program and to the mail systems and other software requiring secure entry. Sometimes called login.

A program provided with the HP-UX operating system to perform a task, such as printing a file or displaying the contents of a directory.

A rectangular area on your display, used to contain an application. Software applications typically have one "main" window from which "secondary" windows, called dialogs, can be opened. A window frame has controls you can use to manipulate the window.

The visible part of a window that surrounds a software application. A window frame can contain five controls: title bar, resize borders, minimize button, maximize button, and the window menu button. (Some windows may not display all of these controls.)

A small, graphic representation of a window that takes up little area in a workspace.

The HP VUE program that controls the size, placement, and operation of windows.

The menu displayed when you press mouse button 1 on the window menu button in the upper left corner of the window frame, or press Alt Space.

See current working directory.

A single screen of windows. The HP VUE Workspace Manager creates multiple workspaces. Each workspace is like a separate screen. Windows can occupy any combination of workspaces. The Front Panel contains the workspace controls used to move from one workspace to another.

The program that controls the size, placement, and operation of windows within multiple workspaces. The HP VUE Workspace Manager includes the Front Panel, the window frames that surround each application, and window and workspace menus.

The menu displayed by pressing mouse button 3 on the workspace backdrop. This menu is sometimes called the "root" menu.

A compact, graphics-oriented computer having high speed and high memory capacity. A workstation usually includes a keyboard, a monitor, and a system unit.

Users with write permission can change the contents of a file or directory.