Linux Terminology
A wide range of servers run on Linux, especially when it comes to the web hosing industry. A great deal of Linux terminology
might be unknown to the users who have used Windows. The following are the basic terms that you must know:
Kernel
A kernel is the core of the operating system. When you come across the term Linux, it is nothing but a kernel that bears a name. The operating system might be Debian or CentOS. The kernel comprises of hardware drivers and enables the operating system to establish a connection with the hardware.
Daemon
It is also called as a ‘service’, a daemon typically starts functioning when the server is turned on and it remains active until the server is on. Many crucial hosting applications like web server, DNS server and the mail server function on daemons
Root
Root is a prominent term in the Linux world, the user with the name ‘root’ it actually the administrative account for the server. The root users have the ability to do anything they want with the server, usually there is just one, and most of the sysadmins will not use the ‘root’ username that requires admin credentials.
Package management
A hosting platform running on a Linux machine is an archive that is compressed. It comprises of all the files that constitute an application. Linux operating systems make the use of package managers for unpacking the packages and installing the programs in the right directories. YUM and APT are two most preferred package management systems that have the ability to download remote packages and install them on a computer.
Server Terminology
SSH
The secure shell enables you to connect to the server as if you are right in front of it using the console. In case you have the
administrative access, it is possible to control the server through SSH. The connections made through SSH are secure and encrypted.
Apache HTTP Server
This is one of the most popular web server software applications. Apache is the most dynamic and a preferred choice. It is a cross platform framework and it can easily operate on operating system like BSD variants, Linux, Windows, Solaris etc.
Virtualization
Virtualization defines the process of creating and utilizing virtual machines. These virtual machines are functional instances of the servers that are operating within a large server. The ‘guest’ virtual machine is confined to the ‘host’ operating system.
Cron Job
In the case of Unix and Linux servers, cron is a tool that enables you to automate a wide range of tasks that you might have to run manually.
X86 and x86_64
X86 means the processors that work on a 32 bit platform. There was a time when almost all desktop computers made the use of this kind of architecture. Many of the modern servers make the use of x86_64; 64 bit processors that provide with ample address space to accommodate many instructions. These processors also make it possible to make the complete use of the servers with more than 4GB of RAM.
Network Terminology
TCP
The transmission control protocol or TCP enables you to create a connection and then exchange the data streams. The TCP
protocol makes sure that the packets are delivered in the same order as they were sent.
UDP
The User Datagram Protocol or UDP is different from TCP because it is widely used to send and receive the datagrams directly. It does not contain some of the error recovery features that are present in TCP/IP.
FTP
The file transfer protocol enables the system to exchange files through internet. It is possible for the users to upload or download the files directly from or to the server.
SSL
The secure sockets layer is a protocol that facilitates the transfer of information privately on the internet. It is mainly used for the purpose of encrypting the website transactions; however it can also be sued to secure the other protocols and mails as well.
