From owner-freebsd-doc@FreeBSD.ORG Tue Aug 17 18:47:35 2004 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-doc@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 9220616A4CE; Tue, 17 Aug 2004 18:47:35 +0000 (GMT) Received: from av5-1-sn1.fre.skanova.net (av5-1-sn1.fre.skanova.net [81.228.11.111]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id E5B8443D39; Tue, 17 Aug 2004 18:47:34 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from lothrandil@n00b.apagnu.se) Received: by av5-1-sn1.fre.skanova.net (Postfix, from userid 502) id 1C18E37EA0; Tue, 17 Aug 2004 20:47:34 +0200 (CEST) Received: from smtp3-1-sn1.fre.skanova.net (smtp3-1-sn1.fre.skanova.net [81.228.11.163]) by av5-1-sn1.fre.skanova.net (Postfix) with ESMTP id 0D6C237E43; Tue, 17 Aug 2004 20:47:34 +0200 (CEST) Received: from [217.208.32.55] (h55n2fls31o926.telia.com [217.208.32.55]) by smtp3-1-sn1.fre.skanova.net (Postfix) with ESMTP id B07A637E5F; Tue, 17 Aug 2004 20:47:33 +0200 (CEST) Message-ID: <412252CB.2020708@n00b.apagnu.se> Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2004 20:47:39 +0200 From: Niclas Zeising User-Agent: Mozilla Thunderbird 0.7.3 (Windows/20040803) X-Accept-Language: en-us, en MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Giorgos Keramidas References: <200408161841.i7GIfVvZ033191@www.freebsd.org> <20040817114201.GC6960@orion.daedalusnetworks.priv> In-Reply-To: <20040817114201.GC6960@orion.daedalusnetworks.priv> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit cc: trhodes@freebsd.org cc: freebsd-doc@freebsd.org Subject: Re: docs/70555: [diff] changes to freebsd-glossary X-BeenThere: freebsd-doc@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list List-Id: Documentation project List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2004 18:47:35 -0000 Hi Giorgos! Giorgos Keramidas wrote: > On 2004-08-16 18:41, Niclas Zeising wrote: > > Nice work! Thanks! > > If you can tolerate my knit-picking we can probably get a lot of good > glossary entries out of this. Let's see what we can do :) It's no problem with your knit-picking :) Good feedback is always welcome. > > >>+ >>+ Application Programming Interface >>+ API >>+ >>+ A set of routines, protocols and tools to make it >>+ easier to develop applications. >>+ >>+ > > > Does this look better as a description of "API" ? > > "A set of procedures, protocols and tools that specify the canonical > interaction of one or more program parts; how, when and why they do > work together, what data they share or operate on, etc." That sounds good to me. It's a more allorund description, and it propably fits better. I'll add it to my diff if it's ok. > > > >> Basic Input/Output System >> BIOS >> >>- >>+ A ROM-chip with basic software to >>+ provide an interface between sofware and hardware. > > > The term BIOS is some times used in an ambiguous manner, with the actual > meaning depending on the context. For some "BIOS" is the ROM-chip > itself, for others the set of routines that are contained there and help > in bootstrapping the system. For others, it might even be the "text > mode GUI" that the user can use to configure the bootstrapping process. > The term is also very PC/x86-specific, so we might want to capture this > in its definition too. Okay, I try to rewrite and extend the definition of BIOS, so it will become better and more general. Thanks for the pointer. > > >> CPU >> >>- >>+ Also known as the prosessor. This is the brain of the computer >>+ where all calculations take place. > > > This is also an oversimplification, but anyway :-) It was the best I could come up with, I can try and get some more info, but that's IMHO a okay explaation. Maybe i should add something about diffrent architechtures (x86, alpha, etc) as well? > > >> DNS >> >>- >>+ The system that converst humanly readable hosts to ip addresses >>+ and vice versa. > > > Please fix the typo s/converst/converts/. Perhaps we should add an > example here too: > > "The system that converts host or domain names > (i.e. mail.example.net) to IP addresses and vice versa." Yeah, it probably makes it easier to understand. > > >>- >>+ A protocol that dynamically assigns ip addresses to a cumputer >>+ (host) when it requests one from the server. The ip assignment is >>+ called a lease. > > > Typo: s/cumputer/computer/. I would also prefer "ip assignment" written > as: "The address assignment is called a lease." and IP > capitalized when used to signify the Internet Protocol. I'll fix that. > > >> File Transfer Protocol >> FTP >> >>- >>+ Protocol used to transfer files over a network. > > > I'd probably write this with a bit more detail: > > "A member of the family of high-level protocols implemented on top > of TCP, FTP can be used to transfer files over a > TCP/IP network." > > This way the reader knows that FTP works only with TCP/IP networks; > it's clear that it doesn't work (at least not without a TCP > compatibility layer) with IPX networks :-) Okay, I'll use your definition, mine was a bit to oversimplicated. > > >> IP Version 4 >> IPv4 >> >>- >>+ The old IP protocol which uses 32 bits for addressing. > > > I wouldn't call "old" something that is still so widely in use ;-) Well, it's like old in computer terms ;). Isn't IP like 20 years? > > Since IPv4 has played such a major role in the development of what > Internet is today, I'd probably like it a lot better if we expanded the > description a bit. My network connectivity at work SUCKS today and I > can't seem to be able to reach Google, but good idea if you're > interested in expanding this a bit is probably to see how Sun, Cisco or > others describe IP in their own glossaries. > > We can probably "borrow" ideas if not the text itself. I'll see what I can find. > > >>@@ -718,7 +739,8 @@ >> Internet Protocol >> IP >> >>- >>+ A packet transmitting protocol. The basic protocol on the >>+ internet. > > > This should be a reference to "IPv4" since a lot of text that simply > refers to "IP" implicitly means "IPv4". Okay. > > > >> ISP >>+ A company that gives access to the internet. > > > Capitalize "Internet" please. > > >> Kilo Bits Per Second >> Kbps >> >>- >>+ Used to measure bandwith. The Kilo prefix can be changed to Mega, >>+ Giga, etc. as nessecary. > > > ===> Mental note to myself: > > "Bandwidth" is probably a term that would need clarification for someone > who doesn't know what Kbps means. Do we have a definition of teh term > "bandwidth" in our glossary? No, we don't have a definition of "Bandwith". If it's nesesary it's easily addet thoug. But do we need it? I can always try to make an in-line description of bandwith in the explanation of "Kbps". > > >> Local Area Network >> LAN >> >>- >>+ Network used on a local area, eg office, home etc. Often refered >>+ to as network. > > > I think that "eg" is not a real word and should be written either as > "i.e." or removed as part of a sentence rewrite. "Referred" is also > spelt with two r's. > > >> Mail Transfer Agent >> MTA >> >>- >>+ Application used to transfer e-mails. The most common and well >>+ known is SendMail. > > > Ok, to transfer e-mails... but where and why? When referring to > Sendmail it's probably a good idea to mention that an MTA has > traditionally been part of a BSD system, that Sendmail is included in > the base system for this reason and that there are countless alternative > MTAs with Postfix, qmail and Exim being the most popular today. Okay, I'll fix this. > > >> Mail User Agent >> MUA >> >>- >>+ Application used to display and write e-mails. > > > Used by whom? > > >> Operating System >> OS >> >>- >>+ The underlying programs which controls the computer hardware, >>+ memory and so on. > > > What you describe as "hardware, memory and so on" can collectively be > described as "resources": > > A set of programs, libraries and tools that provide access to > the hardware resources of a computer. Operating systems range > today from simplistic designs that support only one program > running at a time, accessing only one device to fully > multi-user, multi-tasking and multi-process systems that can > serve thousands of users simultaneously, each of them running > dozens of different applications. > > Does this sound better? Yes. We'll use that instead. > > >> Process ID >> PID >> >>- >>+ A unik ID every process gets to distinguish it from all other >>+ processes. > > > Typo: s/unik/unique/. ID cannot be used as an explanation of ID. We > should probably rewrite this as: Unik is the Swedish word for unique :), I must've typed wrong in the rush. > > Process ID (identifier). &os; is a multiprocessing operating > system. A lot of programs might be running "at the same time". > Different programs or even the same program can be loaded > multiple times. The kernel of &os; uses a unique process > identifier (PID) to distinguish between each running program > instance. Okay. > > >> Request For Comments >> RFC >> >>- >>+ A set of documents defining internet standards, protocols etc. >>+ Can be found here: RFC-editor >>+ . Also used if someone has suggestions on something and wants >>+ feedback. > > > I don't like the way two different descriptions of the "RFC" acronym > blend together. We definitely want to keep them separate; probably in > different paragraphs. You've got i point. I use two paragraphs. > > Regards, > > - Giorgos > Thanks a lot for the feedback. I'll get on doing the changes right away! I'll drop an e mail when the new diff is up. If you have additionall additions, comments or anything. Just yell! :) I'll cc Tom Rhodes (trhodes@) as well. (And the list, forgot the first time ;) Cheers! //Niclas --