See login account.

The only window that recognizes input (activity) from the keyboard and mouse; only one window is active at a time.

See SCSI address dial.

The person who can use the most privileged account, root. This person must have a personal login account for daily use, but when there are serious system problems to correct, the person logs in to the root account to change system information using the graphical tools or using the IRIX shell.

The Administrator has all the capabilities of a Privileged User, plus the capability to change information in the root account (such as the password) and to log in to an IRIX shell as root. Because there is only one root account, there is only one Administrator per system. The Information Panel for a particular system includes the name of the system's Administrator so other users know whom to contact for help.

See network administrator.

To copy a certain set of files and directories from your hard disk to a tape or other media.

A tape that contains a copy of a set of files and directories that are on your hard disk. A full backup tape contains a copy of all files and directories, including IRIX, that are on your hard disk.

A term used for the speed (calculated as bits per second) at which the computer sends information to a serial device, such as a modem or terminal.

To start up the system by turning on the workstation and monitor; the system is fully booted when you see the console login prompt or the login screen.

On a mouse, a button is a switch that you press with a finger. In a window on your screen, a button is a labelled rectangle that you click using the cursor and mouse.

A high-end digital video interface standard developed by the CCIR (Comité Consultatif International de Radiodiffusion, or International Radio Consultative Committee). In CCIR 601 the luminance and chrominance are broken down into three digital signals: one for luminance (brightness) and two for chrominance (color) information. The color information is spatially subsampled horizontally so that the two chroma components occupy the same data bandwidth as the luminance component. Both the luminance and chrominance are then multiplexed up to a double rate byte wide data stream. The Silicon Graphics digital standard used in the Moosehead workstation is very similar to 601, with the exception that 601 is balanced ECL, while Silicon Graphics uses single-ended TTL. Additionally, 601 requires a fixed number of samples per horizontal line, while the Silicon Graphics implementation is programmable.

A flat metallic disk that contains information that you can view and copy onto your own hard disk; you cannot change or add to the information on the CD-ROM. CD-ROM is short for compact disk: read-only memory.

A network where a central server controls services and information; the server is maintained by one or more individuals called network administrators. On a centralized network that uses NIS, this server is called the NIS master, and all other systems on the network are called NIS clients. See also network administrator, NIS, NIS client, NIS domain, and NIS master.

The external metal framework of the workstation that contains its working parts.

In an image reproduction system, a separate signal that contains the color information. Black, white, and all shades of gray have no chrominance and contain only the luminance (brightness) portion of the signal. However, all colors have both chrominance and luminance.

Chrominance is derived from the I and Q signals in the NTSC television system and the U and V signals in the PAL television system. See also luminance.

To hold the mouse still, and then press and immediately release a mouse button.

A color encoding method or a video signal that contains all of the color, brightness, and synchronizing information in one signal. The chief composite television standard signals are NTSC, PAL, and SECAM. See also NTSC and PAL.

A system file that you change to customize the way your system behaves. Such files are sometimes referred to as customization files.

A test that you run to make sure a particular device (such as the keyboard, mouse, or a drive) is set up and working properly.

Hardware at the end of a cable that lets you fasten the cable to an outlet, port, or another connector.

The window that appears as a stowed icon each time you log in; IRIX reports all status and error messages to this window.

The printed circuit board within your workstation chassis that contains the central processing unit.

The directory within the filesystem in which you are currently located when you are working in a shell window.

The small red arrow on the screen that echoes the movements of the mouse. It changes shape depending on its location on the screen.

A magnetic tape from which you can read and to which you can copy audio and digital information.

The printer to which the system directs a print request if you do not specify a printer when you make the request. You set the default printer using the Print Manager.

Portions of a product that are installed automatically if you do not customize a product installation.

A set of behaviors that Silicon Graphics specifies on every system. You can later change these specifications, which range from how your screen looks to what type of drive you want to use to install new software.

A series of tests that check all hardware components of your system.

A small printed circuit board with several chips that contain additional megabytes of random-access memory (RAM).

A long, thin, female connector located on the system board into which you insert a DIMM.

A container in the filesystem in which you store other directories and files.

Any disk (hard, CD-ROM, floppy, or floptical) that you can access either because it is physically attached to your workstation with a cable, or because it is available over the network using NFS. See also NFS.

The percentage of space on your disk that contains information.

To hold the mouse still, then press and release it twice, very rapidly. When you double-click an icon it opens into a window; when you double-click the Window menu button the window closes.

To press and hold down a mouse button, then move the mouse. This drags the cursor to move icons or to highlight menu items.

A hardware device that lets you access information on various forms of media, such as hard, floppy, and CD-ROM discs, and magnetic tapes.

See SCSI address.

Any piece of hardware that is attached to the workstation with a cable.

To use NFS software to make all or part of your filesystem available to other users and systems on the network.

A connector that has indentations or holes into which you plug a male connector. An example of a female connector is an electrical wall outlet that accepts an electrical plug.

An area in a window in which you can type text.

A container in which you store information such as text, programs, or images you create using an application.

A hierarchy of directories and files. Directories contain other directories and files; files cannot contain directories. The root (/) directory is at the top of the hierarchy.

A window that contains buttons that you must click and/or editable fields that you must fill in.

An electrical wall outlet that accepts a plug that has a grounding prong. In the USA, all three-prong outlets are grounded.

The protocol that controls the flow of information between a workstation and a printer or any other peripheral. A hardware handshake uses only cable wires and pins to control the flow. A software handshake (also called xon-xoff flow control) uses a combination of pins, wires, and software.

To change the color of an item on the screen by positioning the cursor over it (locate-highlight) or by positioning the cursor over it and pressing a mouse button.

The directory into which IRIX places you each time you log in. It is specified in your login account; you own this directory and, typically, all its contents.

Any system connected to the network.

The name that uniquely identifies each host (system) on the network.

A set of standards and suggestions for making your working environment more comfortable and healthy.

A small picture that represents a stowed or closed file, directory, application, or IRIX process.

A drive that fits inside the workstation and connects to an internal port; it is never connected with a cable to a visible external port. An internal drive is occasionally referred to as a front-loading drive.

The Internet Protocol number that uniquely identifies each host (system) on the network. 192.0.2.1 is an example of an IP address. It always has four components, separated by periods.

Silicon Graphics's version of the UNIX operating system. See also system software.

A combination of software, hardware, and telephone services that let you communicate with other systems and networks over a high-speed telephone line just as you communicate with other systems and networks over an Ethernet cable.

The text editor that comes as a standard utility on Silicon Graphics workstations.

A standard unit for measuring the information storage capacity of disks and memory (RAM and ROM); 1024 bytes make one kilobyte.

A light on a piece of hardware that indicates status or error conditions.

To start up an application, often by double-clicking an icon.

The physical workstation whose keyboard and mouse you are using, all hardware that is connected to that workstation, and all software that resides on that hardware or its removable media.

To give the system your login name so you can start a session on the workstation.

To end a session on the workstation.

A database of information about each user that, at the minimum, consists of login name, user ID, and a home directory.

A name that uniquely identifies a user to the system.

The window that you see after powering on the system, before you can access files and directories. The window can contain one icon for each login account on the system.

The perceived brightness of a surface. Typically refers to a weighted average of red, green, and blue color values that gives the perceived brightness of the combination. For video systems, luminance is the video signal that describes the amount of light in each pixel. See also chrominance.

A standard unit for measuring the information storage capacity of disks and memory (RAM and ROM); 1024 kilobytes make one megabyte.

A connector that has raised edges, pins, or other protruding parts that you plug into a female connector. An example of a male connector is an electrical plug that you plug into a wall outlet.

An online document that describes how to use a particular IRIX command.

A list of operations or commands that the workstation can carry out on various objects on the screen.

On the Moosehead workstation, a MIDI devices (such as a keyboard) can be connected to the serial ports.

A hardware device that displays the images, windows, and text with which you interact to use the system. It is also called a video display terminal (VDT).

The cable that connects the monitor to the workstation to transmit video signals. It is thick and beige, with large connectors on both ends.

The cable that connects the monitor to the workstation to provide power to the monitor. It is thick and beige, with a male connector on one end and a female connector on the other.

The directory on your workstation from which you access information that is stored on a local or remote disk resource.

To make a filesystem that is stored on a local or remote disk resource accessible from a specific directory on your workstation.

A hardware device you use to communicate with windows and icons. You move the mouse to move the cursor on the screen, and you press its buttons to initiate operations. An optical mouse must always be on the mouse pad for the IRIS system to interpret its movements; a mechanical mouse works on any clean, flat surface.

For an optical mouse, this is the rectangular, metallic surface that “reads” the movements of the mouse. For a mechanical mouse, this is a clean, soft rectangular surface that makes the mouse's track ball roll efficiently.

A group of computers and other devices (such as printers) that can all communicate with each other electronically to transfer and share information.

The individual(s) responsible for setting up, maintaining, and troubleshooting the network, and for supplying setup information to system administrators of each system.

A networking software option that lets you access files and directories that reside on the disks of other workstations as if they resided on a local disk in your own workstation.

A form that appears when the system requires you to confirm an operation that you just requested, or when an error occurs.

A color television standard or timing format encoding all of the color, brightness, and synchronizing information in one signal. Used in North America, most of South America, and most of the Far East, this standard is named after the National Television Systems Committee, the standardizing body that created the system in the United States in 1953. NTSC uses a total of 525 horizontal lines per frame, with two fields per frame of 262.5 lines each. Each field refreshes at 60 Hz (actually 59.94 Hz).

To double-click an icon, or to select an icon, then choose “Open” from a menu in order to display a window that contains the information that the icon represents.

Any internal drive other than the system disk. Option drives include floppy disk drives, floptical disk drives, secondary hard disk drives, or DAT drives.

Openings in the hardware to which you attach connectors to make an electrical connection.

Stands for Phase Alternation Line or Phase Alternated by Line, by which the workstation attempts to correct some of the color inaccuracies in NTSC. PAL is a color television standard or timing format developed in West Germany and used by most other countries in Europe (including the United Kingdom but excluding France), as well as Australia and parts of the Far East. PAL uses a total of 625 horizontal lines per frame, with two fields per frame of 312.5 lines per field. Each field refreshes at 50 Hz. PAL color encoding is different from NTSC encoding. See also NTSC.

Stands for Peripheral Component Interconnect—a bus specification. The PCI bus is a high-performance local bus used to connect peripherals to memory and a microprocessor. A wide range of vendors make devices that plug into the PCI bus.

The interface that you use to communicate with the system after it is powered on, but before it is booted and running IRIX.

A tool that you access through the System Manager. You use it to set up printer software and monitor jobs that you send to the printer.

Any hardware device that requires a parallel cable connection to communicate with the workstation. A parallel interface transfers bits of information down a number of wires simultaneously.

An outlet on the workstation to which you connect external parallel devices. A parallel interface transfers bits of information down a number of wires simultaneously.

A combination of letters and/or numbers that only you know; it is an optional element of your login account. If you specify a password for your account, you must type it after you type your login name before the system lets you access files and directories.

The list of directories that leads you from the root (/) directory to a specific file or directory in the filesystem.

A hardware device that adds more functionality to the basic workstation, such as a tape drive. See also external devices and internal drives.

An outlet on the workstation to which you attach cable connectors.

A series of tests that automatically check hardware components of your system each time you turn it on.

The cable that connects the workstation to a grounded electrical outlet.

To turn off the power switches on the workstation chassis and the monitor.

The piece of hardware within the chassis that directs power from an electrical outlet to the chassis, the monitor, and internal SCSI devices. It also contains the power switch, reset button, and fan.

To turn on the power switches on the workstation chassis and the monitor.

A character or word that the system displays in an IRIX shell. Indicates that the system is ready to accept commands. The default prompt for regular user accounts is %; the default prompt for the root account is #.

To stop running an application.

A hardware device or the information or media it contains that you can access across the network; it is not physically connected to your workstation.

A physical button on the workstation that you press to cut off then immediately restore power to the workstation. You should never press this button while IRIX is running, unless all attempts to shut down the system using software fail. See also shut down.

To copy files that once resided on your hard disk from another disk or a tape back onto your hard disk.

The standard IRIX login account reserved for use by the system administrator. This account's home directory is the root (/) directory of the filesystem; the user of the root account has full access to the entire filesystem (that is, can change and delete any file or directory). The user of this account is sometimes referred to as the superuser.

The directory at the top of the file system hierarchy.

Pronounced “scuzzy.” SCSI is a high-speed input/output specification for small computers.

A number from one to seven that uniquely identifies a SCSI device to a system. No two SCSI devices that are physically connected to the same workstation can have the same SCSI address.

A small plastic dial connected to most external SCSI devices supplied by Silicon Graphics. You click on its small buttons to select a SCSI address for a new SCSI device.

The combined length of all internal and external SCSI cables in a system.

A cable that connects a SCSI device to a SCSI port on a workstation.

A hardware device that uses the Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) protocol to communicate with the system. Hard disk, floppy disk, floptical disk, CD-ROM, and tape drives are all SCSI devices.

A metal cap that you plug into any open SCSI port on a SCSI bus line. No SCSI devices on a SCSI bus line will work unless all SCSI ports are occupied by either a cable or terminator.

The portion of the monitor that displays information.

To position the cursor over an icon then click the (left) mouse button. Once an icon is selected, it is the object of whatever operation you select from a menu.

Any hardware device that requires a serial cable connection to communicate with the workstation.

An outlet on the workstation to which you connect external serial devices.

A system that other systems on the network access to use its disk space, software, or services.

A window into which you type IRIX commands.

A cable with a protective covering that reduces the possibility of interference with radio, television, and other devices.

To safely close all files, log out, and bring the workstation to a state where you can safely power it off. Choose “System Shutdown” from the System toolchest menu to do this.

Any software product that you buy from Silicon Graphics other than the standard system software that comes on your system disk.

A workstation that is not connected to a network.

Whenever your body comes in physical contact with metal parts (including printed circuit boards) of computer equipment there is the potential for you to feel an electrical shock (electro-static discharge or ESD) which could damage the equipment. To prevent this, you must always wear a wrist strap when working with internal parts of a workstation.

A portion of a software product. Each product consists of several subsystems; some are required and some are optional.

An alternate name for the user of the root login account. See also system administrator.

An increasingly popular analog video signal format that achieves higher picture quality than composite video by passing the luminance (brightness) and chrominance (color) information on separate wires.

All the hardware and software that make up the workstation.

The tasks associated with setting up, maintaining, and troubleshooting a networked or standalone system.

When the IRIX operating system fails and the system will not accept any keyboard or mouse input.

The physical disk that contains the standard IRIX operating system software—the software that makes your workstation run.

A set of tools that the administrator uses to set up and manage the workstation. You access the System Manager through the System menu in the Toolchest.

The standard IRIX operating system software and Silicon Graphics tools that come on the system disk and on the tape or CD-ROM that you use in the event of a system crash.

Stands for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. A set of networking protocols for wide area networks (WANs). It is also gaining popularity on local area networks (LANs).

The ridged knob attached to a screw in a cable connector that you turn to secure the connector to an outlet.

The menus in the upper left-hand corner of the desktop. You start system tools such as the System Manager and Software Manager using its menus.

Hardware that you add to the basic workstation that increases performance, such as additional memory and option boards.

To make a filesystem that is accessible from a specific directory on your workstation temporarily unaccessible.

A number that uniquely identifies a user to the system.

A portion of the screen that you can manipulate that contains text or graphics.

The physical hardware that contains the CPU and graphics boards, a system disk, and a power supply. You connect it to a monitor, keyboard, and mouse to configure a working system. It is also sometimes referred to as the chassis.

A band with a loop for your wrist at one end and copper foil at the other. You attach the end with the foil to a metal part of the workstation and place the loop around your wrist. You use the strap whenever you work with internal components of the workstation to avoid electrical shocks to yourself and the components. See also static electricity.