# Glossery for modules 1-6
# Glossary - IT Support - Terms and definitions from Course 1
\#
404 Not Found: An error message you might see on websites that have been moved or deleted
A
Abstraction: To take a relatively complex system and simplify it for our use
Address bus: Connects the CPU to the MCC and sends over the location of the data, but not
the data itself
Algorithm: A series of steps that solves specific problems.
Android: A mobile operating system based on Linux
Application: A computer program designed for a specific use
Application software: Any software created to fulfill a specific need, like a text editor, web
browser, or graphics editor
ARPANET: The earliest version of the Internet that we see today, created by the US
government project DARPA in the 1960s
ASCII: The oldest character encoding standard used is ASCII. It represents the English
alphabet, digits, and punctuation marks
Assembly language: A language that allowed computer scientists to use human readable
instructions, assembled into code that the machines could understand
ATA: The most common interface that hard drives use to connect to our system
ATX (Advanced Technology eXtended): The most common form factor for motherboards
Automation: It makes processes work automatically
B
Backward compatible: It means older hardware works with newer hardware
Binary system: The communication that a computer uses is referred to as binary system, also
known as base-2 numeral system
Bios (Basic Input Output Services): The BIOS is software that helps initialize the hardware in
our computer and gets our operating system up and running
BIOS/UEFI: A low-level software that initializes our computer's hardware to make sure
everything is good to go
Block storage: It improves faster handling of data because the data isn't stored in one long
piece but in blocks, so it can be accessed quicker
Boot: To start up a computer
Bootloader: A small program that loads the operating system
Browser: A user interface for displaying and interacting with web pages
BYOD (Bring Your Own Device): Refers to the practice of allowing people to use their own
personal devices for work
Byte: A group of 8 bits
C
Cache: The assigned stored location for recently or frequently accessed data; on a mobile app
it is where anything that was changed or created with that app is stored
Character encoding: Is used to assign our binary values to characters so that we as humans
can read them
Charge cycle: One full charge and discharge of a battery
Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA): Regulates the information we show to
children under the age of 13
Chipset: It decides how components talk to each other on our machine
Chrome OS: A Linux-based operating system designed by Google
Clients: A device that receives data from a server
Clock cycle: When you send a voltage to the clock wire
Clock speed: The maximum number of clock cycles that it can handle in a set in a certain time
period
Clock wire: When you send or receive data, it sends a voltage to that clock wire to let the CPU
know it can start doing calculations
Coding: Translating one language to another
Command Line Interface (CLI): A shell that uses text commands to interact with the operating
system
Compiled programming language: A language that uses human readable instructions, then
sends them through a compiler
Computer: A device that stores and processes data by performing calculations
Computer file: Data that we store and a file can be anything, a word document, a picture, a
song, literally anything
Copyright: Used when creating original work
CPU: Central processing unit
CPU sockets: A CPU socket is a series of pins that connect a CPU’s processor to the PC’s
motherboard
Cryptography: The overarching discipline that covers the practice of coding and hiding
messages from third parties
D
DARPA: A US government project in the 1960s that went on to create the earliest version of the
Internet that we see today
Data blocks: Data that can be broken down into many pieces and written to different parts of
the hard disk
Data sizes: Metrics that refer to data sizes including bit, byte, kilobyte, kibibyte, and megabyte
DDR SDRAM (Double Data Rate SDRAM): A type of RAM that is faster, takes up less power,
and has a larger capacity than earlier SDRAM versions
Decimal form- base 10 system: In the decimal system, there are 10 possible numbers you can
use ranging from zero to nine
Desktop: The main screen where we can navigate our files, folders, and applications
Digital divide: The growing skills gap between people with and without digital literacy skills
DIMM: Dual Inline Memory Module
Display port: Port which also outputs audio and video
Distribution: A version of the operating system
Distributions: Some common Linux distributions are Ubuntu, Debian, and Red Hat
Domain name: A website name; the part of the URL following www.
Domain Name System (DNS): A global and highly distributed network service that resolves
strings of letters, such as a website name, into an IP address
DRAM: Dynamic Random Access Memory
Drivers: The drivers contain the instructions our CPU needs to understand external devices like
keyboards, webcams, printers
DVI: DVI cables generally just output video
E
Electrostatic discharge: Electrostatic discharge is a sudden and momentary flow of electric
current between two electrically charged objects caused by contact, an electrical short or
dielectric breakdown
Error message: Helpful indicators that can point you in the right direction
Etcher.io: A tool you can use to load an install image onto your USB device and make it
bootable
Ethernet cable: It lets you physically connect to the network through a cable
.exe: A file extension found in Windows for an executable file
Expansion slots: Give us the ability to increase the functionality of our computer
External Data Bus (EDB): It's a row of wires that interconnect the parts of our computer
F
Factory reset: Resetting a device to the settings it came with from the factory
Fiber optic cable: Fiber optic cables contain individual optical fibers which are tiny tubes made
of glass about the width of a human hair. Unlike copper, which uses electrical voltages, fiber
cables use pulses of light to represent the ones and zeros of the underlying data
File extension: The appended part of a filename that tells us what type of file it is in certain
operating systems
File handling: A process of storing data using a program
File system: A system used to manage files
Finder: The file manager for all Macs
Firmware: Software that's permanently stored on a computer component
Folders/Directories: Used to organize files
Form factor: A mathematical way to compensate for irregularities in the shape of an object by
using a ratio between its volume and height
G
GIT: A version control system that helps keep track of changes made to files and directories
Globalization: The movement that lets governments, businesses, and organizations
communicate and integrate together on an international scale
H
Hard drive: It is a long term memory component that holds all of our data, which can include
music, pictures, applications
Hardware: External or internal devices and equipment that help you perform major functions
Hardware resource deficiency: It refers to the lack of system resources like memory, hard
drive space, etc
HDD (Hard disk drive): Hard disk drives, or HDDs, use a spinning platter and a mechanical
arm to read and write information
HDMI: A type of cable that outputs both video and audio
Heatsink: It is used to dissipate heat from our CPU
HFS+/APFS: HFS+ is a journaling system developed by Apple Inc. and APFS is another but
more encrypted Apple journaling system
Hostname: Used to identify the computer when it needs to talk to other computers
Hubs: Devices that serve as a central location through which data travels through
I
Information technology: The use of digital technology, like computers and the internet, to store
and process data into useful information
Input/Output device: A device that performs input and output, including monitors, keyboards,
mice, hard disk drives, speakers, bluetooth headsets, webcams, and network adapters
Install image: A downloadable operating system image used to install an operating system on
a device
Instruction set: A list of instructions that our CPU is able to run
Internet: A worldwide system of interconnected networks
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN): Where website names
are registered
Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4): An address that consists of 32 bits separated into four
groups
Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6): An address that consist of a 128 bits, four times the
amount that IPv4 uses
Internet service provider (ISP): A company that provides a consumer an internet connection
Internet of Things (IoT): The concept that more and more devices are connected to the
internet in a smarter fashion such as smart thermostats that turn off the air conditioner when you
leave and turn it on when you come back
Interpreted programming language: A language that isn't compiled ahead of time
I/O management: Anything that can give us input or that we can use for output of data
iOS: A mobile operating system developed by Apple Inc.
IP address: The most common protocol used in the network layer, used to helps us route
information
ITX (Information Technology eXtended): A form factor for motherboards that is much smaller
than ATX boards
K
Kernel: The main core of an operating system that creates processes, efficiently schedules
them, and manages how processes are terminated
L
Land Grid Array (LGA): It is a type of CPU socket that stick out of the motherboard
Lightning adaptor: One of the standard power, data and display connector types used in
mobile devices
Linux OS: Linux is one of the largest an open source operating system used heavily in
business infrastructure and in the consumer space
Logic gates: Allow transistors to do more complex tasks, like decide where to send electrical
signals depending on logical conditions
Logs: Files that record system events on our computer
M
MAC address: A globally unique identifier attached to an individual network interface. It's a
48-bit number normally represented by six groupings of two hexadecimal numbers
Mac OS: Apple's operating system
Mb/s: megabit per second, which is a unit of data transfer rate
Memory controller chip (MCC): A bridge between the CPU and the RAM
Memory usage: The amount of memory available in your system as well as what memory is
currently being used by other applications
Memory management: One of the functions that a kernel performs; it optimizes memory usage
and make sure our applications have enough memory to run
Metadata: Tells us everything we need to know about a file, including who created it, when it
was last modified, who has access to it, and what type of file it is.
Micro display port: One of the standard power, data and display connector types used in
mobile devices
Micro HDMI: One of the standard power, data and display connector types used in mobile
devices
Micro USB: One of the standard power, data and display connector types used in mobile
devices
Microsoft Terminal Services Client: A client program used to create RDP connections to
remote computers
Mini HDMI: One of the standard power, data and display connector types used in mobile
devices
Mini USB: One of the standard power, data and display connector types used in mobile devices
Motherboard: The body or circulatory system of the computer that connects all the pieces
together
N
Network: The interconnection of computers
Network Address Translation (NAT): A mitigation tool that lets organizations use one public IP
address and many private IP addresses within the network
Network stack: A set of hardware or software that provides the infrastructure for a computer
Networking: Managing, building and designing networks
Networking protocols: A set of rules for how we transfer data in a network
Northbridge: interconnects stuff like RAM and video cards.
NVMe (NVM Express): interface standard which allows greater throughput of data and
increased efficiency.
O
Open SSH: The most popular program to use SSH within Linux
Open Source: This means the developers will let other developers share, modify, and distribute
their software for free
Operating system: The whole package that manages our computers resources and lets us
interact with it
Overclocking: it increases the rate of your CPU clock cycles in order to perform more tasks
P
PC: It means personal computer, which technically means a computer that one person uses
PCI Express: Peripheral Component Interconnect Express
PDA (Personal Digital Assistant): Allows computing to go mobile
Peripherals: the external devices which we connect to our computer that add functionality,
like: a mouse, a keyboard, and a monitor
Permission denied: An error message you might find when accessing a protected file
Pin Grid Array (PGA): CPU socket where the pins are located on the processor itself
Plink (PuTTY Link): A tool built into the command line after PuTTY is installed that is used to
make remote SSH connections
Ports: Connection points that we can connect devices to that extend the functionality of our
computer
POST (Power On Self Test): It figures out what hardware is on the computer
Powershell: A shell (program that interprets text commands) for Windows
Power supply: Converts electricity from our wall outlet onto a format that our computer can use
Power user: Above average computer users
Process management: The capacity to manage the many programs in a system - when to run
them, the order they run in, how many resources they take up, how long they run, etcetera
Process scheduler: The part of the kernel that makes multitasking possible
Programming: Coding in a programming language
Programming language: Special languages that software developers use to write instructions
for computers to execute
Programs: Basic instructions that tell the computer what to do
Punch cards: A sequence of cards with holes in them to automatically perform calculations
instead of manually entering them by hand
Q
Qwiklabs: An online platform which provides training in cloud services
R
RAM: Random Access Memory
Registers: An accessible location for storing the data that our CPU works with
Reimaging: The process of reimaging involves wiping and reinstalling an operating system
using a disk image which is a copy of an operating system
Remote connection: The ability to connect an authorized person to a computer or network
remotely; allows us to manage multiple machines from anywhere in the world
Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP): A secure network communication protocol developed by
Microsoft that allows a user to connect to another device remotely
Return merchandise authorization (RMA): The process of receiving returned merchandise
and authorizing a refund
RGB model: RGB or red, green, and blue model is the basic model of representing colors
ROM chip (Read Only Memory): A read-only memory chip where the BIOS is stored
Root cause: The main factor that's causing a range of issues
Router: A device that knows how to forward data between independent networks
RPM: Revolutions per minute
S
SATA: The most popular serial ATA drive, which uses one cable for data transfers
Safe operating temperature: The temperature range in which rechargeable batteries must be
kept in order to avoid demanage
Scalability: The measure of a system’s ability to increase or decrease in performance and cost
in response to varying loads in system processing demands
SDRAM: It stands for Synchronous DRAM, this type of RAM is synchronized to our systems'
clock speed allowing quicker processing of data
Server logs: Text files that contains recorded information about activities performed on a
specific web server in a defined period of time
Servers: Devices that provide data to other devices that request that data, also known as a
client
Scripting: Coding in a scripting language
Script: It is run by an interpreter, which interprets the code into CPU instructions just in time to
run them
Scripts: Mainly used to perform a single or limited range task
Shell: A program that interprets text commands and sends them to the OS to execute
Standoffs: Used to raise and attach your motherboard to the case
SOC (System On a Chip): Packs the CPU, Ram, and sometimes even the storage onto a
single chip
Software: The intangible instructions that tell the hardware what to do
Software bug: An error in software that causes unexpected results
Software management: A broad term used to refer to any and all kinds of software that are
designed to manage or help manage some sort of project or task
Southbridge: It maintains our IO or input/output controllers, like hard drives and USB devices
that input and output data.
SSH (Secure shell): A protocol implemented by other programs to securely access one
computer from another.
SSH authentication key: A secure authentication method for accessing a computer from other
device
SSH client: A program you must have installed on your device in order to establish an SSH
connection with another device
SSH server: Software installed on a machine that allows for that device to accept an SSH
connection
Standardization: A systematic way of naming hosts
Swap space: The allocated space where the virtual memory is stored on the hard drive when
the amount of physical memory space is used up or full
SSD: Solid State Drive
Switches: Devices that help our data travel
System: A system refers to a group of hardware components and software components that
work together to fun the programs or processes in the computer
System settings: Settings like display resolution, user accounts, network, devices, etc
System software: Software used to keep our core system running, like operating system tools
and utilities
T
Task bar: It gives us quick options and shows us information like network connectivity, the date,
system notifications, sound etc
Terminal: A text based interface to the computer
Thermal paste: A substance used to better connect our CPU and heat sink, so the heat
transfers from to the other better
Time slice: A very short interval of time that gets allocated to a process for CPU execution
Transfer Control Protocol (TCP): A protocol that handles reliable delivery of information from
one network to another
Troubleshooting: The ability to diagnose and resolve a problem
Type-C connector: A type of USB connector meant to replace many peripheral connections
U
Ubuntu: The most popular Linux consumer distribution
UEFI: United Extensible Firmware Interface
USB (Universal Serial Bus): A connection standard for connecting peripherals to devices such
as computers
USB-C adapter: One of the standard power, data and display connector types used in mobile
devices
UTF-8: The most prevalent encoding standard used today
Uniform Resource Locator (URL): A web address similar to a home address
User name: A unique identifier for a user account
User space: The aspect of an operating system that humans interact with directly like
programs, such as text editors, music players, system settings, user interfaces, etcetera
V
Virtual Box: An application you can use to install Linux and have it completely isolated from
your machine
Virtual machine (VM): An application that uses physical resources like memory, CPU and
storage, but they offer the added benefit of running multiple operating systems at once
Virtual memory: A combination of hard drive space and RAM that acts like memory which our
processes can use
VPN (Virtual private network): A secure method of connecting a device to a private network
over the internet
W
WannaCry Attack: A cyber attack that started in Europe and infected hundreds of thousands of
computers across the world
Wireless networking (Wi-Fi): Networks you connect to through radios and antennas
World Wide Web (WWW): The information system that enables documents and other web
resources to be accessed over the Internet
# Module 1 Glossary
New terms and their definitions: Course 1 Week 1
Abstraction: To take a relatively complex system and simplify it for our use
Algorithm: A series of steps that solves specific problems
ASCII: The oldest character encoding standard used is ASCII. It represents the English alphabet, digits, and punctuation marks
Binary system: The communication that a computer uses is referred to as binary system, also known as base-2 numeral system
Byte: A group of 8 bits
Character encoding: Is used to assign our binary values to characters so that we as humans can read them
Computer: A device that stores and processes data by performing calculations
Cryptography: The overarching discipline that covers the practice of coding and hiding messages from third parties
Decimal form- base 10 system: In the decimal system, there are 10 possible numbers you can use ranging from zero to nine
Digital divide: The growing skills gap between people with and without digital literacy skills
Information technology: The use of digital technology, like computers and the internet, to store and process data into useful information
Linux OS: Linux is one of the largest an open source operating system used heavily in business infrastructure and in the consumer space
Logic gates: Allow transistors to do more complex tasks, like decide where to send electrical signals depending on logical conditions
Open source: This means the developers will let other developers share, modify, and distribute their software for free
PDA (Personal Digital Assistant): Allows computing to go mobile
Punch cards: A sequence of cards with holes in them to automatically perform calculations instead of manually entering them by hand
RGB model: RGB or red, green, and blue model is the basic model of representing colors
UTF-8: The most prevalent encoding standard used today
# Module 2 Glossary
Module 2 Glossary
New terms and their definitions: Course 1 Week 2
Address bus: Connects the CPU to the MCC and sends over the location of the data, but not the data itself
ATA: The most common interface that hard drives use to connect to our system
ATX (Advanced Technology eXtended): The most common form factor for motherboards
Backward compatible: It means older hardware works with newer hardware
Bios (Basic Input Output Services): The BIOS is software that helps initialize the hardware in our computer and gets our operating system up and running
BYOD (Bring Your Own Device): Refers to the practice of allowing people to use their own personal devices for work
Cache: The assigned stored location for recently or frequently accessed data; on a mobile app it is where anything that was changed or created with that app is stored
Charge cycle: One full charge and discharge of a battery
Chipset: It decides how components talk to each other on our machine
Clock cycle: When you send a voltage to the clock wire
Clock speed: The maximum number of clock cycles that it can handle in a set in a certain time period
Clock wire: When you send or receive data, it sends a voltage to that clock wire to let the CPU know it can start doing calculations
CPU: Central processing unit
CPU sockets: A CPU socket is a series of pins that connect a CPU’s processor to the PC’s motherboard
Data sizes: Metrics that refer to data sizes including bit, byte, kilobyte, kibibyte, and megabyte
DDR SDRAM (Double Data Rate SDRAM): A type of RAM that is faster, takes up less power, and has a larger capacity than earlier SDRAM versions
Desktop: The main screen where we can navigate our files, folders, and applications
DIMM: Dual Inline Memory Module
Display port: Port which also outputs audio and video
DRAM: Dynamic Random Access Memory
Drivers: The drivers contain the instructions our CPU needs to understand external devices like keyboards, webcams, printers
DVI: DVI cables generally just output video
Electrostatic discharge: Electrostatic discharge is a sudden and momentary flow of electric current between two electrically charged objects caused by contact, an electrical short or dielectric breakdown
External Data Bus (EDB): It's a row of wires that interconnect the parts of our computer
Factory reset: Resetting a device to the settings it came with from the factory
Form factor: A mathematical way to compensate for irregularities in the shape of an object by using a ratio between its volume and height
Hard drive: It is a long term memory component that holds all of our data, which can include music, pictures, applications
Hardware: External or internal devices and equipment that help you perform major functions
HDD (Hard disk drive): Hard disk drives, or HDDs, use a spinning platter and a mechanical arm to read and write information
HDMI: A type of cable that outputs both video and audio
Heatsink: It is used to dissipate heat from our CPU
Instruction set: A list of instructions that our CPU is able to run
ITX (Information Technology eXtended): A form factor for motherboards that is much smaller than ATX boards
Land Grid Array (LGA): It is a type of CPU socket that stick out of the motherboard
Lightning adaptor: One of the standard power, data and display connector types used in mobile devices
Mb/s: megabit per second, which is a unit of data transfer rate
Memory controller chip (MCC): A bridge between the CPU and the RAM
Micro display port: One of the standard power, data and display connector types used in mobile devices
Micro HDMI: One of the standard power, data and display connector types used in mobile devices
Micro USB: One of the standard power, data and display connector types used in mobile devices
Mini HDMI: One of the standard power, data and display connector types used in mobile devices
Mini USB: One of the standard power, data and display connector types used in mobile devices
Motherboard: The body or circulatory system of the computer that connects all the pieces together
Northbridge: interconnects stuff like RAM and video cards
NVMe (NVM Express): interface standard which allows greater throughput of data and increased efficiency
Overclocking: it increases the rate of your CPU clock cycles in order to perform more tasks
PCI Express: Peripheral Component Interconnect Express
Peripherals: the external devices which we connect to our computer that add functionality, like: a mouse, a keyboard, and a monitor
Pin Grid Array (PGA): CPU socket where the pins are located on the processor itself
Ports: Connection points that we can connect devices to that extend the functionality of our computer
POST (Power On Self Test): It figures out what hardware is on the computer
Power supply: Converts electricity from our wall outlet onto a format that our computer can use
Programs: Basic instructions that tell the computer what to do
RAM: Random Access Memory
Registers: An accessible location for storing the data that our CPU works with
Reimaging: The process of reimaging involves wiping and reinstalling an operating system using a disk image which is a copy of an operating system
Return merchandise authorization (RMA): The process of receiving returned merchandise and authorizing a refund
ROM chip (Read Only Memory): A read-only memory chip where the BIOS is stored
RPM: Revolutions per minute
Safe operating temperature: The temperature range in which rechargeable batteries must be kept in order to avoid demanage
SATA: The most popular serial ATA drive, which uses one cable for data transfers
SDRAM: It stands for Synchronous DRAM, this type of RAM is synchronized to our systems' clock speed allowing quicker processing of data
SOC (System On a Chip): Packs the CPU, Ram, and sometimes even the storage onto a single chip
Southbridge: It maintains our IO or input/output controllers, like hard drives and USB devices that input and output data
SSD: Solid State Drive
Standoffs: Used to raise and attach your motherboard to the case
Thermal paste: A substance used to better connect our CPU and heat sink, so the heat transfers from to the other better
Type-C connector: A type of USB connector meant to replace many peripheral connections
UEFI: United Extensible Firmware Interface
USB (Universal Serial Bus): A connection standard for connecting peripherals to devices such as computers
USB-C adapter: One of the standard power, data and display connector types used in mobile devices
Terms and their definitions from previous weeks
A
Abstraction: To take a relatively complex system and simplify it for our use
Algorithm: A series of steps that solves specific problems
ASCII: The oldest character encoding standard used is ASCII. It represents the English alphabet, digits, and punctuation marks
B
Binary system: The communication that a computer uses is referred to as binary system, also known as base-2 numeral system
Byte: A group of 8 bits
C
Character encoding: Is used to assign our binary values to characters so that we as humans can read them
Computer: A device that stores and processes data by performing calculations
Cryptography: The overarching discipline that covers the practice of coding and hiding messages from third parties
D
Decimal form- base 10 system: In the decimal system, there are 10 possible numbers you can use ranging from zero to nine
Digital divide: The growing skills gap between people with and without digital literacy skills
I
Information technology: The use of digital technology, like computers and the internet, to store and process data into useful information
L
Linux OS: Linux is one of the largest an open source operating systems used heavily in business infrastructure and in the consumer space
Logic gates: Allow transistors to do more complex tasks, like deciding where to send electrical signals depending on logical conditions
O
Open source: This means the developers will let other developers share, modify, and distribute their software for free
P
PDA (Personal Digital Assistant): Allows computing to go mobile
Punch cards: A sequence of cards with holes in them to automatically perform calculations instead of manually entering them by hand
R
RGB model: RGB or red, green, and blue model is the basic model of representing colors
U
UTF-8: The most prevalent encoding standard used today
# Module 3 Glossary
**New terms and their definitions: Course 1 Week 3**
**Android**: A mobile operating system based on Linux
**Application:** A computer program designed for a specific use
**BIOS/UEFI:** A low-level software that initializes our computer's hardware to make sure everything is good to go
**Block storage:** It improves faster handling of data because the data isn't stored in one long piece but in blocks, so it can be accessed more quickly
**Boot:** To start up a computer
**Bootloader:** A small program that loads the operating system
**Chrome OS:** A Linux-based operating system designed by Google
**Command Line Interface (CLI):** A shell that uses text commands to interact with the operating system
**Computer file:** Data that we store and a file can be anything, a word document, a picture, a song, literally anything
**Data blocks:** Data that can be broken down into many pieces and written to different parts of the hard disk
**Distributions:** Some common Linux distributions are Ubuntu, Debian, and Red Hat
**Etcher.io:** A tool you can use to load an install image onto your USB device and make it bootable
**File extension:** The appended part of a filename that tells us what type of file it is in certain operating systems
**File handling:** A process of storing data using a program
**File system:** A system used to manage files
**Finder:** The file manager for all Macs
**Folders/Directories:** Used to organize files
**Hardware resource deficiency:** It refers to the lack of system resources like memory, hard drive space, et cetera
**HFS+/APFS:** HFS+ is a journaling system developed by Apple Inc. and APFS is another but more encrypted Apple journaling system
**Hostname:** Used to identify the computer when it needs to talk to other computers
**Input/Output device:** A device that performs input and output, including monitors, keyboards, mice, hard disk drives, speakers, bluetooth headsets, webcams, and network adapters
**Install image:** A downloadable operating system image used to install an operating system on a device
**I/O management:** Anything that can give us input or that we can use for output of data
**iOS:** A mobile operating system developed by Apple Inc.
**Kernel:** The main core of an operating system that creates processes, efficiently schedules them, and manages how processes are terminated
**Logs:** Files that record system events on our computer
**Mac OS:** Apple's operating system
**Memory management:** One of the functions that a kernel performs; it optimizes memory usage and make sure our applications have enough memory to run
**Metadata:** Tells us everything we need to know about a file, including who created it, when it was last modified, who has access to it, and what type of file it is
**Microsoft Terminal Services Client:** A client program used to create RDP connections to remote computers
**Open SSH:** The most popular program to use SSH within Linux
**Operating system:** The whole package that manages our computers resources and lets us interact with it
**PC:** Personal computer, which technically means a computer that one person uses
**Plink (PuTTY Link):** A tool built into the command line after PuTTY is installed that is used to make remote SSH connections
**Powershell:** A shell (program that interprets text commands) for Windows
**Power user:** Above average computer users
**Process management:** The capacity to manage the many programs in a system - when to run them, the order they run in, how many resources they take up, how long they run, etc.
**Qwiklabs:** An online platform which provides training in cloud services
**Remote connection:** The ability to connect an authorized person to a computer or network remotely; allows us to manage multiple machines from anywhere in the world
**Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP)**: A secure network communication protocol developed by Microsoft that allows a user to connect to another device remotely
**Scalability:** The measure of a system’s ability to increase or decrease in performance and cost in response to varying loads in system processing demands
**Shell:** A program that interprets text commands and sends them to the OS to execute
**SSH (Secure shell):** A protocol implemented by other programs to securely access one computer from another.
**SSH authentication key:** A secure authentication method for accessing a computer from other device
**SSH client:** A program you must have installed on your device in order to establish an SSH connection with another device
**SSH server:** Software installed on a machine that allows for that device to accept an SSH connection
**Standardization:** A systematic way of naming hosts
**Swap space:** The allocated space where the virtual memory is stored on the hard drive when the amount of physical memory space is used up or full
**System:** A group of hardware components and software components that work together to run the programs or processes in the computer
**System settings:** Settings like display resolution, user accounts, network, devices, etc.
**Task bar:** It gives us quick options and shows us information like network connectivity, the date, system notifications, sound etc
**Terminal:** A text based interface to the computer
**Time slice:** A very short interval of time that gets allocated to a process for CPU execution
**Ubuntu:** The most popular Linux consumer distribution
**User name:** A unique identifier for a user account
**User space:** The aspect of an operating system that humans interact with directly like programs, such as text editors, music players, system settings, user interfaces, etc.
**Virtual Box:** An application you can use to install Linux and have it completely isolated from your machine
**Virtual machine (VM):** An application that uses physical resources like memory, CPU and storage, but they offer the added benefit of running multiple operating systems at once
**Virtual memory:** A combination of hard drive space and RAM that acts like memory which our processes can use
**VPN (Virtual private network)**: A secure method of connecting a device to a private network over the internet
**Terms and their definitions from previous weeks**
A
**Abstraction:** To take a relatively complex system and simplify it for our use
**Address bus:** Connects the CPU to the MCC and sends over the location of the data, but not the data itself
**Algorithm:** A series of steps that solves specific problems
**ASCII:** The oldest character encoding standard used is ASCII. It represents the English alphabet, digits, and punctuation marks
**ATA:** The most common interface that hard drives use to connect to our system
**ATX (Advanced Technology eXtended):** The most common form factor for motherboards
B
**Backward compatible:** It means older hardware works with newer hardware
**Binary system:** The communication that a computer uses is referred to as binary system, also known as base-2 numeral system
**Bios (Basic Input Output Services):** The BIOS is software that helps initialize the hardware in our computer and gets our operating system up and running
**BYOD (Bring Your Own Device):** Refers to the practice of allowing people to use their own personal devices for work
**Byte:** A group of 8 bits
C
**Cache:** The assigned stored location for recently or frequently accessed data; on a mobile app it is where anything that was changed or created with that app is stored
**Character encoding:** Is used to assign our binary values to characters so that we as humans can read them
**Charge cycle:** One full charge and discharge of a battery
**Computer:** A device that stores and processes data by performing calculations
**Chipset:** It decides how components talk to each other on our machine
**Clock cycle:** When you send a voltage to the clock wire
**Clock speed:** The maximum number of clock cycles that it can handle in a set in a certain time period
**Clock wire:** When you send or receive data, it sends a voltage to that clock wire to let the CPU know it can start doing calculations
**CPU:** Central processing unit
**CPU sockets:** A CPU socket is a series of pins that connect a CPU’s processor to the PC’s motherboard
**Cryptography:** The overarching discipline that covers the practice of coding and hiding messages from third parties
D
**Data sizes:** Metrics that refer to data sizes including bit, byte, kilobyte, kibibyte, and megabyte
**DDR SDRAM (Double Data Rate SDRAM):** A type of RAM that is faster, takes up less power, and has a larger capacity than earlier SDRAM versions
**Decimal form- base 10 system:** In the decimal system, there are 10 possible numbers you can use ranging from zero to nine
**Desktop:** The main screen where we can navigate our files, folders, and applications
**Digital divide:** The growing skills gap between people with and without digital literacy skills
**DIMM:** Dual Inline Memory Module
**Display port:** Port which also outputs audio and video
**DRAM:** Dynamic Random Access Memory
**Drivers:** The drivers contain the instructions our CPU needs to understand external devices like keyboards, webcams, printers
**DVI:** DVI cables generally just output video
E
**Electrostatic discharge:** Electrostatic discharge is a sudden and momentary flow of electric current between two electrically charged objects caused by contact, an electrical short or dielectric breakdown
**External Data Bus (EDB):** It's a row of wires that interconnect the parts of our computer
F
**Factory reset:** Resetting a device to the settings it came with from the factory
**Form factor:** A mathematical way to compensate for irregularities in the shape of an object by using a ratio between its volume and height
H
**Hard drive:** It is a long term memory component that holds all of our data, which can include music, pictures, applications
**Hardware:** External or internal devices and equipment that help you perform major functions
**HDD (Hard disk drive):** Hard disk drives, or HDDs, use a spinning platter and a mechanical arm to read and write information
**HDMI:** A type of cable that outputs both video and audio
**Heatsink:** It is used to dissipate heat from our CPU
I
**Information technology**: The use of digital technology, like computers and the internet, to store and process data into useful information
**Instruction set:** A list of instructions that our CPU is able to run
**ITX (Information Technology eXtended):** A form factor for motherboards that is much smaller than ATX boards
L
**Land Grid Array (LGA):** It is a type of CPU socket that stick out of the motherboard
**Lightning adaptor:** One of the standard power, data and display connector types used in mobile devices
**Linux OS:** Linux is one of the largest an open source operating system used heavily in business infrastructure and in the consumer space
**Logic gates:** Allow transistors to do more complex tasks, like decide where to send electrical signals depending on logical conditions
M
**Mb/s:** megabit per second, which is a unit of data transfer rate
**Memory controller chip (MCC):** A bridge between the CPU and the RAM
**Micro display port:** One of the standard power, data and display connector types used in mobile devices
**Micro HDMI:** One of the standard power, data and display connector types used in mobile devices
**Micro USB:** One of the standard power, data and display connector types used in mobile devices
**Mini HDMI:** One of the standard power, data and display connector types used in mobile devices
**Mini USB:** One of the standard power, data and display connector types used in mobile devices
**Motherboard:** The body or circulatory system of the computer that connects all the pieces together
N
**Northbridge:** interconnects stuff like RAM and video cards
O
**Open source:** This means the developers will let other developers share, modify, and distribute their software for free
**Overclocking:** it increases the rate of your CPU clock cycles in order to perform more tasks
P
**PCI Express:** Peripheral Component Interconnect Express
**PDA (Personal Digital Assistant):** Allows computing to go mobile
**Peripherals:** the external devices which we connect to our computer that add functionality, like: a mouse, a keyboard, and a monitor
**Pin Grid Array (PGA):** CPU socket where the pins are located on the processor itself
**Ports:** Connection points that we can connect devices to that extend the functionality of our computer
**POST (Power On Self Test):** It figures out what hardware is on the computer
**Power supply:** Converts electricity from our wall outlet onto a format that our computer can use
**Programs:** Basic instructions that tell the computer what to do
**Punch cards:** A sequence of cards with holes in them to automatically perform calculations instead of manually entering them by hand
R
**RAM:** Random Access Memory
**Registers:** An accessible location for storing the data that our CPU works with
**Reimaging:** The process of reimaging involves wiping and reinstalling an operating system using a disk image which is a copy of an operating system
**Return merchandise authorization (RMA):** The process of receiving returned merchandise and authorizing a refund
**RGB model:** RGB or red, green, and blue model is the basic model of representing colors
**ROM chip (Read Only Memory):** A read-only memory chip where the BIOS is stored
**RPM:** Revolutions per minute
S
**Safe operating temperature:** The temperature range in which rechargeable batteries must be kept in order to avoid demanage
**SATA:** The most popular serial ATA drive, which uses one cable for data transfers
**SDRAM:** It stands for Synchronous DRAM, this type of RAM is synchronized to our systems' clock speed allowing quicker processing of data
**SOC (System On a Chip):** Packs the CPU, Ram, and sometimes even the storage onto a single chip
**Southbridge:** It maintains our IO or input/output controllers, like hard drives and USB devices that input and output data
**SSD:** Solid State Drive
**Standoffs:** Used to raise and attach your motherboard to the case
T
**Thermal paste:** A substance used to better connect our CPU and heat sink, so the heat transfers from to the other better
**Type-C connector:** A type of USB connector meant to replace many peripheral connections
U
**UEFI:** Unified Extensible Firmware Interface
**USB (Universal Serial Bus):** A connection standard for connecting peripherals to devices such as computers
**USB-C adapter:** One of the standard power, data and display connector types used in mobile devices
**UTF-8:** The most prevalent encoding standard used today
# Module 4 Glossary
**New terms and their definitions: Course 1 Week 4**
**ARPANET:** The earliest version of the Internet that we see today, created by the US government project DARPA in the 1960s
**Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA):** Regulates the information we show to children under the age of 13
**Clients:** A device that receives data from a server
**DARPA:** A US government project in the 1960s that went on to create the earliest version of the Internet that we see today
**Domain name:** A website name; the part of the URL following www.
**Domain Name System (DNS):** A global and highly distributed network service that resolves strings of letters, such as a website name, into an IP address
**Ethernet cable:** It lets you physically connect to the network through a cable
**Fiber optic cable:** Fiber optic cables contain individual optical fibers which are tiny tubes made of glass about the width of a human hair. Unlike copper, which uses electrical voltages, fiber cables use pulses of light to represent the ones and zeros of the underlying data
**Globalization:** The movement that lets governments, businesses, and organizations communicate and integrate together on an international scale
**Hubs:** Devices that serve as a central location through which data travels through
**Internet:** A worldwide system of interconnected networks
**Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN):** Where website names are registered
**Internet of Things (IoT):** The concept that more and more devices are connected to the internet in a smarter fashion such as smart thermostats that turn off the air conditioner when you leave and turn it on when you come back
**Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4):** An address that consists of 32 bits separated into four groups
**Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6):** An address that consist of a 128 bits, four times the amount that IPv4 uses
**Internet service provider (ISP)**: A company that provides a consumer an internet connection
**IP address:** The most common protocol used in the network layer, used to helps us route information
**MAC address:** A globally unique identifier attached to an individual network interface. It's a 48-bit number normally represented by six groupings of two hexadecimal numbers
**Network:** The interconnection of computers
**Network Address Translation (NAT):** A mitigation tool that lets organizations use one public IP address and many private IP addresses within the network
**Networking:** Managing, building and designing networks
**Networking protocols:** A set of rules for how we transfer data in a network
**Network stack:** A set of hardware or software that provides the infrastructure for a computer
**Router:** A device that knows how to forward data between independent networks
**Server logs:** Text files that contains recorded information about activities performed on a specific web server in a defined period of time
**Servers:** Devices that provide data to other devices that request that data, also known as a client
**Switches:** Devices that help our data travel
**Transfer Control Protocol (TCP):** A protocol that handles reliable delivery of information from one network to another
**Uniform Resource Locator (URL):** A web address similar to a home address
**WannaCry Attack:** A cyber attack that started in Europe and infected hundreds of thousands of computers across the world
**Wireless networking (Wi-Fi):** Networks you connect to through radios and antennas
**World Wide Web (WWW):** The information system that enables documents and other web resources to be accessed over the Internet
# Module 5 Glossary
#
### **New terms and their definitions: Course 1 Week 5**
**Application software:** Any software created to fulfill a specific need, like a text editor, web browser, or graphics editor
**Assembly language:** A language that allowed computer scientists to use human readable instructions, assembled into code that the machines could understand
**Automation:** It makes processes work automatically
**Coding:** Translating one language to another
**Compiled programming language:** A language that uses human readable instructions, then sends them through a compiler
**Copyright:** Used when creating original work
**.exe:** A file extension found in Windows for an executable file
**Firmware:** Software that's permanently stored on a computer component
**GIT:** A version control system that helps keep track of changes made to files and directories
**Interpreted programming language:** A language that isn't compiled ahead of time
**Programming:** Coding in a programming language
**Programming language:** Special languages that software developers use to write instructions for computers to execute
**Script:** It is run by an interpreter, which interprets the code into CPU instructions just in time to run them
**Scripting:** Coding in a scripting language
**Software:** The intangible instructions that tell the hardware what to do
**Software bug:** An error in software that causes unexpected results
**Software management:** A broad term used to refer to any and all kinds of software that are designed to manage or help manage some sort of project or task
**System software:** Software used to keep our core system running, like operating system tools and utilities
### **Terms and their definitions from previous weeks**
A
**Abstraction:** To take a relatively complex system and simplify it for our use
**Address bus:** Connects the CPU to the MCC and sends over the location of the data, but not the data itself
**Algorithm:** A series of steps that solves specific problems
**Android**: A mobile operating system based on Linux
**Application:** A computer program designed for a specific use
**ARPANET:** The earliest version of the Internet that we see today, created by the US government project DARPA in the 1960s
**ASCII:** The oldest character encoding standard used is ASCII. It represents the English alphabet, digits, and punctuation marks
**ATA:** The most common interface that hard drives use to connect to our system
**ATX (Advanced Technology eXtended):** The most common form factor for motherboards
B
**Backward compatible:** It means older hardware works with newer hardware
**Binary system:** The communication that a computer uses is referred to as binary system, also known as base-2 numeral system
**BIOS (Basic Input Output Services):** The BIOS is software that helps initialize the hardware in our computer and gets our operating system up and running
**BIOS/UEFI:** A low-level software that initializes our computer's hardware to make sure everything is good to go
**Block storage:** It improves faster handling of data because the data isn't stored in one long piece but in blocks, so it can be accessed more quickly
**Boot:** To start up a computer
**Bootloader:** A small program that loads the operating system
**BYOD (Bring Your Own Device):** Refers to the practice of allowing people to use their own personal devices for work
**Byte:** A group of 8 bits
C
**Cache:** The assigned stored location for recently or frequently accessed data; on a mobile app it is where anything that was changed or created with that app is stored
**Character encoding:** Is used to assign our binary values to characters so that we as humans can read them
**Charge cycle:** One full charge and discharge of a battery
**Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA):** Regulates the information we show to children under the age of 13
**Chrome OS:** A Linux-based operating system designed by Google
**Clients:** A device that receives data from a server
**Computer:** A device that stores and processes data by performing calculations
**Chipset:** It decides how components talk to each other on our machine
**Clock cycle:** When you send a voltage to the clock wire
**Clock speed:** The maximum number of clock cycles that it can handle in a set in a certain time period
**Clock wire:** When you send or receive data, it sends a voltage to that clock wire to let the CPU know it can start doing calculations
**Command Line Interface (CLI):** A shell that uses text commands to interact with the operating system
**Computer file:** Data that we store and a file can be anything, a word document, a picture, a song, literally anything
**CPU:** Central processing unit
**CPU sockets:** A CPU socket is a series of pins that connect a CPU’s processor to the PC’s motherboard
**Cryptography:** The overarching discipline that covers the practice of coding and hiding messages from third parties
D
**DARPA:** A US government project in the 1960s that went on to create the earliest version of the Internet that we see today
**Data blocks:** Data that can be broken down into many pieces and written to different parts of the hard disk
**Data sizes:** Metrics that refer to data sizes including bit, byte, kilobyte, kibibyte, and megabyte
**DDR SDRAM (Double Data Rate SDRAM):** A type of RAM that is faster, takes up less power, and has a larger capacity than earlier SDRAM versions
**Decimal form- base 10 system:** In the decimal system, there are 10 possible numbers you can use ranging from zero to nine
**Desktop:** The main screen where we can navigate our files, folders, and applications
**Digital divide:** The growing skills gap between people with and without digital literacy skills
**DIMM:** Dual Inline Memory Module
**Display port:** Port which also outputs audio and video
**Distributions:** Some common Linux distributions are Ubuntu, Debian, and Red Hat
**Domain name:** A website name; the part of the URL following www.
**Domain Name System (DNS):** A global and highly distributed network service that resolves strings of letters, such as a website name, into an IP address
**DRAM:** Dynamic Random Access Memory
**Drivers:** The drivers contain the instructions our CPU needs to understand external devices like keyboards, webcams, printers
**DVI:** DVI cables generally just output video
E
**Electrostatic discharge:** Electrostatic discharge is a sudden and momentary flow of electric current between two electrically charged objects caused by contact, an electrical short or dielectric breakdown
**Etcher.io:** A tool you can use to load an install image onto your USB device and make it bootable
**Ethernet cable:** It lets you physically connect to the network through a cable
**External Data Bus (EDB):** It's a row of wires that interconnect the parts of our computer
F
**Factory reset:** Resetting a device to the settings it came with from the factory
**Fiber optic cable:** Fiber optic cables contain individual optical fibers which are tiny tubes made of glass about the width of a human hair. Unlike copper, which uses electrical voltages, fiber cables use pulses of light to represent the ones and zeros of the underlying data
**File extension:** The appended part of a filename that tells us what type of file it is in certain operating systems
**File handling:** A process of storing data using a program
**File system:** A system used to manage files
**Finder:** The file manager for all Macs
**Folders/Directories:** Used to organize files
**Form factor:** A mathematical way to compensate for irregularities in the shape of an object by using a ratio between its volume and height
G
**Globalization:** The movement that lets governments, businesses, and organizations communicate and integrate together on an international scale
H
**Hard drive:** It is a long term memory component that holds all of our data, which can include music, pictures, applications
**Hardware:** External or internal devices and equipment that help you perform major functions
**Hardware resource deficiency:** It refers to the lack of system resources like memory, hard drive space, et cetera
**HDD (Hard disk drive):** Hard disk drives, or HDDs, use a spinning platter and a mechanical arm to read and write information
**HDMI:** A type of cable that outputs both video and audio
**Heatsink:** It is used to dissipate heat from our CPU
**HFS+/APFS:** HFS+ is a journaling system developed by Apple Inc. and APFS is another but more encrypted Apple journaling system
**Hostname:** Used to identify the computer when it needs to talk to other computers
**Hubs:** Devices that serve as a central location through which data travels through
I
**Information technology**: The use of digital technology, like computers and the internet, to store and process data into useful information
**Input/Output device:** A device that performs input and output, including monitors, keyboards, mice, hard disk drives, speakers, bluetooth headsets, webcams, and network adapters
**Install image:** A downloadable operating system image used to install an operating system on a device
**Instruction set:** A list of instructions that our CPU is able to run
**Internet:** A worldwide system of interconnected networks
**Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN):** Where website names are registered
**Internet of Things (IoT):** The concept that more and more devices are connected to the internet in a smarter fashion such as smart thermostats that turn off the air conditioner when you leave and turn it on when you come back
**Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4):** An address that consists of 32 bits separated into four groups
**Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6):** An address that consist of a 128 bits, four times the amount that IPv4 uses
**Internet service provider (ISP)**: A company that provides a consumer an internet connection
**I/O management:** Anything that can give us input or that we can use for output of data
**iOS:** A mobile operating system developed by Apple Inc.
**IP address:** The most common protocol used in the network layer, used to helps us route information
**ITX (Information Technology eXtended):** A form factor for motherboards that is much smaller than ATX boards
K
**Kernel:** The main core of an operating system that creates processes, efficiently schedules them, and manages how processes are terminated
L
**Land Grid Array (LGA):** It is a type of CPU socket that stick out of the motherboard
**Lightning adaptor:** One of the standard power, data and display connector types used in mobile devices
**Linux OS:** Linux is one of the largest an open source operating system used heavily in business infrastructure and in the consumer space
**Logic gates:** Allow transistors to do more complex tasks, like decide where to send electrical signals depending on logical conditions
**Logs:** Files that record system events on our computer
M
**MAC address:** A globally unique identifier attached to an individual network interface. It's a 48-bit number normally represented by six groupings of two hexadecimal numbers
**Mac OS:** Apple's operating system
**Mb/s:** megabit per second, which is a unit of data transfer rate
**Memory controller chip (MCC):** A bridge between the CPU and the RAM
**Memory management:** One of the functions that a kernel performs; it optimizes memory usage and make sure our applications have enough memory to run
**Metadata:** Tells us everything we need to know about a file, including who created it, when it was last modified, who has access to it, and what type of file it is
**Micro display port:** One of the standard power, data and display connector types used in mobile devices
**Microsoft Terminal Services Client:** A client program used to create RDP connections to remote computers
**Micro HDMI:** One of the standard power, data and display connector types used in mobile devices
**Micro USB:** One of the standard power, data and display connector types used in mobile devices
**Mini HDMI:** One of the standard power, data and display connector types used in mobile devices
**Mini USB:** One of the standard power, data and display connector types used in mobile devices
**Motherboard:** The body or circulatory system of the computer that connects all the pieces together
N
**Network:** The interconnection of computers
**Network Address Translation (NAT):** A mitigation tool that lets organizations use one public IP address and many private IP addresses within the network
**Networking:** Managing, building and designing networks
**Networking protocols:** A set of rules for how we transfer data in a network
**Network stack:** A set of hardware or software that provides the infrastructure for a computer
**Northbridge:** interconnects stuff like RAM and video cards
O
**Open SSH:** The most popular program to use SSH within Linux
**Open source:** This means the developers will let other developers share, modify, and distribute their software for free
**Operating system:** The whole package that manages our computers resources and lets us interact with it
**Overclocking:** it increases the rate of your CPU clock cycles in order to perform more tasks
P
**PC:** Personal computer, which technically means a computer that one person uses
**PCI Express:** Peripheral Component Interconnect Express
**PDA (Personal Digital Assistant):** Allows computing to go mobile
**Peripherals:** the external devices which we connect to our computer that add functionality, like: a mouse, a keyboard, and a monitor
**Pin Grid Array (PGA):** CPU socket where the pins are located on the processor itself
**Plink (PuTTY Link):** A tool built into the command line after PuTTY is installed that is used to make remote SSH connections
**Ports:** Connection points that we can connect devices to that extend the functionality of our computer
**POST (Power On Self Test):** It figures out what hardware is on the computer
**Powershell:** A shell (program that interprets text commands) for Windows
**Power supply:** Converts electricity from our wall outlet onto a format that our computer can use
**Power user:** Above average computer users
**Process management:** The capacity to manage the many programs in a system - when to run them, the order they run in, how many resources they take up, how long they run, etc.
**Programs:** Basic instructions that tell the computer what to do
**Punch cards:** A sequence of cards with holes in them to automatically perform calculations instead of manually entering them by hand
Q
**Qwiklabs:** An online platform which provides training in cloud services
R
**RAM:** Random Access Memory
**Registers:** An accessible location for storing the data that our CPU works with
**Reimaging:** The process of reimaging involves wiping and reinstalling an operating system using a disk image which is a copy of an operating system
**Remote connection:** The ability to connect an authorized person to a computer or network remotely; allows us to manage multiple machines from anywhere in the world
**Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP)**: A secure network communication protocol developed by Microsoft that allows a user to connect to another device remotely
**Return merchandise authorization (RMA):** The process of receiving returned merchandise and authorizing a refund
**RGB model:** RGB or red, green, and blue model is the basic model of representing colors
**ROM chip (Read Only Memory):** A read-only memory chip where the BIOS is stored
**Router:** A device that knows how to forward data between independent networks
**RPM:** Revolutions per minute
S
**Safe operating temperature:** The temperature range in which rechargeable batteries must be kept in order to avoid demanage
**SATA:** The most popular serial ATA drive, which uses one cable for data transfers
**Scalability:** The measure of a system’s ability to increase or decrease in performance and cost in response to varying loads in system processing demands
**SDRAM:** It stands for Synchronous DRAM, this type of RAM is synchronized to our systems' clock speed allowing quicker processing of data
**Server logs:** Text files that contains recorded information about activities performed on a specific web server in a defined period of time
**Servers:** Devices that provide data to other devices that request that data, also known as a client
**Shell:** A program that interprets text commands and sends them to the OS to execute
**SOC (System On a Chip):** Packs the CPU, Ram, and sometimes even the storage onto a single chip
**Southbridge:** It maintains our IO or input/output controllers, like hard drives and USB devices that input and output data
**SSD:** Solid State Drive
**SSH (Secure shell):** A protocol implemented by other programs to securely access one computer from another.
**SSH authentication key:** A secure authentication method for accessing a computer from other device
**SSH client:** A program you must have installed on your device in order to establish an SSH connection with another device
**SSH server:** Software installed on a machine that allows for that device to accept an SSH connection
**Standardization:** A systematic way of naming hosts
**Standoffs:** Used to raise and attach your motherboard to the case
**Swap space:** The allocated space where the virtual memory is stored on the hard drive when the amount of physical memory space is used up or full
**Switches:** Devices that help our data travel
**System:** A group of hardware components and software components that work together to fun the programs or processes in the computer
**System settings:** Settings like display resolution, user accounts, network, devices, etc.
T
**Task bar:** It gives us quick options and shows us information like network connectivity, the date, system notifications, sound etc
**Terminal:** A text based interface to the computer
**Thermal paste:** A substance used to better connect our CPU and heat sink, so the heat transfers from to the other better
**Time slice:** A very short interval of time that gets allocated to a process for CPU execution
**Transfer Control Protocol (TCP):** A protocol that handles reliable delivery of information from one network to another
**Type-C connector:** A type of USB connector meant to replace many peripheral connections
U
**Ubuntu:** The most popular Linux consumer distribution
**UEFI:** United Extensible Firmware Interface
**Uniform Resource Locator (URL):** A web address similar to a home address
**USB (Universal Serial Bus):** A connection standard for connecting peripherals to devices such as computers
**USB-C adapter:** One of the standard power, data and display connector types used in mobile devices
**User name:** A unique identifier for a user account
**User space:** The aspect of an operating system that humans interact with directly like programs, such as text editors, music players, system settings, user interfaces, etc.
**UTF-8:** The most prevalent encoding standard used today
V
**Virtual Box:** An application you can use to install Linux and have it completely isolated from your machine
**Virtual machine (VM):** An application that uses physical resources like memory, CPU and storage, but they offer the added benefit of running multiple operating systems at once
**Virtual memory:** A combination of hard drive space and RAM that acts like memory which our processes can use
**VPN (Virtual private network)**: A secure method of connecting a device to a private network over the internet
W
**WannaCry Attack:** A cyber attack that started in Europe and infected hundreds of thousands of computers across the world
**Wireless networking (Wi-Fi):** Networks you connect to through radios and antennas
**World Wide Web (WWW):** The information system that enables documents and other web resources to be accessed over the Internet