56 Glossary
DKMS
DKMS stands for Dynamic Kernel Module Support.
It is designed to create a framework where kernel
dependent module source can reside so that it is very
easy to rebuild modules as you upgrade kernels. This
will allow Linux vendors to provide driver drops
without having to wait for new kernel releases while
also taking out the guesswork for customers
attempting to recompile modules for new kernels.
Driver
A device driver, often called a driver for short, is a
program that allows the operating system or some other
program to interface correctly with a peripheral device
such as a printer or network PC card. Some device
drivers, such as network drivers must be loaded from
the config.sys file (with a device= statement) or as
memory-resident programs (usually, from the
autoexec.bat file). Others such as video drivers must
load when you start the program for which they were
designed.
DUD (Driver Update Diskette)
Acronym for driver update diskette. A DUD is an image
of a diskette stored as a regular file. To use it, you have
to create a real diskette from this file. The steps used to
create the diskette depend on how the image is
supplied.
F
Firmware
Software stored in read-only memory (ROM) or
Programmable ROM (PROM). Firmware is often
responsible for the behavior of a system when it is first
turned on. A typical example would be a monitor
program in a system that loads the full operating
system from disk or from a network and then passes
control to the operating system.
Flash Memory
Sometimes referred as simply "flash", is a compact,
solid-state, rewriteable, non-volatile memory device that
retains its data when the power is turned off. It offers fast
access time, low power consumption, and relative
immunity to severe shock or vibration. It is a special type
of EEPROM that can be erased and reprogrammed in
blocks instead of one byte at a time. Many modern PCs
have their BIOS stored on a flash memory chip so that it
can easily be updated if necessary. Such a BIOS is
sometimes called a flash BIOS.
H
Hardware
The mechanical, magnetic, electronic, and electrical
components making up a computer system
constitutes its hardware.
Hot Add/Remove
It is the addition/removal of a component while the
system is running and operating normally.
L
Link
A connection between any two PCI Express devices is
known as a link.
M
MHz
Megahertz or one million cycles per second is a unit
of frequency commonly used to measure the
operating speed of a computer processor or any other
electronic component.
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