User's Manual

150 Glossary
asset tag code
An individual code assigned to a system, usually by a system administrator, for
security or tracking purposes.
autoexec.bat file
The autoexec.bat file is executed when you boot your system (after executing any
commands in the
config.sys file). This start-up file contains commands that
define the characteristics of each device connected to your system, and it finds
and executes programs stored in locations other than the Active Directory
®
.
backup
A copy of a program or data file. As a precaution, you should back up your system's
hard drive on a regular basis. Before making a change to the configuration of your
system, you should back up important start-up files from your operating system.
baud rate
A measurement of data transmission speed. For example, modems are designed
to transmit data at one or more specified baud rate(s) through the COM (serial)
port of a system.
Bash
Bash is the shell, or command language interpreter, that will appear in the GNU
operating system. Bash is an sh-compatible shell that incorporates useful features
from the Korn shell (ksh) and C shell (csh).
binary
A base-2 numbering system that uses 0 and 1 to represent information. The system
performs operations based on the ordering and calculation of these numbers.
BIOS
Acronym for basic input/output system. Your system's BIOS contains programs
stored on a flash memory chip. The BIOS controls the following:
• Communications between the microprocessor and peripheral devices, such as
the keyboard and the video adapter
• Miscellaneous functions, such as system messages
bit
The smallest unit of information interpreted by your system.