Glossary

alert

A message generated by the print service to notify the system administrator, or any designated user, of printer faults.

alias

An alternative name, such as a special name assigned to a printer.

allow list

A file containing a list of users that the print service uses to control access to forms or printers. See also deny list.

banner page

A page printed with each print request that shows the name of the user who submitted the print request, the request ID, and when the request was printed.

baud rate

The rate at which information is transmitted between devices; for example, between a computer and a printer. Baud rate measures the number of events, or signal changes that occur in one second.

BSD print server

A print server that uses the Berkeley software distribution version of UNIX. The SunOS 4.x print server is an example of a BSD print server.

BSD printing protocol

The Berkeley software distribution printing protocol. The BSD printing protocol can communicate with BSD print servers, SVR4 (LP) print servers, and any other print server that accepts the BSD printing protocol. See also protocol.

daemon

A special type of program that, once activated, starts itself and carries out a specific task without any need for user input. Daemons are typically used to handle jobs that have been queued, such as printing.

default printer

The printer designated for each system as the destination for print requests when no printer name is used.

deny list

A file containing a list users who are denied access to forms or printers. See also allow list.

domain

A group of systems on a local network that share administrative files.

environment variable

A system- or user-defined variable that provides information about the operating environment to the shell.

Federated Naming Service

A method for uniting multiple naming services under a single interface for basic naming operations. The service supports resolution of composite names--or names that span multiple naming systems--through a naming interface. See the Federated Naming Service Programming Guide in the Solaris 2.5 Software Developer AnswerBook for information about FNS naming conventions.

filter

A file that converts a print request into a format that can be processed by a particular type of printer.

FNS

Federated Naming Service.

form

(1) A printed paper stock, such as letterhead or blank checks. (2) A software file that contains printing characteristics, such as page length, page width, number of pages, line pitch, character pitch, character set choice, ribbon color, and alignment pattern.

group 14

The sysadmin (system administration) group. Members of this group have special privileges for entering and updating restricted information in a database.

home directory

The part of the file system allocated to an individual user for private files.

initialization files

The "dot" files in a user's home directory that set the path, environment variables, windowing environment, and other characteristics to get the user set up and functioning.

login name

The name assigned to an individual user that controls access to a system.

LP print server

An SVR4 print server, or a print server that uses the LP print service software. The SunOS 5.x print server is an example of an SVR4 (LP) print server.

name service

A distributed network database that contains key system information about all the systems on a network, so the systems can communicate with each other. With a name service, the system information can be maintained, managed, and accessed on a networkwide basis. Sun supports the NIS (formerly YP) and NIS+ name services. Without a name service, each system has to maintain its own copy of the system information (in the local /etc files).

None

In the Printer Manager application, None means that printer configuration information is stored in a file on the user's local system (the /etc/printers.conf file) rather than being stored in a network name service (NIS or NIS+).

NIS

Network Information Service (formerly YP). The name service that is standard on SunOS 3.x, 4.x, and Solaris 1.x systems.

NIS+

Network Information Service, Plus. The replacement for NIS that provides automatic information updating and adds security features such as authorization and authentication. NIS+ is the standard on Solaris 2.x systems.

OpenWindows

A windowing system based on the OPEN LOOK^TM graphical user interface.

parse

To divide a string of characters or series of words into parts to determine their collective meaning. Virtually every program that accepts command input must do some type of parsing before the commands can be acted upon.

path name

A series of directory names, separated with slashes (/), that specifies the location of a file.

print client

Any system on a network that has printing services provided by a print server.

print configuration interface

A set of resources that the print commands use to locate printer names and printer configuration information. The SunSoft print configuration resources include the command-line interface, user files, the system's printer configuration file (/etc/printers.conf), and the name service (NIS or NIS+), if any.

print queue

A temporary lineup of print requests waiting to be printed on a printer.

print request

A file to be printed. Also called print job.

print server

Any system that has a printer physically attached to it and makes the printer available to other systems on the network.

print spooler

Software that intercepts a print request on its way to the printer and sends it to disk or memory instead, where the print request is held until the printer is ready for it. The term "spool" is an acronym for "simultaneous peripheral operations online."

Printer Manager

A Solstice AdminSuite application for setting up and managing print servers and print clients, used instead of the print service's command-line interface. The Printer Manager application is included in the Solstice Launcher.

protocol

A formal description of messages to be exchanged and rules to be followed for two or more systems to exchange information.

request ID

The identification number assigned by the print service to each print request.

shell

The command interpreter for a user, specified in the Passwd database. The Solaris environment supports the Bourne, C, and Korn shells.

spool

An acronym for "simultaneous peripheral operations online." See also print spooler and spooling directory.

spooling directory

A directory in which files are stored until they are processed. For example, print requests may be stored in a spooling directory before they are processed.

SVR4 print server

A print server that uses the LP print service software. The SunOS 5.x print server is an example of an SVR4 print server.

system

A generic term for a computer that enables a user to run computer programs.