Glossary

.desktop file

See desktop entry file.

.directory file

See directory entry file.

.omf file

See OMF file.

application registry

The application registry is a location that contains text files which register applications. The location of the application registry for the desktop is /usr/share/gnome/application-registry.

CORBA

Common Object Request Broker Architecture.

desktop entry file

A data file that provides information about an item in a menu. The desktop entry file specifies the details for the item such as a name, a command to run, an icon, and so on. Desktop entry files have a .desktop file extension.

directory entry file

A data file that provides information about a menu. The directory entry file specifies details such as a name for the menu, a tooltip for the menu, and an icon to represent the menu. Directory entry files have a .directory file extension.

file content sniffer

A file content sniffer specifies a pattern to search for in a file. A file content sniffer associates the pattern with a MIME type. If a match for the pattern is found, the MIME type associated with the pattern is the MIME type of the file.

GConf configuration source

A storage location in the GConf repository. For example, xml:readonly:/etc/gconf/gconf.xml.defaults.

GConf preference key

An element in the GConf repository that corresponds to an application preference. For example, the /apps/gnome-session/options/show_splash_screen key corresponds to the Show splash screen on login option in the Sessions preference tool.

GConf path file

A file that lists the GConf configuration sources, and the order in which to search the sources.

GConf schema

A collective term for a schema key and a schema object.

GConf schema definition file

A GConf schema definition file lists the keys in a particular application, and defines the characteristics of the keys. GConf schemas are generated from schema definition files. Schema definition files have a .schemas file extension.

GConf schema key

A key that stores a schema object for a preference key. For example, /schemas/desktop/gnome/interface/font_name is a schema key for the /desktop/gnome/interface/font_name preference key.

GConf schema object

An element in a configuration source that contains information about a preference key. The schema object contains information such as a default value for the preference key, and documentation on the preference key.

Interoperable Object Reference

An Interoperable Object Reference (IOR) is a string reference to a CORBA object. An IOR encodes a hostname and port to which messages can be sent to control the object. The IOR also contains an object key to identify the object.

MIME

Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension.

MIME type

A MIME type identifies the format of a file. The MIME type enables applications to read the file. For example, an email application can use the image/png MIME type to detect that a Portable Networks Graphic (PNG) file is attached to an email.

MIME type description file

An XML file that associates MIME types with file content sniffer information, and with file extensions and filename patterns.

NFS

Network File System.

OMF file

Open Source Metadata Framework file. This is a file that is associated with the XML file for a manual. The OMF file contains information about the manual that is used by the Help browser. OMF files have a .omf file extension.

ORB

Object Request Broker.

PAM

Pluggable Authentication Modules.

pattern mask

A pattern mask is a series of hexadecimal characters in a file content sniffer. The pattern mask identifies bits in the pattern to ignore when searching for a pattern in a file.

screensaver

A screensaver is an application that replaces the image on a screen when the screen is not in use. The screensaver application for the Java Desktop System is XScreenSaver.

screensaver display

A screensaver display is an application that displays images on the screen of the user when the screen is not in use.

SMB

Server Message Block.

UDP

User Datagram Protocol.

Uniform Resource Identifier

A Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) is a string that identifies a particular location in a file system or on the web. For example, the address of a web page is a URI.

vfolder

A virtual representation of items that reside in a physical location or physical locations on your system. For example, a vfolder might represent the contents of several directories. In terms of menus, a vfolder is a representation in a menu of items that might be physically located in several directories.

vfolder information file

An XML file that describes a vfolder. Vfolder information files specify the structure of your menus.

websafe color palette

The websafe color palette is a general-purpose palette of 216 colors. The websafe color palette is designed to optimize the use of color on systems that support 8-bit color. The websafe color palette is also called the Netscape color palette and the Netscape color cube.