Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!rutgers!ucla-cs!zen!ucbvax!COGSCI.BERKELEY.EDU!bryce From: bryce@COGSCI.BERKELEY.EDU (Bryce Nesbitt) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga Subject: glossary Message-ID: <8707271817.AA17537@cogsci.berkeley.edu> Date: Mon, 27-Jul-87 14:17:47 EDT Article-I.D.: cogsci.8707271817.AA17537 Posted: Mon Jul 27 14:17:47 1987 Date-Received: Tue, 28-Jul-87 05:09:53 EDT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Organization: Institute of Cognitive Studies, UC Berkeley Lines: 76 Summary: is it a device, a device, or possibly a device? Recently I was flamed for sloppy use of the word "device". Within the Amiga system that word has no less than three (3) distinct meanings. I pledged to write a glossary to aid in future understanding. And, while on hold this morning, I did. With this glossary I have two options; perpetuate the confusion, or do something different. For the final glossary I'll do what the net votes on. For now, here are the glossary entries relating to DOS, as proposed. Be forewarned that I took liberties whenever DOS's use of terminology was muddled. ----------------------- Amiga Glossary ---------------------------- AmigaDOS Amiga Disk Operating System. Strictly speaking, the part of the Amiga operating system that controls the file system. Unlike MS-DOS, there is more to the Amiga operating system than just DOS. Workbench CLI Programs \ | / \ | / \ | / \ | / \ | / AmigaDOS ;DOS level / | \ RAM: DF0: HD0: ;FILE SYSTEM level | | | ;(managed by handler processes) memory disk hard disk ;DEVICE level drive drive ;(managed by device drivers) Programs may often bypass the DOS level by sending a packet directly to the proper handler process. DEVICE, EXEC Usually a task that that talks directly to some piece of hardware. The "keyboard.device", for example, reads the keyboard then tells the rest of the world about it. The "trackdisk.device" is an example of a device that can have multiple units. Programs communicate to devices with IO requests, a form of inter-task communication. The standard devices are: timer, trackdisk, keyboard, gameport, input, console, audio, narrator, serial, parallel, and printer. With each hard drive, SCSI interface, or extra serial port, you will probably get another exec device. DEVICE DRIVER The actual code that a device executes. FILE SYSTEM A place to store files. HANDLER On the Amiga, the code that manages a file system. Handlers often live in the L: directory when not in use. LOCK An AmigaDOS structure that prevents multitasking programs from stomping on shared files. PACKET An AmigaDOS specific message. All DOS activity is actually carried out with a packet sent to the proper handler. ----------------------------------------- Opinions welcome. Asbestos installed. BTW: This file was munched twice by XMODEM, it did not notice the errors! (My version of VT100 does not support XMODEM CRC, but I wish it would!) ----- |\ /| . Ack! (NAK, EOT, SOH) {o O} . ( " ) bryce@cogsci.berkeley.EDU -or- ucbvax!cogsci!bryce U "When it's you against the world, back the world."