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 collection of desktop entry
files which register applications. The location of the application registry
for the GNOME Desktop is $XDG_DATA_DIRS:$XDG_DATA_HOME/applications/.
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.
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.
glob pattern
A glob pattern is used to match a file name by using special
characters such as * and ?. The MIME
system uses glob patterns to assign MIME types based upon filenames and often,
file extensions.
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.
magic rule
A magic rule defines a file's MIME type by specifying
text or binary data to search for at the beginning of the file. Offsets to look for
this data are defined in a magic rule.
Menu definition files
Menu definition files define the hierarchy of menus that are used in the
GNOME menu bar.
MIME
Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension.
MIME source XML file
A MIME source XML file defines how MIME types are resolved for different kinds
of files. There are three ways in which this can be done: using file extensions (glob patterns),
using magic rules and using XML namespaces. MIME source XML files are located
in the $XDG_DATA_DIRS:$XDG_DATA_HOME/mime/packages directory.
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 database
The MIME type database is a collection of files
which register MIME types for the desktop environment. The location of
the MIME type database is the directory $XDG_DATA_DIRS:$XDG_DATA_HOME/mime.
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.
PAM
Pluggable Authentication Modules.
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
GNOME Desktop 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.
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.
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.
