Skip to Main Content
Idaho State University home

Glossary

Filter:
# A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z All
D
D&V
D-A
DAA
DAC
DAU
DC
DCA
DCP
DCS
Dd
DDD
DDN
DDS
DDT
DEC
DED
DES
DF
DIB
DID
Die
DIP
DLE
DMA
DO
Doc
DOD
DOE
DON
DOS
DP
DPB
DPL
DS
DSN
DSU
DTD
DTE
DTS
DUA
Daemon
  • In UNIX, program that runs autonomously.
  • A program that is executed automatically (without an explicit invocation) immediately on the completion of specific operation on the knowledge base. (MA;)
  • [from the mythological meaning, later rationalized as the acronym `Disk And Execution MONitor'] A program that is not invoked explicitly, but lies dormant waiting for some condition(s) to occur. The idea is that the perpetrator of the condition need not be aware that a daemon is lurking (though often a program will commit an action only because it knows that it will implicitly invoke a daemon). For example, under ITS writing a file on the LPT spooler's directory would invoke the spooling daemon, which would then print the file. The advantage is that programs wanting (in this example) files printed need neither compete for access to nor understand any idiosyncrasies of the LPT. They simply enter their implicit requests and let the daemon decide what to do with them. Daemons are usually spawned automatically by the system, and may either live forever or be regenerated at intervals. Daemon and demon are often used interchangeably, but seem to have distinct connotations. The term `daemon' was introduced to computing by CTSS people (who pronounced it /dee'mon/) and used it to refer to what ITS called a dragon. Although the meaning and the pronunciation have drifted, we think this glossary reflects current (1993) usage.