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What follows is a dictionary of various terms related to Linux. It currently resides online at \texttt{https://git.kjodle.net/kjodle/li \\ nux-dictionary}. Go there to buy a paper copy of this book. 

\textbf{Note:} A lot of these terms also relate to Unix, upon which Linux is based, and may have little meaning or a different meaning in a Linux context. \textit{Caveat emptor!}

\textbf{n.b.:} Some of these terms may also refer to Mac OSX or Windows. \textit{Intense shuddering intensifies.} I have tried to keep these references to a minimum.

I make no warranty, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, completeness, or currency of any of these terms. Most of the software described herein is in a fairly heavy state of development and things change. Sometimes they change quickly, sometimes they evolve slowly over time, but the salient point is that they change. Sources sometimes confirm one another and sometimes contradict one another because they may be looking at information which was published in different years. The moving hand writes, and having written, moves on.

As well, there is no small amount of controversy regarding the definition of some of these terms. This is to be expected: the Linux community is large and diverse, and some of these terms no doubt have different meanings in different contexts. I have tried to be as thorough in my research as I can, but I have no doubt missed a great many things. If you would like to make aware of errors and/or omissions, contact info is inside the back cover.

I have tried to make as few value judgments as possible, particularly with regard to distros. The best distro is the one that works best for your particular set of needs. The same is true of command options. Anyone can get a directory listing with \textbf{ls}, but I prefer \textbf{ls -Ahl}. You may prefer \textbf{ls -al} or even just \textbf{ls -A}. The choice is yours. While there are often many wrong ways to do something, there are often many right ways to do something, as well.

Likewise, when I point out that a lot of people like a particular item, or that a lot of people dislike a particular item, I am not suggesting that you should be in the same camp, or that I consider either option valid. I am merely reporting what has come up in my research. As much as is humanly possible, I have tried to exclude my own opinion from these pages. My experience is neither broad enough nor deep enough as to inform other's opinions on a wide range of Linux-related topics. When I say that people like or don't like something, I try to include the most often cited reason(s), and in the case where they don't like something, I also try to include the most popular alternatives, if there are any.

With regard to alphabetizing, I do not include the leading dot that indicates a file name (so \texttt{.deb} is in the `d' section), nor do I include an asterisk used as a wildcard (meaning that \texttt{*nix} is alphabetized with other terms that start with `n'). Information about . (dot) and .. (dot dot) directories is found in the `d' section as well.

I created this document in \LaTeX{}, which is an ideal situation for a document like this, because it makes it easy to keep things uniform. It does introduce other issues, however. To see what they were and how I handled them, please consult the source code, listed at the beginning of this introduction, or better yet, the online repo, where I have maintained all branches. Again, if you have suggestions as to how to do it better, contact info is inside the back cover.

When there are variants on a name (e.g., tar and tarball), I generally use the shortest or the most common form as the entry, and list the additional names in parentheses. I generally just go with the shortest as which is the most common will change over time.

I have not included links in any of the entries. Links tend to change or fade away, and your best bet for finding anything is always an internet search. A good search engine is sometimes your best friend.

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