Talk:Daemon (computer software)
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The acronym expansion appears to be an urban legend. This query:
- The first daemon (an abbreviation for Disk And Executive MONitor) was a program that automatically made tape backups of the file system. Does this sound about right? Any corrections or additions? Thank you for your time!
to Fernando J. Corbato, head of the CTSS project where the word entered the computer lexicon, prompted the following reply:
- Your explanation of the origin of the word daemon is correct in that my group began using the term around that time frame. However the acronym explanation is a new one on me.
The page (it's in the article) which has this also notes that:
- Professor Jerome H. Saltzer, who also worked on Project MAC, confirms the Maxwell's demon explanation.
So I'd say this one is pretty definitively "busted"! Noel (talk) 17:19, 18 Nov 2004 (UTC)
- How is it busted? It would only be busted if Corbato had provided the actual etymology; instead it only remains unproven. --148.84.19.92
I found the article, and Corbato also says it's from Maxwell. See [1]. Beinsane 21:43, 15 Apr 2005 (UTC)
It will be of a great help if someone points to HOW to build the "daemon" applictaions here, with elementary examples.
- Under any Unix or GNU system, just call the daemon(3) function.
- Teddy 80087 07:17, 17 Jul 2004 (UTC)
Contents |
[edit] phantom
who the heck calls a daemon a phantom? --Eean 01:15, 2 Jan 2005 (UTC)
- ditto --148.84.19.92
[edit] Correct pronunciation?
Anybody want to venture a pronunciation guide? My understanding is that the original CTSS folks pronounced it "de'men", like the mythical creature. Most of the younger folks I know use "day'men", presumably because that's how it "looks" like it should be pronounced.
- JohnH 18:35, 30 August 2005 (UTC)
It is pronounced exactly like the equivalent word demon (i.e., deeˡ-men). The more recent pronunciation is due to illiteracy. See Æ for details. - Loadmaster 14:31, 18 August 2006 (UTC)
- Atlant 16:21, 18 August 2006 (UTC)
- The Æ article says that in Classical Latin, the digraph was pronounced like "eye." I don't know anybody, young or old, who pronounces "daemon" like "diamond" without the D! MFNickster 01:24, 3 December 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Popular type of daemons
- Web server
- FTP server
- IRC server
- Email server (POP3 and IMAP4)
[edit] "Services"
I'm confused by the following (from paragraph six)...
"On Microsoft Windows systems, programs called "services" perform the functions of daemons, ..." "There are "services" as well, but these are completely different in concept."
Was the second "services" referencing something on the Mac?
[edit] Mailer-Daemon
How about the infamous mailer-daemon, folks???? Lots of people don't know what that is.
[edit] poor processes
A daemon kills the parent and forces the orphan to become adopted. Sounds like an appropriate name.
