What does 'daemon' mean?
Tony Payne CSD
Greetings,
I have been working with UNIX for several years now, and it suddenly occurred
to me the other day that I have no idea what the word 'daemon' stands for.
I asked several of my colleagues, and they also had no idea of its origins.
Anyone out there know ???
Thanks in advance,
Tony.
Philip A Guenther
> Tony.
To quote the jagon file (2.9.10)...
:daemon: /day'mn/ or /dee'mn/ [from the mythological meaning,
later rationalized as the acronym `Disk And Execution MONitor'] n.
[...]
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 (1991) usage.
and on demon:
:demon: n.
[...]
2. [outside MIT] Often used
equivalently to {daemon} --- especially in the {{UNIX}} world,
where the latter spelling and pronunciation is considered mildly
archaic.
For more info consult the actual jargon file pages. :-)
Philip Guenther
--
guen...@stolaf.edu (Philip Guenther) | The ACC might agree with me,
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Juergen Nickelsen
guen...@stolaf.edu (Philip A Guenther) writes:
[answering a question about the origin of "daemon"]
> For more info consult the actual jargon file pages. :-)
Perhaps it is time to introduce a new acronym:
RTFJF == Read The ... Jargon File
:-) (just in case...)
--
Juergen Nickelsen
Andrew Arensburger - RMS
>to me the other day that I have no idea what the word 'daemon' stands for.
Unfortunately, my Bulfinch's is at home, so I can't give you a
better reference, but my American Heritage Dictionary says:
daemon. Variant of _demon_.
demon: n. [...]
3. _Greek_Mythology_. An inferior divinity, such as a deified hero.
4. An attendant spirit; a genius.
5. One who is is extremely zealous, skillful, or engrossed in a
given activity.
I guess that would correspond to biff, inetd and sendmail, respectively :-)
--
Andrew Arensburger | See, Buzz? It's really fun to be psychotic!
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Steven D Ourada
>In article <GUENTHER.92...@amcl5.stolaf.edu>
>guen...@stolaf.edu (Philip A Guenther) writes:
>[answering a question about the origin of "daemon"]
>> For more info consult the actual jargon file pages. :-)
>Perhaps it is time to introduce a new acronym:
> RTFJF == Read The ... Jargon File
Actually, I think the Jargon File should be the FAQ for this group. It
seems that's the source for 80% of the answers to questions around here...
Later,
Steven Ourada
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Steven Ourada Member of the Students for Electronic Freedom
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Chris Kern
Who coined it?
--
Chris Kern c...@voa.gov ...uunet!voa3!ck +1 202-619-2020
Michael Salmon
A daemon is a utility that hides in the depths of the machine and pops
out to do something useful when required. A friend of mine thought that
it meant DelAyed Execution MONitor but like kermit it isn't an acronym,
more an anthropomorphication.
--
Michael Salmon
#include <standard.disclaimer>
#include <witty.saying>
#include <fancy.pseudo.graphics>
Ericsson Telecom AB
Stockholm
Don Nichols (DoN.)
>In <NICKEL.92S...@desaster.cs.tu-berlin.de> nic...@cs.tu-berlin.de (Juergen Nickelsen) writes:
>
>>In article <GUENTHER.92...@amcl5.stolaf.edu>
>>guen...@stolaf.edu (Philip A Guenther) writes:
>
>>[answering a question about the origin of "daemon"]
>
>>> For more info consult the actual jargon file pages. :-)
>
>>Perhaps it is time to introduce a new acronym:
>
>> RTFJF == Read The ... Jargon File
>
>Actually, I think the Jargon File should be the FAQ for this group. It
>seems that's the source for 80% of the answers to questions around here...
Note the newsgroups line. AFC is the *second* entry, and I don't
think that the first newsgroup (comp.unix.questions) would have most of its
questions answered by tJF.
It is painfully obvious to me that this is cross-posted, because my
feed for alt.folklore.computers is down, and all I see are the cross-posted
articles. :-(
--
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D&D Data | Email: <dnic...@ceilidh.beartrack.com>
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---
Mike Fox
The word "daemon" is derived from an ancient Greek concept of a
"personal daemon" which is similar to a "guardian angel".
"eudaemonia" - the state of being helped or protected by a kindly spirit.
Ben Bailey
were talking in terms of black boxes; the theoriticians didn't yet have a
machine (computer), so they would refer to a black box where a deamon would
recide, and the deamon would always perform the function desired (programmed).
If my memory serves me, this was discussed in the book "The Recursive Universe",
(sorry, the author escapes me), which took the old computer game of life and
used it to present many interesting concepts and theories. Good reading
and very interesting.....not too heavy either.
Ben
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813-677-5021 thing the main thing. Mainly.
Michael Sierchio
a hidden "intelligent" process.
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+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Guangliang He
>
> It's an evil spirit.
Quoted from Unix system adm. handbook by Nemeth ...:
"daemons have no particular bias towards good or evel, but
rather serve to help define a person's character or personality."
>
>
> --
> Alan Yasutovich
> "inquiring (and nosey) minds WANT TO KNOW!!!"
> I can remember when "safe sex" meant having a padded headboard!!
> Tick Tock.....Tick Tock......Tick Tock .....Tick Tock......
Guangliang He
g...@physics.rutgers.edu
Tom O. Barron
>As I recall, it was introduced into computer lore during the days when they
>were talking in terms of black boxes; the theoriticians didn't yet have a
>machine (computer), so they would refer to a black box where a deamon would
>recide, and the deamon would always perform the function desired (programmed).
I remember either reading or being told that that word daemon used to
describe a continuously available background process came from the phrase
"printer's daemon". When manually operated presses were the state of the
art for printing, printers would have a helper, usually a teenage boy, for
doing odd jobs, freeing up the expert's time for more important tasks.
Such a person was called (for whatever reason, I don't recall that being
explained) a printer's daemon. Hence the name of background processes that
free up human time from mundane jobs like routing network packets for more
important pursuits, like writing game software. :-)
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Anthony Wallis
> .. daemon used to describe a continuously available background process
> came from the phrase "printer's daemon". When manually operated
> presses were the state of the art for printing, printers would have a
> helper, usually a teenage boy, for doing odd jobs, freeing up the
> expert's time for more important tasks. Such a person was called
Nice theory, but there's a hole in it.
The term is/was "printers' _devil_" and it is/was just the argot for
apprentice. My brother was a such a beast when he started in the print
trade. He became the boss of the "chapel" (argot for union local).
I never heard the variant "printer's *d(a)emon".
[Come to think of it, I don't recall an example of a reverse case
- the variant "Maxwell's *devil" in thermodynamics.]
This was the U.K., but only "printer's devil" is in my Am. Her. Dict.
(Any US ex-devils out there want to correct me ?)
It's worth noting that, apart from the obvious theological negative
connotation, "devil" can mean "a person who is energetic, mischievous,
daring, or clever" and has often been applied, in a context of
affectionate tolerance, to young boys. In the past (and perhaps now)
such "devils" would gravitate towards apprenticeship in a skilled-trade
guild.
The word "d(a)emon" has also, of course, been, er, demonised by
christian theology, but has, as others have pointed out, an older (and
still current amoung the educated with classical affectations) meaning
of "an attendant spirit". It also has a nuance of "one who is
extremely zealous, skillful or engrossed in an activity" (as in
possessed by a demon), which is not quite the same as the nuance of
"devil" above.
--
to...@nexus.yorku.ca = Tony Wallis, York University, Toronto, Canada
Richard Johns P205
In article <1992Oct02.1...@raider.raidernet.com>,
t...@raider.raidernet.com (Tom O. Barron) writes:
|>
|> I remember either reading or being told that that word daemon used to
|> describe a continuously available background process came from the phrase
|> "printer's daemon".
Sounds reasonable to me. From Webster's Ninth Collegiate Dictionary:
printer's devil (1763) : an apprentice in a printing office.
As usual, though, close but not conclusive.
Cheers,
Rick Johns
BNR
Disclaimer: I said it, BNR didn't.
51351[efw]-Robert Feddeler(MT4799)T343
on the DECSystem-10 (and 20 I suppose). Although it performed
various tasks, it was originally intended to Dump And Examine the MONitor
(the Monitor being the operating system).
bob. | Heap big trouble in the land of plenty
Dave Ritchie
The monitor being 'God' in this case.
-- Dave Ritchie
d...@hpuerca.atl.hp.com