Berkeley Packet Filter
The Berkeley Packet Filter (BPF) is a new architecture for user-level packet capture. BPF provides a raw interface to data link layers in a protocol-independent fashion. All packets on the network, even those destined for other hosts, are accessible through this mechanism.
* The packet filter appears as a character special device, /dev/bpf0, /dev/bpf1 and so on. After opening the device, the file descriptor must be bound to a specific network interface. A given interface can be shared by multiple listeners, and the filter underlying each descriptor will see an identical packet stream. A separate device file is required for each minor device. * [Adapted from FreeBSD Man Pages]
Read Also:
- Bernoulli disk drive
Named after a Swiss scientist who discovered the principle of aerodynamic lift, the Bernoulli disk drive was a special type of floppy disk drive from Iomega Corporation that was faster and had greater storage capacity than traditional floppy drives. It is no longer being produced.
- Betamax Standard
(1) Also referred to as simply Beta, the first VCR format, developed by Sony in 1975. Except for old systems that are still around since the 1980s, Betamax eventually disappeared from the home user marketplace as consumers favored the VHS format. The Betamax format is still in use today by professional videographers, television broadcasters and […]
- Big Blue
A slang name for International Business Machines Corporation (IBM). Blue is IBM’s corporate color.
- Big Iron
(1) Slang term used to mean a mainframe, a very large and expensive computer capable of supporting hundreds, or even thousands, of users simultaneously. It is widely believed that the term Big Iron was derived from early mainframes, which were enclosed in room-size metal frames. (2) Slang term used by hackers to describe large, expensive […]
- Big Red Switch
BRS or Big Red Switch is a phrase used to describe an immediate shut down of a system using the main or emergency power switch (e.g., “Hit the BRS”). The term originated from the emergency pull switch on an older IBM mainframe or the power switch on an older IBM PC, which is a large […]