exec /eg-zek'/ <operating system> 1. execute.
A synonym for chain derived from the Unix "exec" system call. Unix manual page: execve(2). 2. (Obsolete) executive. The mainstream "exec" as an abbreviation for (human) executive is *not* used. To a hacker, an "exec" is a always a program, never a person. 3. At IBM and VM/CMS shops, the equivalent of a shell command file. 4. (operating system) The innermost kernel of the Amiga operating system which provides shared-library support, device interface, memory management, CPU management, basic IPC, and the basic structures for OS extension. The rest of the Amiga OS (windowing, file system, third-party extensions, etc.) is built using these structures. [Jargon File] Last updated: 1997-08-01