The little red fellow is the BSD Daemon. In the context of Unix systems, daemons are process that run in the back ground attending to various tasks without human intervention.
"Many people equate the word ``daemon'' with the word ``demon,'' implying some kind of Satanic connection between UNIX and the underworld. This is an egregious misunderstanding. ``Daemon'' is actually a much older form of ``demon''; daemons have no particular bias towards good or evil, but rather serve to help define a person's character or personality. The ancient Greeks' concept of a ``personal daemon'' was similar to the modern concept of a ``guardian angel'' --- ``eudaemonia'' is the state of being helped or protected by a kindly spirit. As a rule, UNIX systems seem to be infested with both daemons and demons." (p403)
BSD Daemon Copyright 1988 by Marshall Kirk McKusic. All rights reserved.
Permission to use the daemon may be obtained from:
Marshall Kirk McKusick
1614 Oxford St
Berkeley, CA 94709-1608
USA
or via email at mckusick@mckusick.com