Software needs to be broken down into different files to ease its development and management. An application ends up being lots of pieces: the binaries, the documentation and the resources the application needs (images, icons, translations, sounds, etc.). A package is the set of all of an application's components, stored in a single file in a way that's very simple to install, update and remove.

Applications rely on software libraries or components made by different developers to perform a given set of functions, not part of the main functionality but needed to achieve it. A dependency is a package another package needs in order to work properly. Mandriva Linux's package management tool takes care of all the dependencies automatically.

Software is a living thing: new features are added, existing ones are enhanced and problems (bugs) are fixed. An update is a package which brings in some or all of these enhancements and fixes into an existing application. It is recommended that you check for updates often in order to keep your system in good shape and free from bugs and security threats.

A source is a repository of packages, and the place where packages are installed from. Sources for the media used during system installation are automatically created, you can add your own sources for updates and packages you find on the Internet.

The place where (software) packages are stored, physically, be it CDs, DVDs, or an FTP server.

Centralized place containing media (and thus, packages).