NAME

intro − introduction to commands and application programs

DESCRIPTION

This section describes, in alphabetical order, publicly-accessible commands.  Certain distinctions of purpose are made in the headings:

(1) Commands of general utility. 

(1C) Commands for communication with other systems. 

(1G) Commands used primarily for graphics and computer-aided design. 

(1M) Commands used primarily for system maintenance. 

COMMAND SYNTAX

Unless otherwise noted, commands described in this section accept options and other arguments according to the following syntax:

name [option(s)] [cmdarg(s)]
where:

name The name of an executable file. 

option − noargleter(s) or,
− argletter<>optarg
where <> is optional white space.

noargletter A single letter representing an option without an argument. 

argletter A single letter representing an option requiring an argument. 

optarg Argument (character string) satisfying preceding argletter.

cmdarg Path name (or other command argument) not beginning with − or, − by itself indicating the standard input. 

SEE ALSO

getopt(1), getopt(3C). 
Section 6 of this volume for computer games.

How to Get Started, at the front of this volume.

DIAGNOSTICS

Upon termination, each command returns two bytes of status, one supplied by the system and giving the cause for termination, and (in the case of “normal” termination) one supplied by the program (see wait(2) and exit(2)). The former byte is 0 for normal termination; the latter is customarily 0 for successful execution and non-zero to indicate troubles such as erroneous parameters, bad or inaccessible data, or other inability to cope with the task at hand. It is called variously “exit code”, “exit status”, or “return code”, and is described only where special conventions are involved.

BUGS

Regretfully, many commands do not adhere to the aforementioned syntax. 

May 16, 1980