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Overview of the Digital UNIX Documentation Set

Information in the Digital UNIX documentation set is presented in different formats:


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1    Release Notes

The Release Notes are for all users of the Digital UNIX system. They are packaged with the Startup Documentation Kit to ensure that the person who installs the system has access to them during installation.

Before using the Digital UNIX operating system, be sure to read the Release Notes.


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2    Online Reference Information

The Digital UNIX documentation provides online reference information. This information consists of an extensive set of reference pages (also called man pages or manual pages), each of which describes one topic, such as a command, function, or file. (For more information about the contents of the reference pages, see Section 4.)

You can read the reference pages on line using the netscape command, just as you read the other manuals in the documentation set. You can also print reference pages you view with the netscape software by clicking on the Print Toolbar button. The netscape software displays a dialog box that allows you to choose the characteristics of the print job.

Alternatively, you can read the reference pages using the xman command or the man command.

The xman command starts an X Window System reference-page browsing tool. One of the functions of the tool is to display a list of the reference pages. You display a reference page by double-clicking on its name in the list. For more information about the xman command, start up the tool by entering the following command:

xman &

(The ampersand (&) runs the command in the background, allowing the command line to be used for other tasks.) The application displays a small window that contains three buttons. Click on the Manual Page button to read a reference page about the xman command.

The man command displays the reference page specified on the man command line. For more information about the man command, read the man(1) reference page. To display this reference page, issue the following command:

man man

The system manager determines whether the reference pages are available on the system at system installation time. If you receive an error message when you try to read reference pages, the problem might be that they are not installed on the system.

In addition to being available online, the reference pages are available in printed manual form. See Section 5 for information about ordering printed reference pages.


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3    The Digital UNIX Full Documentation Set

The Digital UNIX Full Documentation Set (shown in Figure 1) contains all the manuals in the Digital UNIX documentation set (except the manuals that are available only in PostScript format and the reference pages).

The Full Documentation Set is divided into two kits, each of which contains subkits that address the needs of different users, as follows:

Figure 3-1: Organization of the Full Documentation Set

The printing on the spines of the Digital UNIX documentation set is color coded to help specific audiences quickly find the books that meet their needs. This color coding is reinforced with the use of an icon on the spines of the books. The following list describes this convention:
Audience Icon Color Code
General users G Blue
System and network administrators S Red
Programmers P Purple
Device driver writers D Orange
Reference page users R Green

Some books in the documentation set help meet the needs of several audiences. For example, the information in some system books is also used by programmers. Keep this in mind when searching for information on specific topics.

Also, you might occasionally require a book even though you are not a member of its target audience. For example, a general user might want to use the manual Programming Support Tools to get advanced information about using certain commands, such as grep, awk, and sed.


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3.1    End User Documentation Kit

The End User Documentation Kit contains all the information you need to install and configure your Digital UNIX system, to bring it up on a network, and to use the system.

The End User Documentation Kit consists of three subkits. The following sections describe the manuals in each of these kits.


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3.1.1    Startup Documentation Kit

The Startup Documentation Kit is packaged in printed form with your Digital UNIX media. As shown in Figure 2, this kit consists of documents you need to install, configure, and start your system. This kit also contains the Documentation Map, the Quick Reference Card, and the Update Installation Quick Reference Card.

Figure 3-2: Startup Documentation Kit

The following list describes the documents in the Startup Documentation Kit:


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3.1.2    System and Network Management Documentation Kit

The System and Network Management Documentation Kit, shown in Figure 3, provides information for the person who manages the Digital UNIX system and its networks. This kit contains manuals that describe how to configure systems and networks, maintain disks, and use system administration tools.

Figure 3-3: System and Network Management Documentation Kit

The System and Network Management Documentation Kit contains the following manuals:


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3.1.3    General User Documentation Kit

The General User Documentation Kit, shown in Figure 4, contains important information for all users of the Digital UNIX operating system. This kit contains introductory information for people who are unfamiliar with the Digital UNIX system.

Figure 3-4: General User Documentation Kit

The following manuals are part of the General User Documentation Kit:


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3.2    Developer's Documentation Kit

The Developer's Documentation Kit is for software developers who write software applications on or for the Digital UNIX system. The documentation in this kit is divided into three subkits, which are explained in the following sections.


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3.2.1    General Programming Kit

The manuals in the General Programming Kit, shown in Figure 6, describe the Digital UNIX programming environment.

Figure 3-5: General Programming Documentation Kit

The General Programming Kit includes the following manuals:


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3.2.2    Windows Programming Kit

The Windows Programming Kit, shown in Figure 7, contains programming information specifically for programmers developing Common Desktop Envrionment (CDE) applications or X window applications on or for the Digital UNIX system.

Figure 3-6: Windows Programming Documentation Kit

The Windows Programming Kit includes the following manuals:


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3.2.3    Writing Device Drivers Documentation Kit

The Writing Device Drivers Kit, shown in Figure 8, contains programming information specifically for system engineers developing device drivers for the Digital UNIX operating system.

Figure 3-7: Writing Device Drivers Documentation Kit

The Writing Device Drivers Kit includes the following manuals:


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4    The Reference Pages Documentation Set

The Reference Pages Documentation Set, shown in Figure 10, contains the reference information for the Digital UNIX operating system. The Reference Pages Documentation Set is not part of the Full Documentation Set, but is separately orderable as described in Section 5.

Figure 4-8: Reference Pages Documentation Set

The spines on the Reference Pages Documentation Set are printed in green to help readers quickly find the Reference Pages on their bookshelf. This color-coding is reinforced with the use of the R icon on the spine of the books. The Reference Pages Documentation Set contains the following manuals:


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5    Ordering Digital UNIX Documentation

You can order Digital UNIX documentation electronically, at the Electronic Store, or by telephone or direct mail.

To place an order at the Electronic Store, dial 800-234-1998 using a 1200- or 2400-bps modem from anywhere in the USA, Canada, or Puerto Rico. For assistance using the Electronic Store, call 800-DIGITAL (800-344-4825).

To place a telephone or direct mail order, refer to the following table to determine the telephone number to call or the address to which to send the order:

Your Location Call Contact
Continental USA,
Alaska, or Hawaii
800-DIGITAL Digital Equipment Corporation
P.O. Box CS2008
Nashua, New Hampshire 03061
Puerto Rico 809-754-7575 Local Digital subsidiary
Canada 800-267-6215 Digital Equipment of Canada
Attn: DECdirect Operations KAO2/2
P.O. Box 13000
100 Herzberg Road
Kanata, Ontario, Canada K2K 2A6
International Local Digital subsidiary or
approved distributor
Internal[Table Note 1] SSB Order Processing - NQO/V19
or
U.S. Software Supply Business
Digital Equipment Corporation
10 Cotton Road
Nashua, NH 03063-1260

  1. For internal orders, submit an Internal Software Order Form (EN-01740-07).\s0

Table 1 details the documentation kits that are available.

Table 5-1: Digital UNIX Documentation Kit Order Numbers

Documentation Kit Order Number
Full Documentation Set QA-MT4AP-GZ
   End User Documentation Kit QA-MT4AR-GZ
     Startup Documentation Kit QA-MT4AS-GZ
     General User Documentation Kit QA-MT4AT-GZ
     System and Network Management Documentation Kit QA-MT4AU-GZ
   Developer's Documentation Kit QA-MT5AE-GZ
     General Programming Documentation Kit QA-MT5AF-GZ
     Windows Programming Documentation Kit QA-MT5AG-GZ
     Writing Device Drivers Documentation Kit QA-MT5AH-GZ
Reference Pages Documentation Set QA-MT4AG-GZ

You can also order the quick reference cards, the Documentation Map, or individual manuals.

When you order quick reference cards or the Documentation Map, you receive a package of 15 copies of the card or poster. Table 2 lists the order numbers for these 15-item packages.

Table 5-2: Reference Card and Poster Documentation Packages

Package Name Order Number
Quick Reference Card Package AI-Q6PBB-TE
Update Installation Quick Reference Card Package AI-Q6PCC-TE
Documentation Map Package AI-Q6PDC-TE

Table 3 lists the order number for each manual in the Digital UNIX Version 4.0 documentation set. Individual manuals listed in this table are revised periodically. If you have a version of the Digital UNIX system other than Version 4.0, the manual numbers listed in this table might not be correct for your system. The best way to ensure that you are ordering the correct manuals for your operating system is to telephone Technical Support before you place your order. To reach Technical support, call 800-DIGITAL (800-344-4825).

Table 5-3: Individual Manual Order Numbers

Title Order Number
Assembly Language Programmer's Guide AA-PS31D-TE
Asynchronous Transfer Mode AA-QDP5C-TE
CDE Companion AA-QTLPA-TE
Common Desktop Environment: Advanced User's and System Administrator's Guide AA-QTLQA-TE
Common Desktop Environment: Application Builder User's Guide AA-QTM2A-TE
Common Desktop Environment: Desktop KornShell User's Guide AA-QTL0A-TE
Common Desktop Environment: Help System Author's and Programmer's Guide AA-QTLXA-TE
Common Desktop Environment: Internationalization Programmer's Guide AA-QTM2A-TE
Common Desktop Environment: Product Glossary AA-QTM4A-TE
Common Desktop Environment: Programmer's Guide AA-QTLXA-TE
Common Desktop Environment: Programmer's Overview AA-QTLWA-TE
Common Desktop Environment: Style Guide and Certification Checklist AA-QTM3A-TE
Common Desktop Environment: ToolTalk Messaging Overview AA-QTLZA-TE
Common Desktop Environment: User's Guide AA-QTLNA-TE
Command and Shell User's Guide AA-PS2HD-TE
Calling Standard for Alpha Systems AA-PY8AC-TE
DEC C Language Reference Manual AA-QTLTA-TE
DECevent Translation and Reporting Utility AA-QTLSA-TE
DECwindows User's Guide AA-Q917B-TE
Developing Applications for the Display PostScript System AA-Q15WB-TE
Digital Portable Mathematics Library AA-PUBXC-TK
Documentation Map AV-QTLFA-TE
Documentation Overview, Glossary, and Master Index AA-QTM6A-TE
Guide to DECthreads AA-Q2DPC-TK
Guide to Prestoserve AA-PQT0D-TE
Guide to Realtime Programming AA-PS33D-TE
Installation Guide AA-QTLGA-TE
Kernel Debugging AA-PS2TE-TE
Ladebug Debugger Manual AA-PZ7EE-TE
Logical Storage Manager AA-Q3NCE-TE
Network Administration AA-PS2SC-TE
Network Programmer's Guide AA-PS2WD-TE
OSF/Motif Programmer's Guide\[Table Note 1] AA-PY8BB-TE
OSF/Motif Style Guide\[Table Note 1] AA-PY8CA-TE
Performance Manager AA-QTLRA-TE
PostScript Language Reference Manual\[Table Note 2] AA-HL86A-TE
Programmer's Guide AA-PS30D-TE
Programmer's Guide: STREAMS\[Table Note 1] AA-Q15XA-TE
Programming Support Tools AA-PS32D-TE
Programming with ONC RPC AA-Q0R5B-TE
Quick Reference Card QV-QTLJA-TE
Read This First Letter AV-QTLHA-TE
Release Notes AA-QTLMA-TE
Reference Pages Section 1 (Volume 1) AA-PS2PD-TE
Reference Pages Section 1 (Volume 2) AA-PS2QD-TE
Reference Pages Section 1 (Volume 3) AA-PWZQD-TE
Reference Pages Section 1 (Volume 4) AA-QUPQA-TE
Reference Pages Section 2 AA-PS36D-TE
Reference Pages Section 3 (Volume 1) AA-PS37D-TE
Reference Pages Section 3 (Volume 2) AA-PS38D-TE
Reference Pages Section 3 (Volume 3) AA-PS39D-TE
Reference Pages Section 3 (Volume 4) AA-PS3AD-TE
Reference Pages Section 3 (Volume 5) AA-Q2UAC-TE
Reference Pages Section 3 (Volume 6) AA-QUPRA-TE
Reference Pages Section 4 (Volume 1) AA-PS2UD-TE
Reference Pages Section 4 (Volume 2) AA-QUPSA-TE
Reference Pages Section 5 AA-Q7YXD-TE
Reference Pages Section 7 AA-QUPTA-TE
Reference Pages Section 8 (Volume 1) AA-PS2VD-TE
Reference Pages Section 8 (Volume 2) AA-Q7YYB-TE
Security AA-Q0R2D-TE
Sharing Software on a Local Area Network AA-PS3LE-TE
Software License Management AA-PS2ED-TE
System Administration AA-PS2RD-TE
System Tuning and Performance Management AA-Q0R3E-TE
Technical Overview AA-QTLLA-TE
Update Installation Quick Reference Card AV-QTLKA-TE
Writing EISA and ISA Bus Device Drivers AA-Q0R6C-TE
Writing Device Drivers for the SCSI/CAM Architecture Interfaces AA-PS3GD-TE
Writing Device Drivers: Advanced Topics AA-Q7RPB-TE
Writing Device Drivers: Reference AA-PUBWD-TE
Writing Device Drivers: Tutorial AA-PUBVD-TE
Writing PCI Bus Device Drivers AA-Q7RQC-TE
Writing Software for the International Market AA-Q0R4C-TE
Writing TURBOchannel Device Drivers AA-PS3HD-TE
Writing VMEbus Device Drivers AA-Q0R7E-TE
X Window System Environment AA-Q7RNB-TE
X Window System Administrator's Guide\[Table Note 3] AA-PS2NA-TE

Table Notes:

  1. Published by Prentice-Hall

  2. Published by Addison-Wesley

  3. Published by O'Reilly and Associates