ULTRIX Reference Pages Section 1: Commands A - L

This document is "ULTRIX Reference Pages Section 1: Commands A-L," published in June 1990 for ULTRIX Version 4.0 or higher. It serves as a comprehensive reference manual for various commands available to all users on both RISC and VAX platforms.

The manual is part of a larger eight-section series covering different aspects of the ULTRIX operating system, including system calls, routines, file formats, special files, games, macro packages, and maintenance. This specific volume focuses exclusively on commands whose names begin with letters A through L.

Each command entry adheres to a standardized format, typically including:

• Name: The command name and a brief description.
• Syntax: How to correctly use the command.
• Description: A detailed explanation of its features and usage.
• Options: A list and description of available command-line options.
• Restrictions: Any limitations or constraints on the command's use.
• Examples: Practical demonstrations of how the command can be used.
• Files: Associated files used or affected by the command.
• See Also: References to related documentation pages.

The commands covered span a wide range of functionalities, including:

• Software Development: Tools like adb (debugger), as (assembler), cc (C compiler), lint (C program checker), and ld (link editor).
• File & Directory Management: Utilities such as cat, chmod, cp, find, ls, mv, rm, du (disk usage), and csplit (context split).
• System Administration & Monitoring: Tools for scheduling (at, batch), displaying system status (cpustat, df, iostat, ipcs), user management (chfn, chsh), and process control (kill).
• Communication & Mail: Commands for handling mail aliases (ali), composing/forwarding messages (comp, forw), file transfer (ftp), and network logins (dgate).
• Text Processing & Formatting: Editors (ed, ex), formatters (fmt), and tools for comparing files (cmp, diff).

The document also details how platform-specific behaviors are handled and documented for both RISC and VAX systems.