HP-UX Reference (11i v3 07/02) - 7 Device (Special) Files, 9 General Information, Index (vol 10)

introduction(9) introduction(9)
NAME
introduction - HP-UX operating system and HP-UX Reference
INTRODUCTION
HP-UX is the Hewlett-Packard Company’s implementation of a UNIX operating system that is compatible
with various industry standards. It is based on the System V Release 4 operating system (SVR4) and
includes important features from the Fourth Berkeley Software Distribution (4BSD).
Improvements include enhanced capabilities and other features, developed by HP to make HP-UX a very
powerful, useful, and reliable operating system, capable of supporting a wide range of applications ranging
from simple text processing to sophisticated engineering graphics and design. It can readily be used to con-
trol instruments and other peripheral devices. Real-time capabilities further expand the flexibility of HP-
UX as a powerful tool for solving tough problems in design, manufacturing, business, and other areas where
responsiveness and performance are important.
Extensive international language support enables HP-UX to interact with users in any of dozens of human
languages. HP-UX interfaces easily with local area networks and resource-sharing facilities. By using
industry-standard protocols, HP-UX provides flexible interaction with other computers and operating sys-
tems. Optional software products extend HP-UX capabilities into a broad range of specialized needs.
The HP-UX Reference is not a learning tool for beginners. It is primarily a reference tool that is most use-
ful for experienced users of UNIX or UNIX-like systems. If you are not already familiar with UNIX or HP-
UX, refer to the series of Beginner’s Guides, tutorial manuals, and other learning documents supplied with
your system or available separately. System implementation and maintenance details are explained in the
HP-UX System Administrator’s Guide.
OTHER MANPAGES
This introduction and the section intro manpages describe the "core" manpages that are delivered with HP-
UX. Other manpages may be delivered separately with optional HP-UX and third-party software and may
reside in the same directories as the core manpages, or in other directories.
MANPAGE ORGANIZATION
The contents of the HP-UX Reference and its on-line counterpart are a number of independent entries
called manpages. These are also called manual entries or reference pages.
For convenient reference, the manpages are divided into eight specialized sections. The printed manual
also has a table of contents for each volume and a composite index.
Each manpage consists of one or more printed pages, with the manpage name and section number printed
in the upper corners. Manpages are arranged alphabetically within each section of the reference, except for
the intro page at the beginning of each section. Manpages are referred to by name and section number, in
the form pagename(section).
The manpages are available on-line through the
man command if the manpages are present on the system.
Refer to the man(1) manpage in Section 1 for more information.
Each page in the printed manual has two page numbers, printed at the bottom of the page. The center
page number starts over with page 1 at the beginning of each new manpage; it is placed between two
dashes in normal typeface. The number printed at the outside corner on each page is the sequence number
of the page within the volume. Users usually locate manpages by the alphabetic headings at the top of the
page as when reading a dictionary.
Some manpages describe two or more commands or routines. In such cases, the manpage is usually named
for the first command or function that appears in the NAME section. Occasionally, a manpage name
appears as a group descriptor in the NAME section. In such instances, the name describes the commands
or functions in more general terms. For example, the acct(1M) manpage with group descriptor acct:
describes the acctdisk, acctdusg, accton, and other commands, while the string(3C) manpage with
group descriptor string: describes many character string functions.
SECTIONS OF THE HP-UX REFERENCE
The HP-UX Reference contains the following sections:
Volume Table of Contents (Printed Volumes)
A complete listing of all manpages in the order they appear in each section, as well as alphabetically
intermixed lists of all command, function, and feature names that are different from the manpage
where they appear.
272 Hewlett-Packard Company − 1 − HP-UX 11i Version 3: February 2007