Changing the style of the command descriptions in appendix A.

git-svn-id: http://svn.linuxfromscratch.org/LFS/trunk/BOOK@2879 4aa44e1e-78dd-0310-a6d2-fbcd4c07a689

1 files changed, 155 insertions, 225 deletions

diff --git a/appendixa/coreutils-desc.xml b/appendixa/coreutils-desc.xml
index 27d89d8c9..9a780a649 100644
--- a/appendixa/coreutils-desc.xml
+++ b/appendixa/coreutils-desc.xml
@@ -2,315 +2,245 @@
 
 <sect2><title>Descriptions</title>
 
+<para>(Last checked against the old Fileutils, Sh-utils and Textutils.)</para>
+
 <sect3><title>Program file descriptions</title>
 
-<sect4><title>basename</title>
-<para>basename strips directory and suffixes from filenames.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>basename</command> strips any path and a given suffix from
+the given file name.</para>
+
+<para><command>cat</command> concatenates files to standard output.</para>
+
+<para><command>chgrp</command> changes the group ownership of each given
+file to the given group. The group can be either given a a name or a numeric
+ID.</para>
+
+<para><command>chmod</command> changes the permissions of each given file
+to the given mode. The mode can be either a symbolic representation of the
+changes to make, or an octal number representing the new permissions.</para>
+
+<para><command>chown</command> changes the user and/or group ownership of
+each given file to the given user:group pair.</para>
+
+<para><command>chroot</command> runs a given command with the specified
+directory as the <filename>/</filename> directory. The given command can be an
+interactive shell. On most systems only <emphasis>root</emphasis> can do
+this.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>cat</title>
-<para>cat concatenates file(s) or standard input to 
-standard output.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>cksum</command> prints the CRC checksum and the byte
+counts of each specified file.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>chgrp</title>
-<para>chgrp changes the group ownership of each given file to the named group, 
-which can be either a group name or a numeric group ID.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>comm</command> compares two sorted files, outputting in
+three columns the lines that are unique, and the lines that are common.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>chmod</title>
-<para>chmod changes the permissions of each given file according to mode, which 
-can be either a symbolic representation of changes to make or an octal 
-number representing the bit pattern for the new permissions.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>cp</command> copies files.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>chown</title>
-<para>chown changes the user and/or group ownership of each 
-given file.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>csplit</command> splits a given file into several new files,
+separating them according to given patterns or line numbers, and outputting
+the byte count of each new file.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>chroot</title>
-<para>chroot runs a command or interactive shell with special 
-root directory.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>cut</command> prints parts of lines, selecting the parts
+according to given fields or positions.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>cksum</title>
-<para>cksum prints CRC checksum and byte counts of each specified
-file.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>date</command> displays the current time in the given
+format, or sets the system date.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>comm</title>
-<para>comm compares two sorted files line by line.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>dd</command> copies a file using the given blocksize and
+count, while optionally performing conversions on it.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>cp</title>
-<para>cp copies files from one place to another.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>df</command> reports the amount of disk space available
+(and used) on all mounted filesystems, or only on the filesystems holding the
+given files.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>csplit</title>
-<para>csplit outputs pieces of a file separated by (a) pattern(s) to files
-xx01, xx02, ..., and outputs byte counts of each piece to standard 
-output.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>dir</command> is the same as ls.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>cut</title>
-<para>cut prints selected parts of lines from specified files to standard 
-output.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>dircolors</command> outputs commands to set the LS_COLOR
+environment variable, to change the color scheme used by ls.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>date</title>
-<para>date displays the current time in a specified format, or sets 
-the system date.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>dirname</command> strips the non-directory suffix from
+a given file name.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>dd</title>
-<para>dd copies a file (from the standard input to the standard output, by 
-default) with a user-selectable blocksize, while optionally performing 
-conversions on it.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>du</command> reports the amount of disk space used by the
+current directory, or by each of the given directories including all their
+subdirectories, or by each of the given files.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>df</title>
-<para>df displays the amount of disk space available on the filesystem
-containing each file name argument. If no file name is given, the space 
-available on all currently mounted filesystems is shown.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>echo</command> displays the given strings.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>dir, ls and vdir</title>
-<para>dir and vdir are versions of ls with different default output formats. 
-These programs list each given file or directory name. Directory contents 
-are sorted alphabetically. For ls, files are, by default, listed in columns 
-sorted vertically if the standard output is a terminal; otherwise they 
-are listed one per line. For dir, files are, by default, listed in columns
-sorted vertically. For vdir, files are, by default, listed in 
-long format.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>env</command> runs a command in a modified environment.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>dircolors</title>
-<para>dircolors outputs commands to set the LS_COLOR environment variable.
-The LS_COLOR variable is use to change the default color scheme used by
-ls and related utilities.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>expand</command> converts tabs to spaces.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>dirname</title>
-<para>dirname strips non-directory suffixes from file name.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>expr</command> evaluates expressions.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>du</title>
-<para>du displays the amount of disk space used by each file or directory
-listed on the command-line and by each of their subdirectories.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>factor</command> prints the prime factors of all specified
+integer numbers.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>echo</title>
-<para>echo displays a line of text.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>false</command> does nothing, unsuccessfully. It always
+exits with a status code indicating failure.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>env</title>
-<para>env runs a program in a modified environment.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>fmt</command> reformats the paragraphs in the given files.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>expand</title>
-<para>expand converts tabs in files to spaces, writing to standard 
-output.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>fold</command> wraps the lines in the given files.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>expr</title>
-<para>expr evaluates expressions.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>groups</command> reports a user's group memberships.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>factor</title>
-<para>factor prints the prime factors of all specified 
-integer numbers.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>head</command> prints the first ten lines (or the given
+number of lines) of each given file.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>false</title>
-<para>false always exits with a status code indicating failure.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>hostid</command> reports the numeric identifier
+(in hexadecimal) of the host.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>fmt</title>
-<para>fmt reformats each paragraph in the specified file(s), writing to 
-standard output.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>hostname</command> reports or sets the name of the
+host.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>fold</title>
-<para>fold wraps input lines in each specified file (standard input by default),
-writing to standard output.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>id</command> reports the effective user ID, group ID, and
+group memberships of the current user, or of a given user.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>groups</title>
-<para>groups prints a user's group memberships.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>install</command> copies files while setting their
+permission modes and, if possible, their owner and group.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>head</title>
-<para>head prints the first xx (10 by default) lines of each specified file to
-standard output.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>join</command> joins from two files the lines that have
+identical join fields.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>hostid</title>
-<para>hostid prints the numeric identifier (in hexadecimal) for the current 
-host.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>kill</command> terminates the given process.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>hostname</title>
-<para>hostname reports or sets the name of the current host.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>link</command> creates a hard link with the given name
+to the given file.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>id</title>
-<para>id prints the effective user and group IDs of the current
-user or a given user.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>ln</command> makes hard links or soft links between files.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>install</title>
-<para>install copies files and sets their permission modes and, if possible, 
-their owner and group.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>logname</command> reports the current user's login name.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>join</title>
-<para>join joins lines of two files on a common field.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>ls</command> lists the contents of each given directory.
+By default it orders the files and subdirectories alphabetically.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>kill</title>
-<para>kill terminates the given process.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>md5sum</command> reports or checks MD5 checksums.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>ln</title>
-<para>ln makes hard or soft (symbolic) links between files.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>mkdir</command> creates directories with the given names.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>logname</title>
-<para>logname prints the current user's login name.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>mkfifo</command> creates FIFOs with the given names.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>md5sum</title>
-<para>md5sum prints or checks MD5 checksums.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>mknod</command> creates device nodes with the given names.
+A device node is a character special file, or a block special file, or a FIFO.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>mkdir</title>
-<para>mkdir creates directories with a given name.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>mv</command> moves or renames files or directories.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>mkfifo</title>
-<para>mkfifo creates a FIFO with each given name.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>nice</command> runs a program with modified scheduling priority.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>mknod</title>
-<para>mknod creates a FIFO, character special file or block special file 
-with the given file name.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>nl</command> numbers the lines from the given files.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>mv</title>
-<para>mv moves files from one directory to another or renames files, depending
-on the arguments given to mv.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>nohup</command> runs a command immune to hangups, with
+output redirected to a log file.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>nice</title>
-<para>nice runs a program with modified scheduling priority.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>od</command> dumps files in octal and other formats.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>nl</title>
-<para>nl writes each specified file to standard output, with line numbers
-added.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>paste</command> merges the given files, joining
+sequentially corresponding lines side by side, separated by TABs.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>nohup</title>
-<para>nohup runs a command immune to hangups, with output to a 
-log file.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>pathchk</command> checks whether file names are valid
+or portable.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>od</title>
-<para>od writes an unambiguous representation, octal bytes by default, of a
-specified file to standard output.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>pinky</command> is a lightweight finger. It reports
+some information about the given users.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>paste</title>
-<para>paste writes lines consisting of the sequentially corresponding
-lines from each specified file, separated by TABs, 
-to standard output.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>pr</command> paginates and columnates files for printing.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>pathchk</title>
-<para>pathchk checks whether file names are valid or portable.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>printenv</command> prints the environment.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>pinky</title>
-<para>pinky is a lightweight finger utility which retrieves information about
-a certain user.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>printf</command> prints the given arguments according to the
+given format -- much like the C printf function.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>pr</title>
-<para>pr paginates or columnates files for printing.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>ptx</command> produces from the contents of the given files
+a permuted index, with each keyword in its context.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>printenv</title>
-<para>printenv prints all or part of the environment.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>pwd</command> reports the name of the current directory.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>printf</title>
-<para>printf formats and prints data (the same as the C printf 
-function).</para></sect4>
+<para><command>readlink</command> reports the value of the given symbolic
+link.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>ptx</title>
-<para>ptx produces a permuted index of file contents.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>rm</command> removes files or directories.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>pwd</title>
-<para>pwd prints the name of the current/working directory.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>rmdir</command> removes directories, if they are empty.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>rm</title>
-<para>rm removes files or directories.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>seq</command> prints a sequence of numbers, within a given
+range and with a given increment.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>rmdir</title>
-<para>rmdir removes directories, if they are empty.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>sha1sum</command> prints or checks 160-bit SHA1
+checksums.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>seq</title>
-<para>seq prints numbers in a certain range with a certain 
-increment.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>shred</command> overwrites the given files repeatedly with
+strange patterns, to make it real hard to recover the data.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>sha1sum</title>
-<para>sha1sum prints or checks 160-bit SHA1checksums.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>sleep</command> pauses for the given amount of time.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>shred</title>
-<para>shred deletes a file securely, overwriting it first so that its 
-contents can't be recovered.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>sort</command> sorts the lines from the given files.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>sleep</title>
-<para>sleep delays for a specified amount of time.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>split</command> splits the given file into pieces, by size
+or by number of lines.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>sort</title>
-<para>sort writes sorted concatenation of files to standard 
-output.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>stty</command> sets or reports terminal line settings.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>split</title>
-<para>split outputs fixed-size pieces of an input file to 
-PREFIXaa, PREFIXab, ...</para></sect4>
+<para><command>su</command> runs a shell with substitute user and group IDs.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>stty</title>
-<para>stty changes and prints terminal line settings.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>sum</command> prints checksum and block counts for each
+given file.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>su</title>
-<para>su runs a shell with substitute user and group IDs.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>sync</command> flushes filesystem buffers. It forces
+changed blocks to disk and updates the super block.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>sum</title>
-<para>sum prints checksum and block counts for each specified 
-file.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>tac</command> concatenates the given files in reverse.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>sync</title>
-<para>sync forces changed blocks to disk and updates the 
-super block.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>tail</command> prints the last ten lines (or the given
+number of lines) of each given file.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>tac</title>
-<para>tac writes each specified file to standard output, last line
-first.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>tee</command> reads from standard input while writing both
+to standard output and to the given files.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>tail</title>
-<para>tail print the last xx (10 by default) lines of each specified file to 
-standard output.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>test</command> compares values and checks file types.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>tee</title>
-<para>tee reads from standard input and writes to standard output and 
-files.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>touch</command> changes file timestamps, setting the access
+and modification times of the given files to the current time. Files that do
+not exist are created with zero length.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>test</title>
-<para>test checks file types and compares values.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>tr</command> translates, squeezes, and deletes the given
+characters from standard input.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>touch</title>
-<para>touch changes the access and modification times of each given file to the 
-current time. Files that do not exist are created empty.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>true</command> does nothing, successfully. It always exits
+with a status code indicating success.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>tr</title>
-<para>tr translates, squeezes, and/or deletes characters from standard
-input, writing to standard output.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>tsort</command> performs a topological sort. It writes a
+totally ordered list according to the partial ordering in a given file.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>true</title>
-<para>true always exits with a status code indicating success.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>tty</command> reports the file name of the terminal
+connected to standard input.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>tsort</title>
-<para>tsort writes totally ordered lists consistent with the partial ordering 
-in specified files.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>uname</command> reports system information.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>tty</title>
-<para>tty prints the file name of the terminal connected to standard 
-input.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>unexpand</command> converts spaces to tabs.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>uname</title>
-<para>uname prints system information.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>uniq</command> discards all but one of successive
+identical lines.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>unexpand</title>
-<para>unexpand converts spaces in each file to tabs, writing to standard
-output.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>unlink</command> removes the given file.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>uniq</title>
-<para>uniq removes duplicate lines from a sorted file.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>uptime</command> reports how long the system has been
+running, how many users are logged on, and the system load averages.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>uptime</title>
-<para>uptime tells how long the system has been running.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>users</command> reports the names of the users currently
+logged on.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>users</title>
-<para>users prints the user names of users currently logged in to the 
-current host.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>vdir</command> is the same as ls -l.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>wc</title>
-<para>wc prints line, word and byte counts for each specified file and a
-total line, if more than one file is specified.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>wc</command> reports the number of lines, words, and bytes
+for each given file, and a total line when more than one file is given.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>who</title>
-<para>who shows who is logged on.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>who</command> reports who is logged on.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>whoami</title>
-<para>whoami prints the user name associated with the current
-effective user ID.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>whoami</command> reports the user name associated with the
+current effective user ID.</para>
 
-<sect4><title>yes</title>
-<para>yes outputs 'y' or a given string repeatedly,
-until killed.</para></sect4>
+<para><command>yes</command> outputs 'y' or a given string repeatedly,
+until killed.</para>
 
 </sect3>