1    Finding the Documentation You Need

The DIGITAL UNIX documentation is provided on line and in printed formats, and is available from different sources. This chapter can help you to quickly find the documentation you need and in the format that is most convenient to you.

Note

If you already know the books you want, you can skip to Chapter 6 to find out the order numbers and information on how to place your order.

1.1    Defining the Documentation Set

The following list describes some of the terms used to categorize documentation that is provided with the operating system or used in conjunction with utilities and applications that run on the operating system:

• Core documentation consists of books that help you to use the DIGITAL UNIX operating system, including the components provided when you install all of the system's optional and mandatory subsets. Most of this documentation was created by writers who worked closely with the developers of the operating system to document the system's various components. The books that make up the core documentation are described in Chapter 2.

  On line, the DIGITAL UNIX reference pages are a component of the operating system and are available in optional subsets. They are also available in printed format in a 17-volume kit. For information about the reference pages, see Chapter 4. For information about ordering the printed documentation, see Chapter 6

  Documentation to aid program developers in writing device drivers for DIGITAL UNIX, was produced by DIGITAL writers working closely with DIGITAL UNIX engineers. Until recently, this documentation was included in the core documentation set, but it is now available as a separate documentation kit. For information about the device driver documentation, see Chapter 5. For information about ordering the Device Driver Kit, see Chapter 6

• Supplementary documentation tends to be less formal in structure than the core documentation. This category includes many different types of documents, such as Software Product Descriptions (SPDs), release notes for some components of the DIGITAL UNIX operating system, and industry reference material and white papers that come from DIGITAL engineers and other sources. Much of this documentation exists in PostScript format. For more information see Chapter 3.

• Layered products documentation consists of books and other documents that aid in the use of separately licensed products, such as DEC C++ and the TruCluster Software. For more information, see Section 1.6.

1.2    What You Get

The documentation that you receive from DIGITAL depends upon the purchase you make:

• If you purchase a DIGITAL UNIX media kit, you receive all of the online documentation, as well as printed versions of the Startup Documentation described in Chapter 2.

• If you purchase the DIGITAL UNIX Documentation Kit, you receive printed versions of the books described in Chapter 2.

• If you purchase an Update contract for the media, you receive the most current version of the Documentation CD-ROM, and a printed version of the Release Notes.

• If you purchase an Update contract for the documentation set, you receive printed versions of the books that have been updated. For Version 4.0D, this documentation consists of the following:

  • Release Notes for Version 4.0D

  • System Configuration and Tuning

  • ULTRIX to DIGITAL UNIX Migration

  • Asynchronous Transfer Mode

  • Guide to DECthreads

  • DEC C Language Reference Manual

  • Documentation Map

  For information about this documentation, see Chapter 2.

• If you purchase a system with the DIGITAL UNIX operating system preinstalled (often called a FIS system, for factory installed software), online versions of the Release Notes, Installation Guide, System Administration, Network Administration, and Security are installed on your system.

1.3    Available Formats

The manuals in the core documentation set are provided in online and printed formats.

1.3.1    Online Documentation

Most of the documentation, including the reference pages, is available on the DIGITAL UNIX Documentation CD-ROM in a format that is readable with a Web browser.

To read this HTML documentation using the Netscape browser included with the DIGITAL UNIX operating system, launch the netscape software from the CDE Applications panel. Then choose the documentation link on the DIGITAL UNIX home page.

For help using the netscape software, pull down the Help menu from the netscape menu bar.

The online Documentation Library generally follows the structure of the printed documentation kits. However, because some manuals are used by different audiences, those manuals may reside on several of the online bookshelves. For example, the Release Notes are important to everyone using the operating system and are therefore included on each bookshelf. Another example is the Security manual, which provides information useful to the general user, system administrator, and software developer.

Figure 1-1 shows the structure of the online Documentation Library's top level.

Figure 1-1:  Online Documentation Library

Much of the DIGITAL UNIX documentation is also available on the World Wide Web. See Section 1.5.

1.3.2    Printed Documentation

When you purchase a DIGITAL UNIX media kit, you receive printed versions of a small number of manuals to help you install and begin using the operating system. To receive printed versions of the rest of the core documentation, you must order a DIGITAL UNIX Documentation Kit or one of its subkits, as described in Chapter 2. A small number of manuals can be individually purchased. (See Chapter 6 for information about ordering documentation.)

Figure 1-2 shows the struture of the DIGITAL UNIX Documentation Kit. A discussion of that structure follows.

Figure 1-2:  Structure of the DIGITAL UNIX Documentation Kit

• End User Documentation Kit

  This kit contains all the information needed to install and use the DIGITAL UNIX system. This kit is divided into three subkits as follows:

  • Startup Documentation Kit

    This kit is primarily for the person who installs the DIGITAL UNIX operating system. It contains information on how to configure software components and some information (such as the Release Notes) needed by all DIGITAL UNIX users.

    When you order the DIGITAL UNIX operating system, the books in the Startup Documentation Kit are packaged with the distribution media.

  • System and Network Management Documentation Kit

    This kit is for people who are responsible for managing the DIGITAL UNIX operating system or network. The manuals in this kit provide information on how to configure, manage, and tune DIGITAL UNIX systems.

  • General User Documentation Kit

    This kit provides general information on how to use the DIGITAL UNIX operating system. The manuals in this kit are for everyone who uses DIGITAL UNIX.

• Developer's Documentation Kit

  This kit is for software developers who write programs on or for the DIGITAL UNIX operating system. The books in this kit include information on tools and programming recommendations.

  This kit is divided into the following subkits:

  • General Programming Documentation Kit

    This kit provides information of interest to most programmers who write applications that run on the DIGITAL UNIX operating system. Manuals in this kit describe using the programming tools and interfaces.

  • Windows Programming Documentation Kit

    This kit provides information for programmers who are creating a window interface to an application, including the Common Desktop Environment (CDE), OSF/Motif, and the X Window System.

  When you order printed manuals, you will notice that the books are color coded and include an icon on the spine to help you quickly find the book you are looking for on your bookshelf. The following list describes this convention:

  Audience	Icon	Color Code
  General users	G	Blue
  System and network administrators	S	Red
  Programmers	P	Purple

  Some books in the documentation set help meet the needs of several audiences. For example, a general user might want to use the manual Programming Support Tools to get advanced information about using commands such as grep or awk. Also, information in some system books is also used by programmers. Keep this in mind when searching for information on specific topics.

1.4    The Documentation CD-ROM

With this release of DIGITAL UNIX, you can view the DIGITAL UNIX documentation on a PC or Macintosh - laptop or workstation - or on any other system that uses the ISO 9660 Level 1 CD-ROM standard.

The CD-ROM's HTML library provides links to the HTML and PostScript documents. By configuring your brower's preferences, you can view some or all of these formats by clicking on the link in the library. For example, you can configure your system to start a PostScript viewer when you select a document in PostScript format.

This CD-ROM also contains the complete set of DIGITAL UNIX reference pages for browsing with the webman viewer. The files in this area are usable only on UNIX systems that support the Rock Ridge Extensions to the ISO 9660 standard. (For information about installing and using webman, see the file /mnt-point/DOCS/HTML/webman/Installing-webman.txt on the Documentation CD-ROM.)

To mount the Documentation CD-ROM on DIGITAL UNIX systems, PCs, and Macintosh computers, see the inside panels of the Documentation CD-ROM's jacket. The DIGITAL UNIX Installation Guide provides information about mounting CD-ROM on DIGITAL UNIX systems.

1.5    DIGITAL UNIX Documentation on the World Wide Web

You can find most of the DIGITAL UNIX manuals in the core documentation, as well as some other useful documentation, through DIGITAL's homepage on the World Wide Web.

The documentation available for viewing at this site includes the DIGITAL UNIX manuals that are in HTML format, the TruCluster Software documentation, the Device Driver documentation, and documentation for the Advanced File System Utilities.

Additionally, that online library includes the reference pages for the DIGITAL UNIX operating system, the Common Desktop Environment graphical interface, and the TruCluster Software products.

To view this documentation, point your Web browser to the following URL:

http://www.unix.digital.com/faqs/publications/pub_page/pubs_page.html

1.6    Documentation for Layered Applications

DIGITAL and third-party vendors produce many applications that run on DIGITAL UNIX systems. The documentation for most of these products is included with the individual application software. The following sections provide some guidance.

1.6.1    Associated Products Volume 2 CD-ROM

The software for several separately licensed products is provided on the CD-ROM labeled Associated Products Volume 2, which is included in the DIGITAL UNIX media kit. These products include the TruCluster Software products, the Advanced File System Utilities, the System V Environment, and the Advanced Server for DIGITAL UNIX.

Included with this software are online versions of the documentation for installing and using the applications. You do not need a separate software license to view this documentation, which is usually provided in both HTML and PostScript formats. For information about viewing this documentation, see Section 3.3.

Printed versions of the documentation on the Associated Products Volume 2 CD-ROM are included with the license when you purchase the product from DIGITAL.

1.6.2    Consolidated Software CD-ROM

Many of the layered applications produced by DIGITAL, such as DEC C++ and the Distributed Computed Environment (DCE), are included on the DIGITAL UNIX Alpha Consolidated Software Distribution CD-ROM. Documentation for these products is included on the companion Software Product Library disk. These are separately orderable products and are not included with the DIGITAL UNIX media kit. For information about ordering these CD-ROMs, contact DIGITAL (see Chapter 6) or talk with your DIGITAL sales representative.

1.6.3    Device Driver Documentation

Documentation for programmers who create device driver software for the DIGITAL UNIX operating system is available as a separately orderable kit. See Chapter 5 for more information about the Device Driver Documentation kit.