HELP(1)

NAME
help - ask for help

SYNOPSIS
help [arg] ...

DESCRIPTION
Help finds information to explain a message from a command or explain the use of a command. Zero or more arguments may be supplied. If no arguments are given, help will prompt for one.

The arguments may be either message numbers (which normally appear in parentheses following messages) or command names, of one of the following types:

type 1
    Begins with non-numerics, ends in numerics. The non-numeric prefix is usually an abbreviation for the program or set of routines which produced the message (e.g., ``ge6'', for message 6 from the get command).

type 2
    Does not contain numerics (as a command, such as get )

type 3
    Is all numeric (e.g., ``212'')

The response of the program will be the explanatory information related to the argument, if there is any.

When all else fails, try ``help stuck''.

FILES
The ASCII file searched for the explanatory information for each type of argument is as follows:

type 1
    /usr/lib/help/``prefix-of-argument''

type 2
    /usr/lib/help/cmds

type 3
    /usr/lib/sccs.hf

If the file to be searched for either a type 1 or a type 2 argument does not exist, the search will be attempted on the file for the type 3 argument. In no case, however, will more than one file be searched per argument.

Anyone wishing to modify the files should list out portions of them - the format will be obvious.

DIAGNOSTICS
Use help for help.