Insider Tips: Documentation in Unix and Linux

THE NOTE KEEPER

Article from Issue 57/2005
Author(s):

System admins routinely refer to documentation for help with obscure command line options. In this month’s Admin Workshop, we examine the programs and formats behind the command line documentation you read everyday.

Most Linux users end up at the command line sooner or later. Command line programs are typically more flexible and efficient than their point&click counterparts. But they do have one disadvantage: innumerable options and parameters that nobody can remember. The expansive list of options often associated with a command line program makes detailed and accessible documentation invaluable to any administrator. Documentation should avoid complexity: sophisticated presentations are definitely not the kind of reference you need for software applications, and most developers prefer not to waste time prettifying their documentation. These pragmatic considerations have brought forth several forms of online documentation that represent different compromises between readability and ease of creation.

Buy this article as PDF

Express-Checkout as PDF
Price $2.95
(incl. VAT)

Buy Linux Magazine

SINGLE ISSUES
Print Issues
Digital Issues
 
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Print Subs
Digisubs
 
TABLET & SMARTPHONE APPS
Get it on Google Play

US / Canada

Get it on Google Play

UK / Australia

Related content

  • Command Line

    Do have difficulty remembering

    command syntax? It often pays to

    check the manpage. In this issue of

    Command Line,we look at how to

    create your own manpages,and

    how to convert manpages to other

    formats.

    more »
  • Fish Shell

    The Fish shell offers some user-friendly features for command line beginners.

    more »
  • Workspace: txt2tags

    How would you like write text using whatever text editor you like and then publish the results in a variety of formats, including (X)HTML, MoinMoin wiki, LaTeX, and SGML? txt2tags allows you to write once and publish
    anywhere.

    more »
  • Byobu

    The Byobu session manager extends the shell, adding a range of useful functions, such as splitting the screen, running programs in the background, or organizing programs in tabs. In particular, administrators who rely on SSH will appreciate Byobu.

    more »
  • Asciidoctor

    The popular AsciiDoc documentation system still has a lot to offer, but more experienced users should check out Asciidoctor, which has some additional new features.

    more »
comments powered by Disqus

Visit Our Shop

Trial Subscription

Digital Subscription

Subscribe

Direct Download

Read full article as PDF:

Admin_Workshop_Documentation.pdf (238.95 kB)

News

Tag Cloud

Administration Community Desktop Events Hardware Linux Linux Pro Magazine Mobile Programming Software Ubuntu Web Development Windows free software open source