What to read if you are new

If you are completely unfamiliar with UNIX systems, you should refer to this material:

``Introduction to using the system'' -- contains a brief description of key areas and includes references to the more extensive online documentation.
• Customizing your environment -- covers the basics of the UNIX command line interface. Although many administration tools have sophisticated interfaces, you will often need to use the command line as well.

• Understanding files and directories -- includes more advanced uses of the operating system. Pay particular attention to ``About files and directories''. For an understanding of processes, see ``Executing, stopping and restarting processes''. You will also benefit from an understanding of the material in ``An overview of the system''.

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  WARNING: Do not edit system files using other word processing applications (such as WordPerfect^®) that may be installed on your system. Such applications add special characters, or codes, to text files that you may not be aware of. Special characters or codes can corrupt system files and make the operating system unusable.

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• Understanding networking -- explains the networking components, including TCP/IP, NFS, and so on.

• This handbook also contains key information you need in the day-to-day operation of your system: ``Starting and stopping the system'' and ``Troubleshooting system-level problems''.