2.6.1 Unix documentation and standards

• `POSIX is the term for a suite of applications program interface standards to provide for the portability of source code applications where operating systems services are required. POSIX is based on the UNIX (Registered trademark administrated by the Open Group) Operating System, and is the basis for the Single UNIX Specification from The Open Group.' [IEEE PASC (Portable Application Standards Committee)]
• This is currently (2001-06-20) undergoing revision by the Austin Group
• The POSIX standard is
  1. `IEEE Std 1003.1 Standard for Information technology -- Portable Operating Systems Interface (POSIX) -- Part 1: System Interface [C language binding]', which is identical to `ISO/IEC JTC1 IS 9945-1 Standard for Information technology -- Portable Operating Systems Interface (POSIX) -- Part 1: System Interface [C language binding]'
  2. `IEEE Std 1003.2 Standard for Information technology -- Portable Operating Systems Interface (POSIX) -- Part 2: Shell & Utilities', which is identical to `ISO/IEC JTC1 IS 9945-2 Standard for Information technology -- Portable Operating Systems Interface (POSIX) -- Part 2: Shell & Utilities'.
  ...and these cost money (lots) to buy on paper.
• Single Unix specification, from the Open Group (other publications). My understanding from the PASC document above is that Single Unix is broader than POSIX, and covers more of the environment (bit vague, here). It feeds into the POSIX/ISO standardisation process, but is not a formal standard itself. Single Unix does, however, have the great advantage of being available online.
• The link with The Unix System is, I fear, rather obscure to me, but it appears that the latter is the public face of the Open Group's labours.

<http://www.geek-girl.com/unix.html>: The `Unix Reference Desk'. This is a very useful collection of pointers to unix documentation.

<http://www.faqs.org/faqs/unix-faq/faq/>: the General Unix FAQ, full of arcana. This is one of several FAQs which cover Unix and related issues; for some others, look at <http://www.faqs.org/faqs/by-newsgroup/comp/comp.unix.questions.html>

<http://uk.yahoo.com/Computers_and_Internet/Software/Text_Editors/vi/>: Collection of links to vi documentation at Yahoo.