<preface id="docconvs">
<title>Document Convenctions</title>
<para>
In this manual, certain words are represented in different
fonts, typefaces, sizes, and weights. This highlighting is
systematic; different words are represented in the same style
to indicate their inclusion in a specific category. The types
of words that are represented this way include the
following:
</para>
<variablelist>
<varlistentry>
<term><command>command</command></term>
<listitem>
<para>
Linux commands (and other operating system
commands, when used) are represented this way.
This style should indicate to you that you can
type the word or phrase on the command line and
press Enter to invoke a command. Sometimes a
command contains words that would be displayed in
a different style on their own (such as file
names). In these cases, they are considered to be
part of the command, so the entire phrase is
displayed as a command. For example:
</para>
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para>
Use the <command>centos-art render <filename
class="directory">trunk/Manuals/Repository/Docbook</filename>
--filter="repository"</command> command to produce
the CentOS Artwork Repository User's Guide.
</para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><filename>file name</filename></term>
<listitem>
<para>
File names, directory names, paths, and RPM
package names are represented this way. This style
indicates that a particular file or directory
exists with that name on your system. Examples:
</para>
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para>
The <filename>init.sh</filename> file in <filename
class="directory">trunk/Scripts/Bash/Cli/</filename>
directory is the initialization script, written in
Bash, used to automate most of tasks in the
repository.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
The <command>centos-art</command> command uses the
<package>ImageMagick</package> RPM package to
convert images from PNG format to other
formats.
</para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><keycap>key</keycap></term>
<listitem>
<para>
A key on the keyboard is shown in this style.
For example:
</para>
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para>
To use <keycap>Tab</keycap> completion to list
particular files in a directory, type
<command>ls</command>, then a character, and
finally the <keycap>Tab</keycap> key. Your
terminal displays the list of files in the working
directory that begin with that character.
</para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><keycombo action="simul"><keycap>key</keycap><keycap>combination</keycap></keycombo></term>
<listitem>
<para>
A combination of keystrokes is represented in this
way. For example:
</para>
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para>
The <keycombo
action="simul"><keycap>Ctrl</keycap><keycap>Alt</keycap><keycap>Backspace</keycap></keycombo>
key combination exits your graphical session and
returns you to the graphical login screen or the
console.
</para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><computeroutput>computer output</computeroutput></term>
<listitem>
<para>
Text in this style indicates text displayed to a shell
prompt such as error messages and responses to
commands. For example, the <command>ls</command>
command displays the contents of a directory using
this style:
</para>
<programlisting>
render_doTranslation.sh render_getDirTemplate.sh render_doBaseActions.sh
render_getConfigOption.sh render_getOptions.sh render_doThemeActions.sh
render_getDirOutput.sh render.sh
</programlisting>
<para>
The output returned in response to the command (in
this case, the contents of the directory) is shown in
this style.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><prompt>prompt</prompt></term>
<listitem>
<para>
A prompt, which is a computer's way of signifying that it
is ready for you to input something, is shown in this
style. Examples:
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para>
<prompt>$</prompt>
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
<prompt>#</prompt>
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
<prompt>[centos@projects centos]$</prompt>
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
<prompt>projects login:</prompt>
</para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><userinput>user input</userinput></term>
<listitem>
<para>
Text that the user types, either on the command line or
into a text box on a GUI screen, is displayed in this
style. In the following example,
<userinput>text</userinput> is displayed in this style: To
boot your system into the text based installation program,
you must type in the <userinput>text</userinput> command
at the <prompt>boot:</prompt> prompt.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><replaceable>replaceable</replaceable></term>
<listitem>
<para>
Text used in examples that is meant to be replaced with
data provided by the user is displayed in this style. In
the following example,
<replaceable>version-number</replaceable> is displayed in
this style: The directory for the kernel source is
<filename
class="directory">/usr/src/kernels/<replaceable>version-number</replaceable>/</filename>,
where <replaceable>version-number</replaceable> is the
version and type of kernel installed on this system.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
</variablelist>
<para>Additionally, we use several different strategies to draw
your attention to certain pieces of information. In order of
urgency, these items are marked as a note, tip, important,
caution, or warning. For example:</para>
<note>
<para>Remember that Linux is case sensitive. In other words, a
rose is not a ROSE is not a rOsE.</para>
</note>
<tip>
<para>The directory <filename
class="directory">/usr/share/doc/</filename> contains
additional documentation for packages installed on your
system.</para>
</tip>
<important>
<para>If you modify the DHCP configuration file, the changes
do not take effect until you restart the DHCP daemon.</para>
</important>
<caution>
<para>Do not perform routine tasks as root — use a
regular user account unless you need to use the root account
for system administration tasks.</para>
</caution>
<warning>
<para>Be careful to remove only the necessary partitions.
Removing other partitions could result in data loss or a
corrupted system environment.</para>
</warning>
</preface>