/bin/true

Fri May 9 06:36:50 AEST 1986

There has been a considerable amount of discussion on the net recently about
the copyright status of Unix (tm) and the command /bin/true.  Seeing the fol-
lowing item on net.jokes, I figured it was time we take a serious (:-) look
at the capabilites of /bin/true.  Enjoy, and thanks to Ken Arromdee.

-------------

Relay-Version: version B 2.10.3 4.3bsd-beta 6/6/85; site ut-sally.UUCP
Path: ut-sally!seismo!umcp-cs!aplcen!jhunix!jor_d015
From: jor_d015 at jhunix.UUCP (Ken Arromdee)
Newsgroups: net.jokes
Subject: Yet another manual page (true)
Message-ID: <2691 at jhunix.UUCP>
Date: 1 May 86 02:20:53 GMT
Date-Received: 2 May 86 09:43:35 GMT
Reply-To: jor_d015 at jhunix.UUCP (Ken Arromdee)
Organization: TARDIS Repairs, Inc.
Lines: 259

     TRUE(1)            UNIX 5.0 (26 January 1986)             TRUE(1)

     NAME
          /bin/true - Unix version of True

     SYNOPSIS
          true [ -abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzBDEFNOZ ]

     DESCRIPTION
          True is a general-purpose Unix program, often used in shell
          scripts.  The allowable options are:

          -a list
               Check user name against list of those permitted to use
               /bin/true.

          -b   Run in batch mode.

          -c   Produce core dump.

          -d   Produce debugging output.

          -e   Ignore end-of-file.

          -f   Run in /bin/false mode (also see -t)

          -g   Output garbage to terminal (also see a.out(1))

          -h   Debugging output in hexadecimal (default octal)

          -i   Interactive mode

          -j   Wait until user returns from the john.

          -l   Create log file.

          -m   Check to see if the moon is full

          -n priority
               Run at lower priority (see nice(1))

          -o file
               Send value to file file instead of to the calling
               program.

          -p number
               Pause number seconds before execution

          -q   Quick true.

          -r [options]
               Run rogue(5) before exiting

          -s uid

     Page 1                                          (printed 4/26/86)

     TRUE(1)            UNIX 5.0 (26 January 1986)             TRUE(1)

               Run setuid mode

          -t   Run in /bin/false -t mode

          -u   Use effective instead of real UID.

          -v   Execute older version of /bin/true, provided for
               compatibility.

          -w   Write a dash followed by the letter "w" to standard
               output (see ascii(8))

          -x   Encryption mode (in Unix (tm) systems sold in the USA
               only)

          -y   Turn terminal yellow.

          -z   Return zero to calling program

          -B   Debugging output in binary (default octal)

          -D   Debugging output in hexadecimal (default octal)

          -E   Wait until user finishes eating lunch.

          -F file
               Test to see if file exists (may fail if attempted on a
               non-existent file)

          -N   When debugging, send output to /dev/null.

          -O   Debugging output in octal.

          -S filename
               Return to specified shell script instead of calling
               program.

          -Z   Give system privileges to caller.

     FILES
          /bin/true, /bin/false, /bin/sh, /usr/games/rogue

     SEE ALSO
          crypt(1), false(1), rogue(5), sh(1), su(1)

     NOTES
          The original version of this program consisted of no lines;
          when the program became over 100 times as large, it was
          decided that some essential features be added.

     BUGS
          Return value is always 0, except with the -f option.

     Page 2                                          (printed 4/26/86)

------------------------------------------------------(source follows)
.TH TRUE 1 "26 January 1986"
.SH NAME
/bin/true \- Unix version of True
.SH SYNOPSIS
\fBtrue\fP [ \-abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzBDEFNOZ ]
.SH DESCRIPTION
\fITrue\fP is a general-purpose Unix program, often used in shell scripts.
The allowable options are:
.TP
.BI "-a " list
Check user name against list of those permitted to use \fI/bin/true\fP.
.TP
.B -b
Run in batch mode.
.TP
.B -c
Produce core dump.
.TP
.B -d
Produce debugging output.
.TP
.B -e
Ignore end-of-file.
.TP
.B -f
Run in /bin/false mode (also see -t)
.TP
.B -g
Output garbage to terminal (also see \fIa.out(1)\fP)
.TP
.B -h
Debugging output in hexadecimal (default octal)
.TP
.B -i
Interactive mode
.TP
.B -j
Wait until user returns from the john.
.TP
.B -l
Create log file.
.TP
.B -m
Check to see if the moon is full
.TP
.BI "-n " priority
Run at lower priority (see \fInice(1)\fP)
.TP
.BI "-o " file
Send value to file \fIfile\fP instead of to the calling program.
.TP
.BI "-p " number
Pause \fInumber\fP seconds before execution
.TP
.B -q
Quick true.
.TP
.BI "-r " [options]
Run \fIrogue(5)\fP before exiting
.TP
.BI "-s " uid
Run setuid mode
.TP
.B -t
Run in /bin/false -t mode
.TP
.B -u
Use effective instead of real UID.
.TP
.B -v
Execute older version of /bin/true, provided for compatibility.
.TP
.B -w
Write a dash followed by the letter "w" to standard output (see \fIascii(8)\fP)
.TP
.B -x
Encryption mode (in Unix (tm) systems sold in the USA only)
.TP
.B -y
Turn terminal yellow.
.TP
.B -z
Return zero to calling program
.TP
.B -B
Debugging output in binary (default octal)
.TP
.B -D
Debugging output in hexadecimal (default octal)
.TP
.B -E
Wait until user finishes eating lunch.
.TP
.BI "-F " file
Test to see if \fIfile\fP exists (may fail if attempted on a non-existent
file)
.TP
.B -N
When debugging, send output to /dev/null.
.TP
.B -O
Debugging output in octal.
.TP
.BI "-S " filename
Return to specified shell script instead of calling program.
.TP
.BI -Z
Give system privileges to caller.
.SH FILES
/bin/true, /bin/false, /bin/sh, /usr/games/rogue
.SH "SEE ALSO"
crypt(1), false(1), rogue(5), sh(1), su(1)
.SH NOTES
The original version of this program consisted of no lines; when the program
became over 100 times as large, it was decided that some essential features
be added.
.SH BUGS
Return value is always 0, except with the \-f option.
------------------------------------------------(end source)
-- 
"We are going to give a little something, a few little years more, to
socialism, because socialism is defunct.  It dies all by iself.  The bad thing
is that socialism, being a victim of its... Did I say socialism?" -Fidel Castro

Kenneth Arromdee
BITNET: G46I4701 at JHUVM and INS_AKAA at JHUVMS
CSNET: ins_akaa at jhunix.CSNET              ARPA: ins_akaa%jhunix at hopkins.ARPA
UUCP: ...allegra!hopkins!jhunix!ins_akaa

-------------
	"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic"
		- Arthur C. Clark 

				Maurice T. Franklin
        			CS Dept University of Texas at Austin
UUCP:    			{ihnp4,seismo,harvard,gatech}!ut-sally!franklin
ARPA Internet and CSNET:    	franklin at sally.utexas.edu
[Disclaimer: The University of Texas at Austin, the Computer Science Dept, nor 
just about anybody else, is to be held responsible for what I say here.] 