The UNIX in a Nutshell recommendation is a good one for UNIX novices
(and maybe even for advanced intermediates), but I interpreted Dr.
Killoran's inquiry a little differently - it seems to be a request for
information about the pkgsrc contents - and if that's indeed correct,
then here is the way to enlightenment:

	ftp://ftp.netbsd.org/pub/NetBSD/packages/pkgsrc/README.html

This top-level document contains a list of various categories for all
the NetBSD package sources, and each category lists the individual
packages available, with a 1-line description of that package's
function.  (and if you download and install the pkgsrc tarball, you
get all the same browsable pkgsrc information right there on your
local NetBSD system!)

Regards,

- Michael Maciolek


On Thu, 5 Aug 1999, Neumann, Matthew C wrote:

  >Try "UNIX in a Nutshell" published by O'Reilly.  I don't own it, but I've
  >flipped through it in bookstores; it looks like it lists most UNIX commands
  >and gives a few details about how to use them.  A good "flipping through"
  >book is "UNIX Power Tools," also from O'Reilly; that goes into more detail,
  >but tries to relate unix tools to everyday tasks.
  >
  >Otherwise, the best source of information I've found is the man pages
  >(that's a bit like using a dictionary to look up a word that you don't know
  >how to spell, though; if you don't at least know where to start, you're out
  >of luck...).
  >
  >
  >Oh, and I'm sure that by "habitual terseness" you mean "admirable economy,"
  >right?   :o)
  >
  >-Matt
  >
  >> ----------
  >> From: 	Daniel R. Killoran,Ph.D.[SMTP:drk@shore.net]
  >> Sent: 	Thursday, August 05, 1999 6:58 AM
  >> To: 	port-mac68k@NetBSD.ORG
  >> Subject: 	What do they all do?
  >> 
  >	<snip!>
  >> To be specific, is there anything like a table-of-contents to, say, the
  >> packages that we have for netbsd? Unfortunately, the habitual terseness of
  >> Unix people makes the program names uninformative, and I notice that most
  >> of them seem to lack a statement of purpose in the README.
  >> 
  >> Is anything like a "Users' Guide" available?
  >> 
  >	<snip!>
  >