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| Preface |

## Conventions Used in This Book

We use the following font and format conventions for UNIX commands, utilities, and system calls:

- Excerpts from scripts or configuration files are shown in a constant width font:

  >     if test -x /etc/named -a -f /etc/named.conf
  >     then
  >         /etc/named
  >     fi

- Sample interactive sessions, showing command-line input and corresponding output, will be shown in a constant width font, with user-supplied input in bold:

  >     % cat /etc/named.pid
  >     78

- If the command must be typed by the superuser (root), we use the sharp or pound sign (#):

  >     # /etc/named

- Command lines, when they appear exactly as a user would type them, are printed in italic when they appear in the body of a paragraph. For example: run `ls` to list the files in a directory.

- Domain names are also printed in italic when they appear within a paragraph.

- UNIX commands (when mentioned in passing, and not as part of a command line) and UNIX manual pages mentioned in the body of a paragraph appear italicized. For example: to find more information on `named`, a user could consult the `named` (1m) manpage.

- Filenames are printed in italic; for example: the BIND name server's conf file is usually /etc/named.conf.

Obtaining the Example Programs |  | Quotations