HELPADM(1)

NAME
helpadm - make changes to the help database

SYNOPSIS
helpadm

DESCRIPTION
The UNIX System help Facility Administration command helpadm allows UNIX administrators and command developers to define the content of help for their specific commands and to monitor use of the help facility. helpadm can only be executed by login root, login bin, or a login that is a member of group bin.

helpadm prints a menu of 3 types of help data which can be modified, and 2 choices relating to monitoring use of the help facility. The five choices are:
- modify startup data
- add, modify, or delete a glossary term
- add, modify, or delete command data (description, options,
    examples, and keywords)
- prevent monitoring use of the help facility (login root
    and login bin only)
- permit monitoring use of the help facility (login root and
    login bin only)

The user may make one of the above choices by entering its corresponding letter (given in the menu), or may exit to the shell by typing q (for "quit").

If one of the first three choices is chosen, then the user is prompted for additional information; specifically, which startup screen, glossary term definition, or command is to be modified. The user may also be prompted for information to identify whether the changes to the database are additions, modifications, or deletions. If the user is modifying existing data or adding new data, then they are prompted to make the appropriate modifications/additions. If the user is deleting a glossary term or a command from the database, then they must respond affirmatively to the next query in order for the deletion to be done. In any case, before the user's changes are final, they must respond affirmatively when asked whether they are sure they want their requested database changes to be done.

By default, helpadm will put the user into ed to make additions/modifications to database information. If the user wishes to be put into a different editor, then they should set the EDITOR variable in their environment to the desired editor, and then export EDITOR.

If the user chooses to monitor/prevent monitoring use of the help facility, no further interaction occurs between the user and the help administration utilities.

SEE ALSO
help(1)

WARNINGS
When the UNIX System is delivered to a customer, /etc/profile exports the LOGNAME variable. If /etc/profile has been changed so that LOGNAME is not exported, then the options to monitor/prevent monitoring use of the help facility may not work properly.