01/07/87  merge_deckfiles, mdf

Syntax as a command:  mdf path1...3 -output_file deckfile_path


Function:  merge three existing deckfiles specified by <path1...3> into
an existing or to be created tandd_deck_file.


Arguments:
path1....3
   is the pathname of a tandd_deck_file entry.  See "Notes on input
   paths" below.



Control arguments:
-brief, -bf
   suppresses messages from deckfile_manager announcing the
   deckfile.list and tandd_deck_file that will be used for this
   request.
-output_file deckfile_path, -of deckfile_path
   specifies that the deckfile_path is the target deckfile to be used
   for this requests.  See "Notes on output path" below.



Notes on input paths:  The input path is the path of an existing
deckfile.  This arg maybe an absolute or relative path, or it may be
either the string "-system", "-sys", "-working_dir", or "-wd".  The
"-system" will default to the tandd_deck_file in >system_library_tandd.



Notes on -output_file:  If the deckfile_path is not given on the
request line then the following sequence is used.  If a deckfile_path
is entered in the deckfile_manager command line, it is used.  Otherwise
the user is queried for a path of the target deckfile.  The user may
reply with either a absolute or relative pathname or with the string
"-system", "-sys", "-working_dir", or -wd".  The user's effective
access is checked, and if it is sufficient and the entry does not exist
the user is queried as to the creation of the tandd_deck_file or
deckfile.list.  If the reply is no and the user has sufficient
effective access to modify the tandd_deck_file in
>system_library_tandd, the user is again query as to its usage.  If no
tandd_deck_file is found the command is aborted.


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Historical Background

This edition of the Multics software materials and documentation is provided and donated
to Massachusetts Institute of Technology by Group BULL including BULL HN Information Systems Inc. 
as a contribution to computer science knowledge.  
This donation is made also to give evidence of the common contributions of Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
Bell Laboratories, General Electric, Honeywell Information Systems Inc., Honeywell BULL Inc., Groupe BULL
and BULL HN Information Systems Inc. to the development of this operating system. 
Multics development was initiated by Massachusetts Institute of Technology Project MAC (1963-1970),
renamed the MIT Laboratory for Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence in the mid 1970s, under the leadership
of Professor Fernando Jose Corbato. Users consider that Multics provided the best software architecture 
for managing computer hardware properly and for executing programs. Many subsequent operating systems 
incorporated Multics principles.
Multics was distributed in 1975 to 2000 by Group Bull in Europe , and in the U.S. by Bull HN Information Systems Inc., 
as successor in interest by change in name only to Honeywell Bull Inc. and Honeywell Information Systems Inc. .

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Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute these programs and their documentation for any purpose and without
fee is hereby granted,provided that the below copyright notice and historical background appear in all copies
and that both the copyright notice and historical background and this permission notice appear in supporting
documentation, and that the names of MIT, HIS, BULL or BULL HN not be used in advertising or publicity pertaining
to distribution of the programs without specific prior written permission.
    Copyright 1972 by Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Honeywell Information Systems Inc.
    Copyright 2006 by BULL HN Information Systems Inc.
    Copyright 2006 by Bull SAS
    All Rights Reserved