Improve description of Unix options for [file attributes] (Pt. 2)

1 files changed, 18 insertions, 15 deletions

diff --git a/doc/file.n b/doc/file.n
index d39d927..1f5632d 100644
--- a/doc/file.n
+++ b/doc/file.n
@@ -45,21 +45,24 @@ specific option. The third form sets one or more of the values. The
 values are as follows:
 .RS
 .PP
-On Unix, \fB\-group\fR gets or sets the group name for the file. A group id
-can be given to the command, but it returns a group name. \fB\-owner\fR gets
-or sets the user name of the owner of the file. The command returns the
-owner name, but the numerical id can be passed when setting the
-owner. \fB\-permissions\fR sets or retrieves the octal code that chmod(1)
-uses. This option also provides limited support for setting permissions
-using the symbolic notation used by the Unix chmod(1) command, following the
-form [ugo]?[[+-=][rwxst],[...]]. Multiple permission specifications may be
-given, separated by commas. E.g., \fBu+s,go-rw\fR would set the setuid bit
-for a file's owner as well as remove read and write permission for the file's
-group and other users. A simplified \fBls\fR style string, of the form
-rwxrwxrwx (must be 9 characters), is also supported (example:
-\fBrwxr\-xr\-t\fR is equivalent to 01755). On versions of Unix supporting
-file flags, \fB\-readonly\fR gives the value or sets or clears the readonly
-attribute of the file, i.e. the user immutable flag \fBuchg\fR to chflags(1).
+On Unix, \fB\-group\fR gets or sets the group name for the file. A
+group id can be given to the command, but it returns a group name.
+\fB\-owner\fR gets or sets the user name of the owner of the file. The
+command returns the owner name, but the numerical id can be passed when
+setting the owner. \fB-permissions\fR retrieves or sets a file's access
+permissions, using octal notation by default. This option also provides
+limited support for setting permissions using the symbolic notation
+accepted by the \fBchmod\fR command, following the form
+[\fBugo\fR]?[[\fB+-=\fR][\fBrwxst\fR]\fB,\fR[...]]. Multiple permission
+specifications may be given, separated by commas. E.g., \fBu+s,go-rw\fR
+would set the setuid bit for a file's owner as well as remove read and
+write permission for the file's group and other users. An
+\fBls\fR-style string of the form \fBrwxrwxrwx\fR is also accepted but
+must always be 9 characters long. E.g., \fBrwxr-xr-t\fR is equivalent to
+\fB01755\fR. On versions of Unix supporting file flags, \fB-readonly\fR
+returns the value of, or sets, or clears the readonly attribute of a
+file, i.e., the user immutable flag (\fBuchg\fR) to the \fBchflags\fR
+command.
 .PP
 On Windows, \fB\-archive\fR gives the value or sets or clears the
 archive attribute of the file. \fB\-hidden\fR gives the value or sets