HOWTO: update command line option descriptions

- Make it clearer what --help will print (since page is ambiguous in
  the context of the HOWTO).
- Update the wording and syntax for --crctest so it's clear it doesn't
  always need a parameter.
- Use KiB rather than kb to refer to powers of two byte sizes and update
  the maximum number of pools.
- Make the --idle-prof description more verbose (and clear up confusion
  that might make people try and pass it literal option
  'system,percpu').

Signed-off-by: Sitsofe Wheeler <sitsofe@yahoo.com>

diff --git a/HOWTO b/HOWTO
index e0c869fccee2792314a0cad72ef04278e5fa1596..7c51f48f109306c8e45ddffea8edeadf52551a2b 100644 (file)
--- a/HOWTO
+++ b/HOWTO
@@ -135,16 +135,16 @@ Command line options
 
 .. option:: --help
 
 
 .. option:: --help
 

-       Print this page.
+       Print a summary of the command line options and exit.

 
 .. option:: --cpuclock-test
 
        Perform test and validation of internal CPU clock.
 
 
 .. option:: --cpuclock-test
 
        Perform test and validation of internal CPU clock.
 

-.. option:: --crctest=test
+.. option:: --crctest=[test]

 
 

-    Test the speed of the builtin checksumming functions. If no argument is
-    given, all of them are tested. Or a comma separated list can be passed, in
+    Test the speed of the built-in checksumming functions. If no argument is
+    given all of them are tested. Alternatively, a comma separated list can be passed, in

     which case the given ones are tested.
 
 .. option:: --cmdhelp=command
     which case the given ones are tested.
 
 .. option:: --cmdhelp=command


@@ -198,11 +198,11 @@ Command line options
 
 .. option:: --alloc-size=kb
 
 
 .. option:: --alloc-size=kb
 

-    Set the internal smalloc pool to this size in kb (def 1024).  The
+    Set the internal smalloc pool to this size in KiB.  The

     ``--alloc-size`` switch allows one to use a larger pool size for smalloc.
     If running large jobs with randommap enabled, fio can run out of memory.
     Smalloc is an internal allocator for shared structures from a fixed size
     ``--alloc-size`` switch allows one to use a larger pool size for smalloc.
     If running large jobs with randommap enabled, fio can run out of memory.
     Smalloc is an internal allocator for shared structures from a fixed size

-    memory pool. The pool size defaults to 16M and can grow to 8 pools.
+    memory pool and can grow to 16 pools. The pool size defaults to 16MiB.

 
     NOTE: While running :file:`.fio_smalloc.*` backing store files are visible
     in :file:`/tmp`.
 
     NOTE: While running :file:`.fio_smalloc.*` backing store files are visible
     in :file:`/tmp`.


@@ -236,9 +236,16 @@ Command line options
 
 .. option:: --idle-prof=option
 
 
 .. option:: --idle-prof=option
 

-       Report cpu idleness on a system or percpu basis
-       ``--idle-prof=system,percpu`` or
-       run unit work calibration only ``--idle-prof=calibrate``.
+       Report CPU idleness. *option* is one of the following:
+
+               **calibrate**
+                       Run unit work calibration only and exit.
+
+               **system**
+                       Show aggregate system idleness and unit work.
+
+               **percpu**
+                       As **system** but also show per CPU idleness.

 
 .. option:: --inflate-log=log
 
 
 .. option:: --inflate-log=log