8 files changed, 51 insertions, 19 deletions
diff --git a/appl/cmd/man2html.b b/appl/cmd/man2html.b
index c3e6cc63..116fb590 100644
--- a/appl/cmd/man2html.b
+++ b/appl/cmd/man2html.b
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ tspec := array [] of { Troffspec
 	("fl", "fl"),
 	("Fi", "ffi"),
 	("ru", "_"),
-	("em", "&#173;"),
+	("em", "&#8212;"),
 	("14", "&#188;"),
 	("12", "&#189;"),
 	("co", "&#169;"),
diff --git a/appl/cmd/sh/sh.b b/appl/cmd/sh/sh.b
index 05a8227a..7cd69cb0 100644
--- a/appl/cmd/sh/sh.b
+++ b/appl/cmd/sh/sh.b
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ system(drawctxt: ref Draw->Context, cmd: string): string
 		return Context.new(drawctxt).run(ref Listnode(n, nil) :: nil, 0);
 	} exception e {
 	"fail:*" =>
-		return e[5:];
+		return failurestatus(e);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ run(drawctxt: ref Draw->Context, argv: list of string): string
 		return Context.new(drawctxt).run(stringlist2list(argv), 0);
 	} exception e {
 	"fail:*" =>
-		return e[5:];
+		return failurestatus(e);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ runfile(ctxt: ref Context, fd: ref Sys->FD, path: string, args: list of ref List
 						laststatus = walk(ctxt, n, 0);
 					} exception e2 {
 					"fail:*" =>
-						laststatus = e2[5:];
+						laststatus = failurestatus(e2);
 					}
 				} else
 					laststatus = walk(ctxt, n, 0);
@@ -792,7 +792,7 @@ runexternal(ctxt: ref Context, args: list of ref Listnode, last: int): string
 				EPIPE =>
 					return EPIPE;
 				"fail:*" =>
-					return e[5:];
+					return failurestatus(e);
 				}
 			}
 			extstart := chan of int;
@@ -819,6 +819,16 @@ runexternal(ctxt: ref Context, args: list of ref Listnode, last: int): string
 	return err;
 }
 
+failurestatus(e: string): string
+{
+	s := e[5:];
+	while(s != nil && (s[0] == ' ' || s[0] == '\t'))
+		s = s[1:];
+	if(s != nil)
+		return s;
+	return "failed";
+}
+
 runhashpling(ctxt: ref Context, fd: ref Sys->FD,
 		path: string, argv: list of ref Listnode, last: int): string
 {
@@ -1020,7 +1030,7 @@ waitfor(ctxt: ref Context, pids: list of int): string
 		(who, line, s) := parsewaitstatus(ctxt, string buf[0:n]);
 		if (s != nil) {
 			if (len s >= 5 && s[0:5] == "fail:")
-				s = s[5:];
+				s = failurestatus(s);
 			else
 				diagnostic(ctxt, line);
 		}
@@ -1911,7 +1921,7 @@ builtin_run(ctxt: ref Context, args: list of ref Listnode, nil: int): string
 	} exception e {
 	"fail:*" =>
 		ctxt.pop();
-		return e[5:];
+		return failurestatus(e);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/appl/cmd/sh/sh.y b/appl/cmd/sh/sh.y
index 44984a1b..f6b27c22 100644
--- a/appl/cmd/sh/sh.y
+++ b/appl/cmd/sh/sh.y
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ system(drawctxt: ref Draw->Context, cmd: string): string
 		return Context.new(drawctxt).run(ref Listnode(n, nil) :: nil, 0);
 	} exception e {
 	"fail:*" =>
-		return e[5:];
+		return failurestatus(e);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@ run(drawctxt: ref Draw->Context, argv: list of string): string
 		return Context.new(drawctxt).run(stringlist2list(argv), 0);
 	} exception e {
 	"fail:*" =>
-		return e[5:];
+		return failurestatus(e);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -362,7 +362,7 @@ runfile(ctxt: ref Context, fd: ref Sys->FD, path: string, args: list of ref List
 						laststatus = walk(ctxt, n, 0);
 					} exception e2 {
 					"fail:*" =>
-						laststatus = e2[5:];
+						laststatus = failurestatus(e2);
 					}
 				} else
 					laststatus = walk(ctxt, n, 0);
@@ -884,7 +884,7 @@ runexternal(ctxt: ref Context, args: list of ref Listnode, last: int): string
 				EPIPE =>
 					return EPIPE;
 				"fail:*" =>
-					return e[5:];
+					return failurestatus(e);
 				}
 			}
 			extstart := chan of int;
@@ -911,6 +911,16 @@ runexternal(ctxt: ref Context, args: list of ref Listnode, last: int): string
 	return err;
 }
 
+failurestatus(e: string): string
+{
+	s := e[5:];
+	while(s != nil && (s[0] == ' ' || s[0] == '\t'))
+		s = s[1:];
+	if(s != nil)
+		return s;
+	return "failed";
+}
+
 runhashpling(ctxt: ref Context, fd: ref Sys->FD,
 		path: string, argv: list of ref Listnode, last: int): string
 {
@@ -1119,7 +1129,7 @@ waitfor(ctxt: ref Context, pids: list of int): string
 		(who, line, s) := parsewaitstatus(ctxt, string buf[0:n]);
 		if (s != nil) {
 			if (len s >= 5 && s[0:5] == "fail:")
-				s = s[5:];
+				s = failurestatus(s);
 			else
 				diagnostic(ctxt, line);
 		}
@@ -2049,7 +2059,7 @@ builtin_run(ctxt: ref Context, args: list of ref Listnode, nil: int): string
 	} exception e {
 	"fail:*" =>
 		ctxt.pop();
-		return e[5:];
+		return failurestatus(e);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/dis/man2html.dis b/dis/man2html.dis
index ce64b9ea..ca1ed59a 100644
--- a/dis/man2html.dis
+++ b/dis/man2html.dis
diff --git a/dis/sh.dis b/dis/sh.dis
index 4594e096..687c1ca2 100644
--- a/dis/sh.dis
+++ b/dis/sh.dis
diff --git a/dis/sh/sh.dis b/dis/sh/sh.dis
index 4594e096..687c1ca2 100644
--- a/dis/sh/sh.dis
+++ b/dis/sh/sh.dis
diff --git a/include/version.h b/include/version.h
index c4756491..3d88292a 100644
--- a/include/version.h
+++ b/include/version.h
@@ -1 +1 @@
-#define VERSION	"Fourth Edition (20081019)"
+#define VERSION	"Fourth Edition (20081022)"
diff --git a/man/2/sys-0intro b/man/2/sys-0intro
index ba17c3ea..a9d912e9 100644
--- a/man/2/sys-0intro
+++ b/man/2/sys-0intro
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ see
 .IR namespace (4).
 .PP
 The operating system kernel records the file name used to access each open file or directory.
-If the file is opened by a local name (one that does not begin
+If the file is opened by a relative path name (one that does not begin
 .B /
 or
 .BR # ),
@@ -100,8 +100,8 @@ Similar lexical adjustments are made for path names containing
 .B ..
 (dot-dot).
 By this process, the system maintains a record of the route by which each file was accessed.
-Although there is a possibility for error\(emthe name is not maintained after the file is opened,
-so removals and renamings can confound it\(emthis simple method usually
+Although there is a possibility for error—the name is not maintained after the file is opened,
+so removals and renamings can confound it—this simple method usually
 permits the system to return, via
 .IR sys-fd2path (2)
 and related calls such as those of
@@ -113,6 +113,18 @@ or the
 .B ns
 file of
 .IR prog (3).
+.PP
+Inferno gives special meaning in path names only to `/' and an initial `#',
+but individual file servers might impose further restrictions or conventions of their own.
+For instance, the set of characters allowed in names by
+.IR fs (3)
+ultimately depends on the host operating system;
+and
+.IR dial (2)
+and
+.IR cs (8)
+amongst others use `!' as a delimiter in network names,
+preventing their use in the names of network devices.
 .SS "File I/O"
 Files are opened for input or output
 by
@@ -133,7 +145,7 @@ and
 .IR sys-read (2)).
 When the last reference to an
 .B FD
-disappears, the file descriptor is released\(emclosed, in Unix parlance.
+disappears, the file descriptor is released—closed, in Unix parlance.
 The
 .B FD
 contains an integer file descriptor, similar to those in Unix, but the
@@ -297,7 +309,7 @@ and
 A comparison of process and file identities take place when a process
 attempts to open or create a file.
 .PP
-When a pathname crosses from one server to another the process identities are
+When a path name crosses from one server to another the process identities are
 mapped by each server receiving a file request.
 .PP
 The