`What commands can I type into my PuTTY session' is probably the

single most frequently asked thing which isn't in the FAQ (it's in
feedback.but instead), so let's add it. I'm uncertain that the
people who mail us asking things like `how do I read my email' and
`how do I access $database' will successfully recognise this more
general question as one which includes their specific one, but it's
worth a try.

[originally from svn r5451]

doc/faq.but

@@ -393,6 +393,38 @@ On Unix, PuTTY stores all of this data in a directory \cw{~/.putty}.
 
 \H{faq-howto} HOWTO questions
 
+\S{faq-commands}{Question} What commands can I type into my PuTTY
+terminal window?
+
+This is not a question you should be asking \e{us}. You need to read
+the manuals, or ask the administrator, of \e{the computer you have
+connected to}.
+
+PuTTY does not process the commands you type into it. It's only a
+communications tool. It makes a connection to another computer; it
+passes the commands you type to that other computer; and it passes
+the other computer's responses back to you. Therefore, the precise
+range of commands you can use will not depend on PuTTY, but on what
+kind of computer you have connected to and what software is running
+on it. The PuTTY team cannot help you with that.
+
+(Think of PuTTY as being a bit like a telephone. If you phone
+somebody up and you don't know what language to speak to make them
+understand you, it isn't \e{the telephone company}'s job to find
+that out for you. We just provide the means for you to get in touch;
+making yourself understood is somebody else's problem.)
+
+If you are unsure of where to start looking for the administrator of
+your server, a good place to start might be to remember how you
+found out the host name in the PuTTY configuration. If you were
+given that host name by e-mail, for example, you could try asking
+the person who sent you that e-mail. If your company's IT department
+provided you with ready-made PuTTY saved sessions, then that IT
+department can probably also tell you something about what commands
+you can type during those sessions. But the PuTTY maintainer team
+does not administer any server you are likely to be connecting to,
+and cannot help you with questions of this type.
+
 \S{faq-startmax}{Question} How can I make PuTTY start up maximised?
 
 Create a Windows shortcut to start PuTTY from, and set it as \q{Run