--- a/doc/interpreter/basics.texi
+++ b/doc/interpreter/basics.texi
@@ -70,9 +70,8 @@
 @cindex @code{--exec-path @var{path}}
 Specify the path to search for programs to run.  The value of @var{path}
 specified on the command line will override any value of
-@samp{OCTAVE_EXEC_PATH} found in the environment, but not any 
-@samp{EXEC_PATH = "path"} commands found in the system or user startup
-files.
+@code{OCTAVE_EXEC_PATH} found in the environment, but not any commands
+in the system or user startup files that set @code{EXEC_PATH}.
 
 @item --help
 @itemx -h
@@ -86,23 +85,24 @@
 @cindex @code{--info-file @var{filename}}
 Specify the name of the info file to use.  The value of @var{filename}
 specified on the command line will override any value of
-@samp{OCTAVE_INFO_FILE} found in the environment, but not any
-@samp{INFO_FILE = "filename"} commands found in the system or user
-startup files.
+@code{OCTAVE_INFO_FILE} found in the environment, but not any commands
+in the system or user startup files that set @samp{INFO_FILE}.
 
 @item --info-program @var{program}
 @cindex @code{--info-program @var{program}}
 Specify the name of the info program to use.  The value of @var{program}
 specified on the command line will override any value of
-@samp{OCTAVE_INFO_PROGRAM} found in the environment, but not any
-@samp{INFO_PROGRAM = "program"} commands found in the system or user
-startup files.
+@code{OCTAVE_INFO_PROGRAM} found in the environment, but not any
+commands in the system or user startup files that set
+@code{INFO_PROGRAM}.
 
 @item --interactive
 @itemx -i
 @cindex @code{--interactive}
 @cindex @code{-i}
-Force interactive behavior.
+Force interactive behavior.  This can be useful for running Octave via a
+remote shell command or inside an Emacs shell buffer.  For another way
+to run Octave within Emacs, see @ref{Emacs}.
 
 @item --no-init-file
 @cindex @code{--no-init-file}
@@ -130,9 +130,8 @@
 @cindex @code{-p @var{path}}
 Specify the path to search for function files.  The value of @var{path}
 specified on the command line will override any value of
-@samp{OCTAVE_PATH} found in the environment, but not any
-@samp{LOADPATH = "path"} commands found in the system or user startup
-files.
+@code{OCTAVE_PATH} found in the environment, but not any commands in the
+system or user startup files that set @code{LOADPATH}.
 
 @item --silent
 @itemx --quiet
@@ -140,7 +139,7 @@
 @cindex @code{--silent}
 @cindex @code{--quiet}
 @cindex @code{-q}
-Don't print message at startup.
+Don't print the usual greeting and version message at startup.
 
 @item --traditional
 @itemx --braindead
@@ -307,7 +306,20 @@
 @end deftypefn
 
 @deftypefn {Built-in Function} {} atexit (@var{fcn})
-Register function to be called when Octave exits.
+Register function to be called when Octave exits.  For example,
+
+@example
+@group
+function print_flops_at_exit ()
+  printf ("\n%s\n", system ("fortune"));
+  fflush (stdout);
+endfunction
+atexit ("print_flops_at_exit");
+@end group
+@end example
+
+@noindent
+will print a message when Octave exits.
 @end deftypefn
 
 @node Getting Help, Command Line Editing, Quitting Octave, Getting Started
@@ -336,7 +348,7 @@
 describing the @code{help} command, and @kbd{help -i help} starts the
 GNU Info browser at this node in the on-line version of the manual.
 
-Once the GNU Info browser is runnig, help for using it is available
+Once the GNU Info browser is running, help for using it is available
 using the command @kbd{C-h}.
 @end deffn
 
@@ -373,7 +385,7 @@
 Octave uses the GNU readline library to provide an extensive set of
 command-line editing and history features.  Only the most common
 features are described in this manual.  Please see The GNU Readline
-Library for more information.
+Library manual for more information.
 
 To insert printing characters (letters, digits, symbols, etc.), simply
 type the character.  Octave will insert the character at the cursor and
@@ -556,13 +568,13 @@
 @subsection Letting Readline Type For You
 @cindex command completion
 
-The following commands allow Octave to complete commands and file names
-for you.
+The following commands allow Octave to complete command and variable
+names for you.
 
 @table @kbd
 @item TAB
 Attempt to do completion on the text before the cursor.  Octave can
-complete commands and variables.
+complete the names of commands and variables.
 
 @item M-?
 List the possible completions of the text before the cursor.
@@ -658,7 +670,7 @@
 
 For example, to display the five most recent commands that you have
 typed without displaying line numbers, use the command
-@samp{history -q 5}.
+@kbd{history -q 5}.
 @end deffn
 
 @deffn {Command} edit_history options
@@ -903,8 +915,7 @@
 @cindex messages, error
 
 There are two classes of errors that Octave produces when it encounters
-input that it is unable to understand
-an action.
+input that it is unable to understand.
 
 A @dfn{parse error} occurs if Octave cannot understand something you
 have typed.  For example, if you misspell a keyword,
@@ -968,9 +979,9 @@
 
 The second and third lines in the example indicate that the error
 occurred within an assignment expression, and the last line of the error
-message indicates that the error occurred within the function @samp{f}.
-If the function @samp{f} had been called from another function, for
-example, @samp{g}, the list of errors would have ended with one more
+message indicates that the error occurred within the function @code{f}.
+If the function @code{f} had been called from another function, for
+example, @code{g}, the list of errors would have ended with one more
 line:
 
 @example