diff --git a/doc/latex/ftp.tex b/doc/latex/ftp.tex
index ed7e23c..ee7ab19 100644
--- a/doc/latex/ftp.tex
+++ b/doc/latex/ftp.tex
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ a look there, yet.}
 
 \subsubsection*{Entry points }
 
-\defun{ftp-connect} {host \ovar{logfile}} {connection}
+\defun{ftp-connect} {host [logfile]} {connection}
 \begin{desc}
   Open a command connection with the remote machine \semvar{host}.
   Optionally start logging the conversation with the server to
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ a look there, yet.}
   \ex{og-rxw})!
 \end{desc}
 
-\defun{ftp-login} {connection \ovar{login \ovar{passwd}}} {status}
+\defun{ftp-login} {connection [login] [passwd]} {status}
 \begin{desc}
   Log in to the remote host. If a \semvar{login} and \semvar{password}
   are not provided, they are first searched for in the user's
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ a look there, yet.}
   information, but other servers (VMS, \ldots) use their own format.
 \end{desc}
 
-\defun{ftp-get} {connection remote-file \ovar{local-file}} {status $|$ string}
+\defun{ftp-get} {connection remote-file [local-file]} {status $|$ string}
 \begin{desc}
   Download \semvar{remote-file} from the FTP server. If
   \semvar{local-file} is a string, save the data to
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ a look there, yet.}
   \sharpf{} return the data as a string.
 \end{desc}
 
-\defun{ftp-put} {connection local-file \ovar{remote-file}} {status}
+\defun{ftp-put} {connection local-file [remote-file]} {status}
 \begin{desc}
   Upload \semvar{local-file} to the FTP server. If
   \semvar{remote-file} is specified, then save the data to
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ a look there, yet.}
   `/'), or relative to the current directory.
 \end{desc}
 
-\defun{ftp-append}{connection local-file \ovar{remote-file}}{status}
+\defun{ftp-append}{connection local-file [remote-file]}{status}
 \begin{desc}
   Does the same as \ex{ftp-get}, but appends the data to the remote
   file, if it exists.
@@ -276,6 +276,6 @@ Items of the following list are necessary in order to use this module:
 
 %%% Local Variables: 
 %%% mode: latex
-%%% TeX-master: man.tex
+%%% TeX-master: "man"
 %%% End: 
 
diff --git a/doc/latex/ftpd.tex b/doc/latex/ftpd.tex
index d19b082..7692cd6 100644
--- a/doc/latex/ftpd.tex
+++ b/doc/latex/ftpd.tex
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 
 \section{Entry points}
 
-\defun  {ftpd} {anonymous-home \ovar{port \ovar{logfile \ovar{dns-lookup?}}}} {\noreturn}
+\defun  {ftpd} {options} {\noreturn}
 \begin{defundescx}{ftp-inetd} {anonymous-home} {\noreturn} 
   \ex{ftpd} starts the server, using \semvar{anonymous-home} as the
   root directory of the server. Usage of relative paths is not
@@ -199,5 +199,5 @@ non-anonymous logins) \\
 
 %%% Local Variables: 
 %%% mode: latex
-%%% TeX-master: man.tex
+%%% TeX-master: "man"
 %%% End: 
diff --git a/doc/latex/netrc.tex b/doc/latex/netrc.tex
index 7b4cec0..7bf0f1d 100644
--- a/doc/latex/netrc.tex
+++ b/doc/latex/netrc.tex
@@ -60,8 +60,7 @@ a default login / password if the machine is unknown.
   \ex{user@\ob{}hostname}.
 \end{defundesc}
 
-\defun{netrc:parse} {\ovar{filename \ovar{fallback-password
-      \ovar{fallback-login}}}} {netrc-record}
+\defun{netrc:parse} {[filename] [fallback-password] [fallback-login]} {netrc-record}
 \begin{defundescx}{netrc:try-parse} {filename fallback-password
     fallback-login} {netrc-record}
         
@@ -94,12 +93,9 @@ a default login / password if the machine is unknown.
   have to do it on your own.
 \end{defundescx}
 
-\defun{netrc:lookup}{netrc-record machine \ovar{default?}} {string
-  string string}
-\defunx{netrc:lookup-password}{netrc-record machine
-  \ovar{default?}}{string}
-\defunx{netrc:lookup-login}{netrc-record machine
-  \ovar{default?}}{string}
+\defun{netrc:lookup}{netrc-record machine [default?]} {string string string}
+\defunx{netrc:lookup-password}{netrc-record machine [default?]}{string}
+\defunx{netrc:lookup-login}{netrc-record machine [default?]}{string}
 \begin{desc}
   Return the login, password and / or account information for
   \semvar{machine} specified by \semvar{netrc-record}, respectively.
diff --git a/doc/latex/pop3.tex b/doc/latex/pop3.tex
index 0892b36..199f119 100644
--- a/doc/latex/pop3.tex
+++ b/doc/latex/pop3.tex
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ messages.
 
 \section{Entry points}
 
-\begin{defundesc}{pop3-connect}{\ovar{host \ovar{logfile}}}{connection}
+\begin{defundesc}{pop3-connect}{[host] [logfile]}{connection}
   Connect to the maildrop server named \semvar{host}. Optionally log
   the conversation with the server to \semvar{logfile}, which will be
   appended to if it exists, and created otherwise. The environment
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ messages.
 In the further descriptions of the procedures, \semvar{connection}
 always refers to the result of \ex{pop3-\ob{}connect}.
 
-\begin{defundesc}{pop3-login} {connection \ovar{login \ovar{password}}}{status}
+\begin{defundesc}{pop3-login} {connection [login] [password]}{status}
   Log in to the mailhost. If a \semvar{login} and \semvar{password}
   are not provided, they are first searched for in the user's ~/.netrc
   file. USER/PASS authentication will be tried first, and if
diff --git a/doc/latex/smtp.tex b/doc/latex/smtp.tex
index ce6e7d8..0246352 100644
--- a/doc/latex/smtp.tex
+++ b/doc/latex/smtp.tex
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ A list of the official protocol return codes can be seen in table
 
 \section{Procedures}
 
-\begin{defundesc}{sendmail}{to-list body \ovar{host}}{code text-list}
+\begin{defundesc}{sendmail}{to-list body [host]}{code text-list}
   Mail message \semvar{body} to recipients in list \semvar{to-list}.
   Message handed off to server running on \semvar{host}; default is
   the local host.  Returns two values: \semvar{code} and
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ A list of the official protocol return codes can be seen in table
 
 \defun{expn}{name host}{code text}
 \defunx{vrfy}{name host}{code text}
-\defunx{mail-help}{host \ovar{details}}{code text-list}
+\defunx{mail-help}{host [details]}{code text-list}
 \begin{desc}
   These three are simple queries of the server as stated in the
   RFC~821: \ex{expn} asks the server to confirm that the argument
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ A list of the official protocol return codes can be seen in table
  if so, you'll have to roll your own.
 \end{desc}
 
-\defun{smtp/open}{host \ovar{maybe-port}}{socket}
+\defun{smtp/open}{host [port]}{socket}
 \defunx{smtp/helo}{local-host-name}{code text-list}
 \defunx{smtp/mail}{sender-address}{code text-list}
 \defunx{smtp/rcpt}{destination-address}{code text-list}
@@ -371,8 +371,7 @@ conn. establ. & &
 \end{table}
 
 
-
 %%% Local Variables: 
 %%% mode: latex
-%%% TeX-master: t
+%%% TeX-master: "man"
 %%% End: 
diff --git a/doc/latex/uri.tex b/doc/latex/uri.tex
index bd8cf4f..7f36847 100644
--- a/doc/latex/uri.tex
+++ b/doc/latex/uri.tex
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 \section{Overview}
 A URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) is of following syntax:
 \begin{inset}
-\ovar{scheme\/} : \semvar{path} \ovar{{\normalfont?\/} search} \ovar{{\normalfont\#} fragmentid}
+[scheme] : \semvar{path} [{\normalfont?\/} search] [{\normalfont\#} fragmentid]
 \end{inset}
 Parts in brackets may be ommitted. The last part is usually referred
 to as fragid in this document.
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ strings that are meant to be used in a URI.
     Olin Shivers.} by Dan Connolly of the W3C and slightly modified.
 \end{defundesc}
 
-\begin{defundesc}{unescape-uri} {string \ovar{start \ovar{end}}} {string}
+\begin{defundesc}{unescape-uri} {string [start] [end]} {string}
   Unescapes a string. This procedure should only be used \emph{after}
   the URL (!) was parsed, since unescaping may introduce characters
   that blow up the parse (that's why escape sequences are used in URIs
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ strings that are meant to be used in a URI.
   letters nor digits (such as space and control characters).
 \end{desc}
 
-\begin{defundesc}{escape-uri} {string \ovar{escaped-chars}} {string}
+\begin{defundesc}{escape-uri} {string [escaped-chars]} {string}
   Escapes characters of \semvar{string} that are given with
   \semvar{escaped\=chars}. \semvar{escaped\=chars} default to
   \ex{uri\=escaped\=chars}. Be careful with using this procedure to