• attempt to read Count bytes from FileDesc into Buffer
• if "successful", return number of bytes actually read (NRead)
• if currently positioned at end of file, return 0
• if unsuccessful, return -1 and set errno
• does not check whether Buffer contains enough space
• advances the file offset by NRead
• does not treat '\n' as special, nor is there EOF

Once a file is open()'d ...

• the "current position" in the file is maintained as part of the fd entry
• the "current position" is modified by read(), write() and lseek()