From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.2 (2018-09-13) on inbox.vuxu.org X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.0 required=5.0 tests=HEADER_FROM_DIFFERENT_DOMAINS, HTML_MESSAGE,MAILING_LIST_MULTI,RCVD_IN_DNSWL_NONE autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.2 Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (minnie.tuhs.org [45.79.103.53]) by inbox.vuxu.org (OpenSMTPD) with ESMTP id 558c3a44 for ; Fri, 16 Nov 2018 15:33:37 +0000 (UTC) Received: by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix, from userid 112) id D0F38A26EE; Sat, 17 Nov 2018 01:33:36 +1000 (AEST) Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 8B25EA26D5; Sat, 17 Nov 2018 01:33:09 +1000 (AEST) Received: by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix, from userid 112) id 9D599A26D5; Sat, 17 Nov 2018 01:33:07 +1000 (AEST) Received: from zimbra.anteil.com (zimbra.anteil.com [67.110.179.138]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 0A074A26D4 for ; Sat, 17 Nov 2018 01:33:07 +1000 (AEST) Received: from localhost (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by zimbra.anteil.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 61448100FF for ; Fri, 16 Nov 2018 10:33:06 -0500 (EST) Received: from zimbra.anteil.com ([127.0.0.1]) by localhost (zimbra.anteil.com [127.0.0.1]) (amavisd-new, port 10024) with ESMTP id fL1hijRs3Nxs for ; Fri, 16 Nov 2018 10:33:05 -0500 (EST) Received: from zimbra.anteil.com (zimbra.anteil.com [192.168.1.22]) by zimbra.anteil.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 3FF73100E8 for ; Fri, 16 Nov 2018 10:33:05 -0500 (EST) Date: Fri, 16 Nov 2018 10:33:05 -0500 (EST) From: Jim Capp To: tuhs@minnie.tuhs.org Message-ID: <17703613.640.1542382385149.JavaMail.root@zimbraanteil> In-Reply-To: <7a632484-cdc7-7c59-7077-7a2c752045da@spamtrap.tnetconsulting.net> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_Part_639_19188989.1542382385149" X-Originating-IP: [192.168.200.43] X-Mailer: Zimbra 6.0.7_GA_2476.RHEL4 (ZimbraWebClient - SAF3 (Linux)/6.0.7_GA_2473.UBUNTU8) Subject: Re: [TUHS] man-page style X-BeenThere: tuhs@minnie.tuhs.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.20 Precedence: list List-Id: The Unix Heritage Society mailing list List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Errors-To: tuhs-bounces@minnie.tuhs.org Sender: "TUHS" ------=_Part_639_19188989.1542382385149 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit It was man pages that first caught my eye, placing me on a life-long path of working with Unix and its derivatives. I was working on a project for a telephone company, converting IBM 2780 Bisync to async, and was given a manual and root access to a Xenix machine. I had cut my teeth on a Radio Shack TRS-80 and knew BASIC and Z80 machine code. The machine had BASIC, so that is where I started. I had spent an afternoon writing a hex dump program before I discovered "od". I spent the next day reading all the man pages. I was amazed with their simplicity and clarity. Having finished the man pages, I read the Unix Programmer's Manual cover to cover. I re-wrote the hex dump in C just for fun. I was sold. The remarkable simplicity of Unix, the kernel, the commands, the documentation, is a beautiful thing. And I was fortunate to have found it early in my career. It was also a time, when the manuals were concise enough to read them all in a few day's time. To put that into perspective, it took me weeks to acquire a copy of the documentation for IBM 2780 Bisync, and even then it left me with more questions. I was simply amazed to have found such an elegant system. That it came with documentation on every aspect of the system was almost to good to be true. For a young programmer starting out in the world, man pages were like gold. Jim From: "Grant Taylor via TUHS" To: tuhs@minnie.tuhs.org Sent: Friday, November 16, 2018 1:03:37 AM Subject: Re: [TUHS] man-page style On 11/15/2018 10:32 PM, Dave Horsfall wrote: > The Unix manpage format is the epitome of perfection; they tell you > everything you need to know, and in the right order. Frequently I > cannot recall a particular flag (but I know what it does), and it's > right there at the start. I think man pages make a great reference. But I don't think they are a good teaching source for someone that doesn't know the material or what the components are for. -- Grant. . . . unix || die ------=_Part_639_19188989.1542382385149 Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <= div style=3D'font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; color: #000000'= >It was man pages that first caught my eye, placing me on a life-long path = of working
with Unix and its derivatives.

I wa= s working on a project for a telephone company, converting IBM 2780 Bisync = to
async, and was given a manual= and root access to a Xenix machine.  I had cut my
teeth on a Radio Shack TRS-80 and knew BASIC= and Z80 machine code.
The machine had BASIC,= so that is where I started.  I had spent an afternoon
writing a hex dump program before I disc= overed "od".  I spent the next day reading
all the man pages.  I was amazed with their sim= plicity and clarity.

=
Having finished the man = pages, I read the Unix Programmer's Manual cover to cover.
I re-wrote the hex dump in= C just for fun.  I was sold.

The remark= able simplicity of Unix, the kernel, the commands, the documentation,
is a beautiful thing.  An= d I was fortunate to have found it early in my career.

It was also a time, when the manuals were concise enough to read = them all
in a few day's t= ime.

To put that into perspective, it to= ok me weeks to acquire a copy of the documentation
for IBM 2780 Bisync, and even then it left me with more questions.
=

I was simply amazed to have found such an elegant system.=   That it came with
= documentation on every aspect of the system was almost to good to be true.<= /span>

For a young programmer starting out in the wo= rld, man pages were like gold.

Jim


From: "Grant Taylor via TUHS" <tuhs@minnie.tu= hs.org>
To: tuhs@minnie.tuhs.org
Sent: Friday, Novem= ber 16, 2018 1:03:37 AM
Subject: Re: [TUHS] man-page style
On 11/15/2018 10:32 PM, Dave Horsfall wrote:
> The Unix manpage form= at is the epitome of perfection; they tell you
> everything you need= to know, and in the right order.  Frequently I
> cannot recall= a particular flag (but I know what it does), and it's
> right there= at the start.

I think man pages make a great reference.  But I= don't think they are a
good teaching source for someone that doesn't k= now the material or what
the components are for.



--
= Grant. . . .
unix || die

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