HOWTO's and other docs (was Re: [ale] simple question, impossibl

[Geoffrey Myers]

# STUFF DELETED

}The one thing I have found lacking in the howtos and other Linux (or 
}Unix in general docs) is what could go wrong.  Most of the docs say
}	1) Run blah blah blah to set this up
}	2) do this
}	3) do that
}but completely ignore the fact that blah blah blah may spit back an 
}error message - Error: Can't foo bar.    Then NOWHERE will you find 
}what that error means, causing a lot of fustration.
}
}And then even sadder is when someone posts this to a newsgroup, they 

or ale....

}get two responses:
}	1) RTFM (even though, as we've seen above, that's useless)
}	2) Look at src/blah/lib/foo.c, lines 2000-3000

Amen....

}which, if the person has trouble getting the command to run, I'm sure 
}the source code will really help them.
}(Another thing - HP's man pages have examples in them, which also would 
}help).
}
}However, it seems that Unix is destined to stay this way - the 
}experienced users feel everyone should learn it the way they did - 
}poking around in the dark, and new users will get disgusted, flamed, or 
}scared away.

Double amen....

}
}But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong.
}	-Dan

Thank you for saying that which has gone unsaid.  Flame away folks..

}
}--
}Dan Newcombe - Clayton State College - User Services - 770-961-3421 
}newcombe at aa.csc.peachnet.edu  http://www.csc.peachnet.edu/home/dan/
}-  Fearlessly the idiot faced the crowd - smiling.
}                                    Pink Floyd, Fearless

-- 
Until later:
Geoffrey Myers   geof at denali.is.net   Unix.Guru.Dude at worldnet.att.net
	http://www.ticllc.net/~geof  or http://denali.is.net/~geof

	Opinions expressed by me are mine, all mine, only mine.....