[ale] info

[Joe Knapka]

Gary Maltzen wrote:
> 
> Under RH 6.1, invoking 'info' (or 'info whizbang') gets me...
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
> File: dir       Node: Top       This is the top of the INFO tree
> 
>   This (the Directory node) gives a menu of major topics.
>   Typing "q" exits, "?" lists all Info commands, "d" returns here,
>   "h" gives a primer for first-timers,
>   "mEmacs<Return>" visits the Emacs topic, etc.
> 
>   In Emacs, you can click mouse button 2 on a menu item or cross reference
>   to select it.
> 
> * Menu:
> ----------------------------------------------------------------

This happens for me if I invoke info on a command that is
unknown to the info system, and my INFOPATH env var is
unset. Of course, the command I want info on does not
appear in the menu of the Top node, and the search capabilities
of info don't seem to extend to other nodes (it's been
a while since I read the info-major-mode docs in emacs,
though). A huge number of commands for which the compressed
info pages exist in /usr/info result in the same behavior,
as well, which is what I find peculiar and annoying.

What is theoretically supposed to happen is
that "info whizbang" should take you directly to the
top node in the "whizbang" info tree, assuming there
is one. For example, "info gcc" will take you to the
top of the gcc tree.

Fulton Green clued me in to the "install-info" command,
which is supposed to maintain info's doc catalog so
that it actually works in a useful way. I'm about to try
it.

> 
> FWIW, invoking 'rpm -qa | grep info' yields...
> 
>     info-3.12h-2
>     procinfo-17-1
>     texinfo-3.12h-2

I have never used RPM. Is this the dependency list for info?

Thanks,

-- Joe
 
> And the (compressed) info docs are stored in /usr/info
> 
> > Just out of curiosity, is "info" properly installed on
> > -anyone's- system? Many GNU manpages contain a helpful
> > note similar to:
> >
> > "Complete documentation for whizbang is available only in
> > Texinfo format. [At this point my teeth grind.] If the
> > whizbang command and info are both installed properly, then
> > the command
> >
> > info whizbang
> >
> > will let you view the info page for whizbang."
> >
> 
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-- 
*** Joseph Knapka ***
In any formula, constants (especially those obtained from handbooks)
are to be treated as variables.
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