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Date:      Wed, 15 Feb 2012 20:53:00 -0500
From:      Glen Barber <gjb@FreeBSD.org>
To:        Eitan Adler <lists@eitanadler.com>
Cc:        freebsd-doc@FreeBSD.org
Subject:   Re: CfR: config chapter changes
Message-ID:  <20120216015300.GA1837@glenbarber.us>
In-Reply-To: <CAF6rxgkY21MMfUWRMRnvWsTGC_2QspnfWqCKrFc_QDedTQMOoQ@mail.gmail.com>
References:  <CAF6rxgnvyoibFt7ijm6GpWoeF-eAOLu3SgvhEGCBDUAV4grybw@mail.gmail.com> <alpine.GSO.1.10.1202120028440.882@multics.mit.edu> <CAF6rxgmPyVXSFRJiOZZaJQFObhCsZMHS5_5UneVrb3t=wznMhA@mail.gmail.com> <20120215040311.GB1862@glenbarber.us> <20120215213448.GA29817@hemlock.hydra> <20120215221813.GB5203@glenbarber.us> <CAF6rxgkY21MMfUWRMRnvWsTGC_2QspnfWqCKrFc_QDedTQMOoQ@mail.gmail.com>

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On Wed, Feb 15, 2012 at 08:31:33PM -0500, Eitan Adler wrote:
> Everyone,
> 
> Thanks for the input.
> 
> Here is the current version.
> 
> Index: chapter.sgml
> ===================================================================
> RCS file: /home/dcvs/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/config/chapter.sgml,v
> retrieving revision 1.251
> diff -u -r1.251 chapter.sgml
> --- chapter.sgml	13 Feb 2012 04:28:35 -0000	1.251
> +++ chapter.sgml	16 Feb 2012 01:29:21 -0000
> @@ -473,13 +473,13 @@
>        certain times.</para>
> 
>      <para>The <command>cron</command> utility uses two different
> -      types of configuration files, the system crontab and user crontabs. The
> -      only difference between these two formats is the sixth field.  In the
> -      system crontab, the sixth field is the name of a user for the command
> -      to run as. This gives the system crontab the ability to run commands
> -      as any user. In a user crontab, the sixth field is the command to run,
> -      and all commands run as the user who created the crontab; this is an
> -      important security feature.</para>
> +      types of configuration files, the system crontab and user crontabs.
> +      These formats only differ in the sixth field and later.  In the
> +      system crontab, <command>cron</command> will run the command as the user
> +      specified in the sixth field.  In a user crontab, all commands run as
> +      the user who created the crontab, so the sixth field is the last field;
> +      this is an important security feature.  The final field is always
> +      the command to run.</para>
> 
>      <note>
>        <para>User crontabs allow individual users to schedule tasks without the
> @@ -487,10 +487,11 @@
>          permissions of the user who owns the crontab.</para>
> 
>        <para>The <username>root</username> user can have a user
> crontab just like
> -        any other user. This one is different from
> -        <filename>/etc/crontab</filename> (the system crontab). Because of the
> -        system crontab, there is usually no need to create a user crontab
> -        for <username>root</username>.</para>
> +	any other user.  The <username>root</username> user crontab is
> +	distinct from <filename>/etc/crontab</filename> (the system crontab).

I don't understand this sentence.  "Distinct" why/how?  Maybe it would
be better to just say "separate" here.

> +	Because the system system crontab effectively invokes the
> +	specified commands as root there is usually no need to
> +	create a user crontab for <username>root</username>.</para>
>      </note>
> 
>      <para>Let us take a look at the <filename>/etc/crontab</filename> file
> @@ -547,11 +548,8 @@
>  	  day of the week.  All these fields must be numeric values, and follow
>  	  the twenty-four hour clock.  The <literal>who</literal> field is special,
>  	  and only exists in the <filename>/etc/crontab</filename> file.
> -	  This field specifies which user the command should be run as.
> -	  When a user installs his or her <filename>crontab</filename> file, they
> -	  will not have this option. Finally, the <literal>command</literal>
> option is listed.
> -	  This is the last field, so naturally it should designate the command
> -	  to be executed.</para>
> +	  This field specifies which user the command should be run
> +	  as.  The last field is the command to be executed.</para>
>        </callout>
> 
>        <callout arearefs="co-main">
> @@ -584,8 +582,9 @@
>        <title>Installing a Crontab</title>
> 
>        <important>
> -      <para>You must not use the procedure described here to
> -        edit/install the system crontab. Simply use your favorite
> +      <para>Do not use the procedure described here to
> +	edit and install the system crontab,
> +	<filename>/etc/crontab</filename>.  Simply use your favorite
>          editor: the <command>cron</command> utility will notice that the file
>          has changed and immediately begin using the updated version.

I would vote to reword this sentence.  It's not part of the original
reasons for the changes to this file, I agree, but "simply" is
subjective.  If it's so simple, why document it?  Or, if it's so simple,
why did I need to read about it in the handbook?

>          See
> @@ -596,7 +595,7 @@
>        <para>To install a freshly written user
>  	<filename>crontab</filename>, first use your favorite editor to create
>  	a file in the proper format, and then use the
> -	<command>crontab</command> utility.  The most common usage
> +	<command>crontab</command>man.crontab.8; utility.  The most common usage

What I meant here is replacing the '<command>' tags entirely with
&man.crontab.8;.  However, it looks like I fat-fingered the mdoc entity
reference; the crontab manual is in section 1, not section 8.

>  	is:</para>
> 
>        <screen>&prompt.user; <userinput>crontab
> crontab-file</userinput></screen>
> @@ -606,18 +605,17 @@
> 
>        <para>There is also an option to list installed
>  	<filename>crontab</filename> files: just pass the
> -	<option>-l</option> option to <command>crontab</command> and look
> +	<option>-l</option> option to
> <command>crontab</command>man.crontab.8; and look

I don't understand why this change was made.  I think you replaced more
references to crontab than I pointed to.

>  	over the output.</para>
> 
>        <para>For users who wish to begin their own crontab file from scratch,
>  	without the use of a template, the <command>crontab -e</command>
>  	option is available.  This will invoke the selected editor
>  	with an empty file.  When the file is saved, it will be
> -	automatically installed by the <command>crontab</command> command.
> -      </para>
> +	automatically installed by the
> <command>crontab</command>man.crontab.8; command.</para>

I don't understand why this change was made.  I think you replaced more
references to crontab than I pointed to.

> 
>        <para>If you later want to remove your user <filename>crontab</filename>
> -	completely, use <command>crontab</command> with the <option>-r</option>
> +	completely, use <command>crontab</command>man.crontab.8; with the

I don't understand why this change was made.  I think you replaced more
references to crontab than I pointed to.

> <option>-r</option>
>  	option.
>        </para>
> 
> @@ -636,7 +634,7 @@
>        </authorgroup>
>      </sect1info>
> 
> -    <title>Using rc under &os;</title>
> +    <title>Using <literal>rc</literal> Under &os;</title>
> 

I'd replace "<literal>rc</literal>" with "&man.rc.8;" here.

>      <para>In 2002 &os; integrated the NetBSD
>        <filename>rc.d</filename> system for system initialization.
> @@ -1674,7 +1672,7 @@
>    </sect1>
> 
>    <sect1 id="configtuning-sysctl">
> -    <title>Tuning with sysctl</title>
> +    <title>Tuning with <command>sysctl</command></title>
> 

I'd replace "<command>sysctl</command>" with "&man.sysctl.8;" here.

>      <indexterm><primary>sysctl</primary></indexterm>
>      <indexterm>
> @@ -1944,7 +1942,7 @@
>  	out of space and the update to fail.</para>
> 
>        <sect3>
> -	<title>More Details about Soft Updates</title>
> +	<title>More Details About Soft Updates</title>
> 

I'm not sure this "about" should be capitalized.  I may be wrong, but I
do not believe prepositions should be capitalized in titles like this
unless they are the first word of the title.

>  	<indexterm>
>  	  <primary>Soft Updates</primary>
> @@ -2390,15 +2388,36 @@
>        <xref linkend="swap-encrypting"> of the Handbook.</para>
> 
>      <sect2 id="new-drive-swap">
> -      <title>Swap on a New Hard Drive</title>
> +      <title>Swap on a New or Existing Hard Drive</title>
> 
> -      <para>The best way to add swap, of course, is to use this as an
> -	excuse to add another hard drive.  You can always use another
> -	hard drive, after all.  If you can do this, go reread the
> -	discussion of swap space
> -	in <xref linkend="configtuning-initial">
> -	of the Handbook for some suggestions on how to best
> -	arrange your swap.</para>
> +      <para>Adding a new hard drive for swap gives better performance
> +	than adding a partition on an existing drive.  Setting up
> +	partitions and hard drives is explained in
> +	<xref linkend="disks-adding">.  <xref linkend="configtuning-initial">
> +	discusses partition layouts and swap partition size considerations.</para>
> +
> +      <para>Use &man.swapon.8; to add a swap partition to the system.
>  For example:</para>
> +
> +      <screen>&prompt.root;
> <userinput>swapon<replaceable>/dev/ada1s1p2</replaceable></userinput></screen>
> +
> +      <warning>
> +	<para>It is possible to use any partition not currently mounted, even
> +	  if it already contains data.  Using &man.swapon.8; on a partition that
> +	  contains data will overwrite and destroy that data.
> +	  Make sure that the partition to be added as swap
> +	  is really the intended partition before running
> +	  <command>swapon</command>.</para>

I'd replace the command tags with the mdoc macro for the swapon(8)
manual here.

> +      </warning>
> +
> +      <para>To automatically add this swap partition on boot,
> +	add an entry to <filename>/etc/fstab</filename> for the
> +	partition:</para>
> +
> +      <programlisting><replaceable>/dev/ada1s1p1</replaceable>	none	swap	sw	0	0</programlisting>
> +
> +      <para>&man.fstab.5; explains the meaning of the entries and
> +	their format in
> +        <filename>/etc/fstab</filename>.</para>
>      </sect2>
> 
>      <sect2 id="nfs-swap">
> @@ -2878,7 +2897,7 @@
>  	  on Linux, it is likely a &os; driver problem and narrowing down
>  	  which driver causes the problems will help us fix the problem.
>  	  Note that the <acronym>ACPI</acronym> maintainers do not
> -	  usually maintain other drivers (e.g sound,
> +	  usually maintain other drivers (e.g., sound,
>  	  <acronym>ATA</acronym>, etc.) so any work done on tracking
>  	  down a driver problem should probably eventually be posted
>  	  to the &a.current.name; list and mailed to the driver
> @@ -2898,7 +2917,7 @@
>        </sect3>
> 
>        <sect3>
> -	<title>System Hangs (temporary or permanent)</title>
> +	<title>System Hangs (Temporary or Permanent)</title>
> 
>  	<para>Most system hangs are a result of lost interrupts or an
>  	  interrupt storm.  Chipsets have a lot of problems based on how
> @@ -3058,7 +3077,7 @@
>  	how to fix them:</para>
> 
>        <sect3>
> -	<title>_OS dependencies</title>
> +	<title>_OS Dependencies</title>
> 
>  	<para>Some <acronym>AML</acronym> assumes the world consists of
>  	  various &windows; versions.  You can tell &os; to claim it is
> @@ -3070,7 +3089,7 @@
>        </sect3>
> 
>        <sect3>
> -	<title>Missing Return statements</title>
> +	<title>Missing Return Statements</title>
> 
>  	<para>Some methods do not explicitly return a value as the
>  	  standard requires.  While <acronym>ACPI-CA</acronym>
> @@ -3112,8 +3131,7 @@
>      </sect2>
> 
>      <sect2 id="ACPI-debugoutput">
> -      <title>Getting Debugging Output From
> -	<acronym>ACPI</acronym></title>
> +      <title>Getting Debugging Output from <acronym>ACPI</acronym></title>
> 
>        <indexterm>
>  	<primary>ACPI</primary>
> 
> 
> 

Glen




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