From owner-freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Wed Jul 18 10:17:35 2012 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 59CA61065670 for ; Wed, 18 Jul 2012 10:17:35 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from utisoft@gmail.com) Received: from mail-bk0-f54.google.com (mail-bk0-f54.google.com [209.85.214.54]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id D62568FC14 for ; Wed, 18 Jul 2012 10:17:34 +0000 (UTC) Received: by bkcje9 with SMTP id je9so1268291bkc.13 for ; Wed, 18 Jul 2012 03:17:33 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20120113; h=mime-version:in-reply-to:references:date:message-id:subject:from:to :cc:content-type; bh=LDbjIrdPG08V3xxsC4K5vS793RzLA8gcjP61J+NrU5k=; b=m8S3MZjiZ4yMmRWp7/6PN1sQOe4jnEEMcaMyae3JMJZ2fnykcT3OS7v3ZFdMrL345e 0MxEYCcGCyAYP3cNahc1f3tTfl3w5IVsqT0u53EtQtsaMW6sqCX8j1Dv/1FsExmo8azB ZSEgg0HraI/s+lmshqnmMEmLtP055oT7W6Z3zWVAJOz4RJHl4KAgqL/8zW5BM3cSYxB8 x2JGwSIgRs+DJodoen6uqXMGEJlqzvZDDdj7snhMIFumBdbJv4WmwAdJXvrbfXOE86zP MXtwziyc2dRhyaktEHL0dkGTLRAgjA1SlkL6TuuGG8hWiJ0ySUVgb0q/1tCCdT0Bqhi1 AMPw== MIME-Version: 1.0 Received: by 10.205.133.11 with SMTP id hw11mr1172601bkc.46.1342606653582; Wed, 18 Jul 2012 03:17:33 -0700 (PDT) Received: by 10.204.49.87 with HTTP; Wed, 18 Jul 2012 03:17:33 -0700 (PDT) Received: by 10.204.49.87 with HTTP; Wed, 18 Jul 2012 03:17:33 -0700 (PDT) In-Reply-To: References: <20120717183221.298430@gmx.com> <20120717153505.42633535@bhuda.mired.org> <5005D181.8080709@jetcafe.org> Date: Wed, 18 Jul 2012 11:17:33 +0100 Message-ID: From: Chris Rees To: Wojciech Puchar Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 X-Content-Filtered-By: Mailman/MimeDel 2.1.5 Cc: Dave Hayes , freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Resistance to documentation? (was Re: Pull in upstream before 9.1 code freeze?) X-BeenThere: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Technical Discussions relating to FreeBSD List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Wed, 18 Jul 2012 10:17:35 -0000 On 18 Jul 2012 09:39, "Wojciech Puchar" wrote: >> >> >> I think this is unintentionally specious reasoning. No offense intended. :) >> > true > > >> The program itself is fairly trivial to write. > > > i don't need such a tool, but if it would be separate tool, then it is all right if someone like to write it. This would be unix way. > > >> So it's really not possible to write the tool and associated documentation "myself". Otherwise I would. The "pointless debating" is really an attempt to get a critical mass of knowledgeable developers to agree to participate in > > > not really. the idea was to integrate it with shell and turn on it by default, prefering newbies over norml users, and making another change that would actually prevent getting knowledge to newbie. > > >> I've been using FreeBSD since the 90s. My perception (over many years of observation) is that the FreeBSD people most able to document what exists and how to use it seem to also have the greatest resistance to writing any documentation. > > > what do you mean? FreeBSD manual pages is what i consider great part. > > i mean manual pages. handbook is not always up to date but still fine for a NEW USER to learn FreeBSD. > > And that's the right way. > > "creators", "helpers" like proposed reminds me windows. A "Help" that doesn't really help learning anything. > > > There are already lots of stupid things that is ALREADY done in FreeBSD without reason. > > Few examples: > > 1) XML output from some sysctl variables. It isn't just stupid. It's sad. > 2) bsdlabel -e allows editing only when NONE of partitions are open/mounted, in spite that they are not modified. In FreeBSD 6 it allowed editing everytime and all worked. > > "Preventing people doing stupid things would prevent doing clever things". > > OK there is gpart now but still bsdlabel is far easier and useful. Bsdlabel was a monstrosity that required a calculator to hand to do anything useful. Gpart on the other hand is easily scriptable. Chris