From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Thu Jan 10 22:33:30 2013 Return-Path: Delivered-To: questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.FreeBSD.org [8.8.178.115]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id D389BD7A for ; Thu, 10 Jan 2013 22:33:30 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from freebsd@edvax.de) Received: from mx01.qsc.de (mx01.qsc.de [213.148.129.14]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 9EEB7DEB for ; Thu, 10 Jan 2013 22:33:30 +0000 (UTC) Received: from r56.edvax.de (port-92-195-31-80.dynamic.qsc.de [92.195.31.80]) by mx01.qsc.de (Postfix) with ESMTP id 672743CF53; Thu, 10 Jan 2013 23:33:23 +0100 (CET) Received: from r56.edvax.de (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by r56.edvax.de (8.14.5/8.14.5) with SMTP id r0AMXPB2002010; Thu, 10 Jan 2013 23:33:25 +0100 (CET) (envelope-from freebsd@edvax.de) Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2013 23:33:25 +0100 From: Polytropon To: Fbsd8 Subject: Re: Reading the handbook from console Message-Id: <20130110233325.783e1d42.freebsd@edvax.de> In-Reply-To: <50EF0F2B.1030801@a1poweruser.com> References: <50EF0F2B.1030801@a1poweruser.com> Organization: EDVAX X-Mailer: Sylpheed 3.1.1 (GTK+ 2.24.5; i386-portbld-freebsd8.2) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Cc: scotteberl@gmail.com, questions@freebsd.org X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.14 Precedence: list Reply-To: Polytropon List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2013 22:33:30 -0000 On Thu, 10 Jan 2013 13:57:47 -0500, Fbsd8 wrote: > Scott Eberl wrote: > > I went ahead and installed the FreeBSD handbook onto my system and I was > > able to find it on disk per the motd notes but I'm wondering if there is a > > preferred method for reading these since they are in html format. I tried > > w3m and lynx and it looks like they are both not installed. Is there > > something i'm missing for reading these or do I just need to install a cli > > browser? > > > > > Viewing html takes some form of browser. There is no text mode web browser in the base system. Installing one is easy: As the HTML files generated for the Handbook are good quality, they display nicely in lynx, links, and w3m (probably the most prominent three text mode web browsers). > All most all browsers need a desktop to function. Definitely NO. Do not confuse X with a window manager or a full desktop environment. Famous browsers like Firefox, Chrome and Opera _of course_ run only within X (even if there is no window manager or desktop environment installed). But that concept is totally against the goal to read the Handbook in text mode. In some worst-case scenario where no X is available, or on a server that has very tight security restrictions (for the server and for the environment you work in), having access to the Handbook and the FAQ in local text mode can be a real benefit (just as manpages). > I install the links port and select the vga option > before doing make install on it. The links browser can also work in normal text mode. > You can launch it from the command line and once started > point it to the HD path where the handbook html is and wala. Or you could call it directly with the Handbook entry or section TOC you want to access, on the command line, maybe using the shell's autocomplete capability. This might make navigation a bit easier in case you know what you're searching for. -- Polytropon Magdeburg, Germany Happy FreeBSD user since 4.0 Andra moi ennepe, Mousa, ...