Baslinux mailing list

["Greg Mayman" <gmone AT tpg.com.au>]

On Fri, 22 Dec 2006 22:40:14 +1300, 3aoo-cvfd AT dea.spamcon.org wrote:

> Greg Mayman wrote:

>> Is it that the README file is totally inadequate for instructing
>> a new, first-time user in the things they need to know?

> Yes, the README is inadequate for instructing a new,
> first-time user.  It doesn't try to.  That's what this
> discussion group is for.

There are things that a new user _always_ needs to know. With
other software, OS's etc that I've downloaded there has always
been a decent doc file to explain a lot of these things.

With some utility software that I have gathered over the years,
the doc file was larger than the software. But admittedly that was
in extreme cases only ;-)

In a 2.9 Mb package, surely BL3 could include a something better
than that README. A 30k doc file would add only 1% to the package.

> There is note about 'man' on the BL3 splash screen.

How about an FAQ file, if not a full doc file, for example
Q: what is meant by the "loop" version?
Q: what is a "splash screen"?
and so on.

>> Naturally "man" and "info" don't exist in BL3.
> "man" does.

I can't verify this as it is BL3 is not currently installed.

But I distinctly remember getting an error message to "man bash".

>> The new user is strictly on his own.
> That's not correct.  There is plenty of help here.
> Ask questions or browse through the old discussions.

Let me qualify my statement: The new user is strictly on his own
if he isn't a subscriber to a list that he didn't know he had to
join just to find out the basics of the system.

Sheeeeesh! In no other download have I found it to be necessary
to subscribe to a list to find out basic stuff about it!

What the **** is wrong with a doc file in the download?

Meanwhile I have only a little bit of space left on the HDD of
this computer, and I don't want to commit it to a separate
partition, so I won't be progressing with BL, at least for now.

.   ,-./\
.  /     \     from Greg Mayman, in Adelaide, South Australia
.  \_,-*_/     "Queen City of The South"    34:55 S  138:36 E
.       v