Editing 1343: Manuals
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
+ | {{incomplete|The explanation regarding the title text is not easy to read for someone who do not use these "man tools".}} | ||
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The chart shows the quality of tools regarding their manual: | The chart shows the quality of tools regarding their manual: | ||
− | *If you don't even need a manual to use | + | *If you don't even need a manual to use some tool, that tool tends to help solve problems effectively. |
− | *If you do need a manual | + | *If you do need a manual the tool will probably not solve the problems quite as easily. |
− | *Much less helpful are | + | *Much less helpful are tools where you need a manual but do not have the manual - these tools tends to create more problems than they solve. |
− | * | + | *Even worse are tools where the manuals start with a description of the manual itself (which implies that the manual is very hard to read). |
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− | The sudoers file | + | The title text refers to ''sudoers'', a config file for the unix command ''sudo''. ''sudo'' allows users to run a program with elevated permissions, as referenced in [[149|this famous comic]]. Man pages are collections of manuals for different tools, commands, files, and functions on Unix-like systems which can be viewed with the tool ''man''. You only need to type <code>man ''term-to-look-up''</code> in a terminal. There is even a manpage for ''man''. See for instance also the comic [[912: Manual Override]] |
− | The | + | The sudoers file specifies which users have sudo access, and which commands they are allowed to run as root. The syntax of the file is very complex, and the manpage uses the {{w|Extended Backus–Naur Form}} (or EBNF) to describe the syntax. The sudoers man page starts off with an explanation of EBNF's grammar, which they reference throughout the rest of the man page in describing the syntax of the sudoers file. This would be a very good example of a manual that starts with a section on "How to Read This Manual". Also, the [http://linux.die.net/man/5/sudoers sudoers man page] is very long, clocking in at 1504 lines. In contrast, the [http://linux.die.net/man/1/man manpages man page] only has 566 lines (Lines may vary depending on system, these were determined on openSUSE 12.3). |
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
− | + | [A line graph evidently relating tools, their documentation, and their ability to solve problems. There are four points on the line, one to the left and two to the right of a midpoint.] | |
− | :[ | + | : [label to left of midpoint] Solve problems |
− | + | : [point to left of midpoint] Tools that don't need a manual | |
− | :[ | + | : [midpoint] Tools that need a manual |
+ | : [label to right of midpoint] Create problems | ||
+ | : [point to right of midpoint] Tools that need a manual but don't have one | ||
+ | : [point farther to right of midpoint] Tools whose manual starts with "How to read this manual" | ||
{{comic discussion}} | {{comic discussion}} | ||
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