Re: [Bug-tar] tar auto detect compression

[gene heskett]

On Sunday, January 15, 2012 11:14:38 AM Joerg Schilling did opine:

> Mark Krenz <address@hidden> wrote:
> > On Sat, Jan 14, 2012 at 09:35:29AM GMT, Sergey Poznyakoff 
address@hidden said the following:
> > > No, and there are no plans of doing so either. Tar is fully
> > > documented in texinfo format. The manual is included in the
> > > distribution. Apart from that, it is available online in various
> > > formats at
> > > http://www.gnu.org/software/tar/manual. Given all that, I see no
> > > reason in any additional man pages.
> > > 
> >   You make it sound like man pages are going away.
> 
> This is a false claim from Richard Stallman.....
> 
> The POSIX standard defines man pages and for this reason, man pages have
> the first priority for documentation. Whether or not there is
> additional documentation is another (less important) aspect.
> 
> And BTW: the fact that the man system offers a better user interface
> seems to be the reason why people are requesting man pages.
> 
A point VERY carefully ignored by the GNU people.  And one that damages the 
users belief that open source is better than closed source the instant they 
try to figure how to run that info thing and its broken user interface.  
Thank $DEITY we have a man page for info or we would never be able to 
figure out how to get the info we want out of info.

> Wouldn't it be apropriate after more than 20 years, that the attempt to
> introduce a different documentation system by GNU failed and to switch
> to the standard?
> 
> Jِrg

I am not always on your side Mr. Schilling, but in this instance I find 
myself in rather violent agreement.  Scary, isn't it...

What would be even more 'useful' would be the addition of one letter, a 
'p', to the front of the word 'info' used universally in most man pages to 
promote the info format.  Change it to pinfo, and put info into the old 
software rest home & let it expire of natural causes.

Yes, I know, I'm swearing in the GNU church, but from a users standpoint, 
that IS how it is.

Cheers, Gene
-- 
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