lynx-dev Re: help on envars (was too long)

[Kim DeVaughn]

On Mon, Dec 07, 1998, Philip Webb (address@hidden) said:
|
| 981206 Kim DeVaughn wrote:
| >
| > As for *user* access to the suplementary docs,
| > I would be willing to bet that at installation time,
| > *most* sysadmins don't bother with installing the extra docs
| > via the install-doc step
|
| let's everyone remember that nowadays many -- if not most -- users
| compile & install their own Lynx on a PC or in a shell account;
| there is still a bias in parts of Lynx documentation
| towards its origin as software for anonymous users on a freenet.

If a person installs their own copy of lynx wherever, then access to all
the documentation is no problem.

In the above, I was mostly refering to the thousands of (potential) users
who access the web/net via an ISP, and have shell accounts.  Such folks
are unlikely to install their own copies, and rely on the ISP's sysadmins
to take care of that chore.  Many such admins are overworked, underpaid,
and don't bother to read all the "fine print" when installing a package.
(or at least they claim to be overworked and underpaid :-) ).


| > I leave decisions like whether to split-out section VII of INSTALLATION
| > into a separate file, up to those who get $paid$ to make them ... Tom?
|
| no-one has ever been paid anything for developing Lynx.

Gee, really ...?  I don't suppose that that is why I put a big smiley face
at the end of the sentence that I *really* wrote (which you decided to edit
into the above attribution).


| as for me, the obvious place for the list of envars is Users Guide,
| which is always available to all users via on-line help;
| other documents can refer to that list if necessary.

Feel free to add such a section to the User Guide then.  As for me, the
obvious place is in the man page.  Perhaps I've just been around UNIX too
long, and have become accustomed to the difference between a reference
doc (eg, a man page), and "how to use" material (eg, a user guide).

/kim