Re: man pages references (Re: [PATCH] ox-ascii.el: Consistently add brackets around links)

[Ihor Radchenko]

Max Nikulin <manikulin@gmail.com> writes:

>>> Side note: it should be either just "man(1)" or "man(8)" without any URL
>>> for plain text export, but it is another story.
>> 
>> I would not say "should". May? Yes. URL also makes sense in some
>> scenarios (when the intended reader is not on Linux).
>
> URL makes sense when it is particular version or a page generated 
> without intermediate roff format, but this case it is https:, not man: 
> link. Compare (sorry, man.he.net is terribly obsolete)
> http://storaged.org/doc/udisks2-api/latest/udisks.8.html#id-1.2.4.7
> that has more links than the page generated from man page (debiman still 
> recognizes much more cross-references than emacs man buffers)
> https://manpages.debian.org/bookworm/udisks2/udisks.8.en.html#DEVICE_INFORMATION

I do not see why man.he.net is obsolete - it does not look like it is
unmaintained. That said, feel free to submit a patch with online man
pages website being customizeable.

> "man(1)" references were used in paper documents when internet was not 
> always available. In books references may be emphasized by italics or 
> fixed width font.
>
> I like formatting similar to "systemd-resolved(8) § /ETC/RESOLV.CONF"
> https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Systemd-resolved
> It makes clear that links point to man pages and precise enough since 
> specific sections are provided.

I have no objections about having this export style as a user option.
Again, patches welcome.

-- 
Ihor Radchenko // yantar92,
Org mode contributor,
Learn more about Org mode at <https://orgmode.org/>.
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