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easy install and man-like behavior
From: |
Stefan Monnier |
Subject: |
easy install and man-like behavior |
Date: |
Tue, 12 Dec 2000 11:39:58 -0500 |
I have no trouble installing TeXinfo documentation and really like using
it, but I still have trouble when advocating it because it's a bit more
difficult to install and use than manpages.
I think the info program should allow more man-like usage:
- `cp foo.info /usr/local/info; info foo' should work.
This means that `info foo' should find `foo' even if it's not in any
`dir' file (just like the whatis database is not needed for man to find
the manpage).
- `info libc scanf' should find the scanf entry in the index rather
than complain that there is no menu entry for `scanf' in the toplevel
of the `libc' manpage.
- A well-installed system should automatically update the dir files
from a cron job, so that `cp foo.info /usr/local/info' is *really* all it
takes to install an info document.
This can be done right now, but I think that the distribution of texinfo
should come with a sample such cron-script and should advertise it
so that it seems natural to do it for someone who never even thought
about it (as opposed to just making it possible/easy for someone who's
been waiting for it).
- along the same lines, the cron job could even build the info files
from texinfo files (like catman does for nroff->ascii), so that
`cp foo.texi /usr/local/doc' is all it takes to install a documentation
and get the info version, the dvi version, the pdf version,
the html version, ...
Stefan
- easy install and man-like behavior,
Stefan Monnier <=
Re: easy install and man-like behavior, Jorgen Schaefer, 2000/12/12