Re: Compressed info files

[Gavin Smith]

On 5 March 2015 at 09:44, Akim Demaille <address@hidden> wrote:
> You are right.  Bummer, the documentation of the info reader
> is not the one one gets with "info info"!  While I understand
> why it is done this way, I still do think this is a significant
> problem...

One idea is to slim down the intro in info.info:

Info: An Introduction
*********************

The GNU Project distributes most of its manuals in the "Info format",
which you read using an "Info reader".  You are probably using an Info
reader to read this now.

   There are two primary Info readers: 'info', a stand-alone program
designed just to read Info files (*note What is Info?: (info-stnd)Top.),
and the 'info' package in GNU Emacs, a general-purpose editor.  At
present, only the Emacs reader supports using a mouse.

   If you are new to the Info reader and want to learn how to use it,
type the command 'h' now.  It brings you to a programmed instruction
sequence.

   To read about advanced Info commands, type 'n' twice.  This brings
you to 'Advanced Info Commands', skipping over the 'Getting Started'
chapter.

   Type 'H' to see a summary of all available commands.

   This file describes how to use Info, the menu-driven GNU
documentation system.

   Copyright © 1989, 1992, 1996-2014 Free Software Foundation, Inc.

     Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this
     document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License,
     Version 1.3 or any later version published by the Free Software
     Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover Texts
     being "A GNU Manual," and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a)
     below.  A copy of the license is included in the section entitled
     "GNU Free Documentation License".

     (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: "You have the freedom to copy and
     modify this GNU manual."

I expect the cross-reference to info-stnd.info is easily missed. Some
of this could be slimmed down, for example, there are two "summary
paragraphs" (beginning "The GNU Project distributes..." and "This file
describes..."). Saying which readers support a mouse doesn't belong
here. The paragraph saying how to get to the tutorial ("type 'h'")
should be enough; once somebody has done that they shouldn't need to
be told how to press "n" twice to get to a certain node.