Subject: Linux-Activists - DOC Channel digest. 93-7-27-18:57
From: "Linux Activists" <[email-masked]>
To: "Linux-Activists" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 28 Aug 1993 00:09:05 +0300

Topics:
	 Re: Adam(1) - The perfect man(1) - v1.0.2b - part0/1

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From: Rick Miller <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Adam(1) - The perfect man(1) - v1.0.2b - part0/1
Date: Fri, 27 Aug 1993 18:32:00 +0300

Here's an update on "Adam" from ALT.SOURCES (by [email-masked])...

In alt.sources [email-masked] wrote:
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In the last two releases, I assumed Anita was a he, I was wrong. Somebody
hinted it, but I didn't catch the hint, sorry. Again many thanks to Anita.

GREAT NEWS! YOU CAN NOW SEND ME MAIL, AND I'LL REPLY!
Send to [email-masked]

All known problems are fixed in this release.

NEWS! NEWS! NEWS! Change your adamrc files. Many things have changed, including
how the pager is run! Check the manpage & new adamrc for details.

After you guys can't find anymore bugs, portability problems, etc. I will
release v1.0, until then, it will go 1.0.Nb, with N being the patch-level. If
anybody can tell me how to make a patch file, i'd appreciate it, because I
wouldn't have to post the whole thing again.

The options -ps, and -X have dissapeared, and -Tps, -TX, and -T.. have been
added, you may define your own pipeline types!

The -TX option in theory works, but I'm not sure about the pipe-line to use
to implement it, and my father's on vacation now, so I can't test it on
windows. If any of you hacks out there can figure it out, it would help me
some.

---------- README file for adam(1) --------------------------------------------
Adam    - The perfect man(1).

You all know the facts, animals, fish, plants, etc. were created first, but
none satisfied God, he made Adam. The only difference is that I'm not God,
just someone who wants a better tool.

Please read this entire file, and the manpage before using it.

This is a replacement for Un*x man(1), apropos(1), and makewhatis(1).
It has all kinds of neat features that other versions of man don't,
including support for multiple man page directory trees, preformatted
man pages, PostScript, AND, the biggie, it will use the _NEWEST_ version
of a manpage, if man1/ls.1 is newer than cat1/ls.1, it will use it, and
vice versa.  It is provided without any warranty whatever.
I hope you find it useful.

If you define PSFormat-pipeline in your adamrc file, you can say things like
`adam -ps foo | lp[r]' and have fabulous printed documentation as well.

I have made adam handle all the bizarre ways various vendors have of
organizing man pages.  This version of adam will allow directory trees
of the following structures.

   All_dirs_in_MANPATH/
        (man|cat){SECTION}[.SUFFIX]/
             foo[.SECTION][.SUFFIX]
             ...

where SECTION is some number or string and should be listed in the set of
sections to be searched.  It is not necessary to have both the cat*
and man* subdirectories, but you must have at least one. :-)

SUFFIX is any suffix that has some de-compressor attached to it. Unlike
other manual-readers, SUFFIX may be defined dynamically in your system
adamrc, and $HOME/.adamrc. See the manpage for adam for details.

INSTALLATION

1. Edit the make file to your liking, especially -DUSE_GETCWD. Define
   this if your system uses getcwd() instead of getwd().

2. Edit adamrc. It contains system dependant initialization. This is so
   users don't have to know all the secret places manpages are kept, but
   can define their own in $HOME/.adamrc.

3. Do a `make all', try it out, and then if you're happy with that, do
   a `make install'.  You don't need to be root to use this set of
   programs.

4. Install the whatis database(s) by running makewhatis.  If you want
   to keep things absolutely current, you'll need to run this whenever
   you add new man pages.  You might want to add an entry in your
   crontab.

PORTABILITY

This is known to work on at least:

	CPU           Running
	------------- -------------
	HP300/400     HPUX 8.0
	HP700/800     HPUX 9.01
	SUN3          SunOS 4.1.1
	SUN4          SunOS 4.1.3
	DECstation    Ultrix
	NeXT          NeXTSTEP (?)  Not sure what a NeXT is!

If you get it to work on anything else, please tell me. If you had to make
changes to my code before it would work, also tell me, so I might put them
in myself. (And you won't have to again next release! :-) )

BUGS

If you find one of these, please tell me about it.  If you have a fix,
that's even better.  If not, I can't guarantee that I'll fix it, but I
would like to know about them.

Mark Mielke

[email-masked]    - On the INTERNET
markem@bcarh10d - Within BNR

CHANGES

1.0b - 1.0.1b
  - Andreas Zins <[email-masked]> contributed a patch making
    adam compile better on hpux9, and ultrix. Thanks.
  - Stupid -all bug fixed.
  - -X option added for pre-viewing in X. Suggested by Pete Bentley
    <[email-masked]>.
  - Environment Variable PAGER now takes precedance over adamrc Pager. Also
    Suggested by Pete Bentley.
  - Order of manindex is more intuitive now. Found people wanted some things
    in a different order, like 5 before 2 instead of after, numbers are now
    in numerical order. Reported by Neal Becker <[email-masked]>.

1.0.1b - 1.0.2b
  - instead of having a -ps, and -X option, have -T???. And allow users to add
    their own. Suggested by Timothy D. Webster <[email-masked]>.
  - Port to NeXT machines by Thomas Neumann <[email-masked]>.
  - Fixed stupid bug, manpages were being sorted *backwords* by index! :-(
  - Instead of blindly adding a pager, now adam(1) defines environment variable
    ADAM_PAGER, ADAM_SECTION, and ADAM_NAME, whenever running a pipeline.

CREDITS

MANY THANKS to Anita Eijs for her free list library, don't know what I would
have done without it!

Thanks to all of you who mailed me about problems, fixes, suggestions,
and compliments.
-- 
[email-masked]

One .sig to rule them all, One .sig to find them...
One .sig to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.

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RICK MILLER           <[email-masked]>            Voice:  +1 414 221-3403
P.O. BOX 1759                                        FAX:  +1 414 221-4744
MILWAUKEE, WI                      Send a postcard and I'll send one back.
53150-1759 USA                    Sendu bildkarton kaj mi retrosendos unu.

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