Re: misc/46185: man pages fail in single user mode

[Manuel Bouyer <bouyer%antioche.eu.org@localhost>]

The following reply was made to PR misc/46185; it has been noted by GNATS.

From: Manuel Bouyer <bouyer%antioche.eu.org@localhost>
To: gnats-bugs%NetBSD.org@localhost
Cc: misc-bug-people%NetBSD.org@localhost, gnats-admin%NetBSD.org@localhost, 
netbsd-bugs%NetBSD.org@localhost
Subject: Re: misc/46185: man pages fail in single user mode
Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2012 16:57:12 +0100

 On Tue, Mar 13, 2012 at 03:55:00PM +0000, abs%absd.org@localhost wrote:
 > NetBSD forsaken 6.0_BETA NetBSD 6.0_BETA (GENERIC) amd64
 > 
 > from NetBSD-daily (2012-03-09)
 > >Description:
 > NetBSD no longer ships with pregenerated catman pages - man generates them 
 > on demand.
 > 
 > When it does this it writes them to /tmp, then displays to the user.
 > 
 > Unfortunately in single user /tmp is non writable, so this fails.
 > >How-To-Repeat:
 > - boot single user
 > - run 'man fsck'
 > >Fix:
 > Workarounds:
 > - mount / R/W. Sometimes issues the manpage is needed specifically to 
 > address an issue with just this operation.
 > - mount tmpfs on /tmp
 > - mandoc /usr/share/man/... | less
 > 
 > A possible fix might be for man to default to piping its output direct to 
 > the display/$PAGER
 > 
 > This may prove annoying for people who currently expect there to be an 
 > actually temporary file which can be edited, but is less of an issue than no 
 > manpage access in single user mode.
 
 I guess man could try to create the file, and fall back to pipe if
 creating the file fails.
 
 -- 
 Manuel Bouyer <bouyer%antioche.eu.org@localhost>
      NetBSD: 26 ans d'experience feront toujours la difference
 --