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> I don't quite see the point in your Manpage.  All of the
> information there is available on the Port-Webpage anyway, and
> you usually won't read that manpage unless you already have a
> working installation (I guess only very very few people will read
> the boot-manpages of different architectures on their
> NetBSD-systems).  

I'd have to agree with Marcus' reply here -- chances are that it's probably 
not going to be very useful, but it's good to have it there as a matter of 
policy. 

> Also, to me a boot manpage should be more
> technically oriented ("How does it work?").  To me, your text is
> closer to a FAQ or "HOWTO" than a manpage.  I don't really think
> a boot manpage should consist of a number of steps one should
> blindly follow to get NetBSD onto one's Dreamcast (where it
> often even only says "download this from there", especially
> without any reasoning or such why such a step is needed.

Actually, you have a very good point. I had a bit of the same feeling while 
writing it last night...but I wanted to get *something* written and out for 
review, so that a) I'd have some momentum, and b) I could see if others felt 
the same way. Perhaps it would be smart to use the man page as an 
explanation for the HOWTO -- i.e., still detail what needs to happen, but 
tell people *why* each thing needs to happen. I think that integrating the 
two would give people the best chance to understand it. What say you? 

I admit to also writing this for the purpose of learning how to write a man 
page -- both from a content and a syntax perspective. I've been spoiled by 
OpenBSD's man pages, with their EXAMPLES sections, etc., and I intend to 
spend some time working with NetBSD and Linux (whose man pages are 
particularly bad in some cases) to make them more accessible to the average 
user. 

Alex Kirk 


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