Subject: Re: port-i386/4651: Man page describing booting NetBSD from Wind
To: None <tech-userlevel@NetBSD.ORG, root@garbled.futureone.com>
From: Ty Sarna <tsarna@endicor.com>
List: tech-userlevel
Date: 12/09/1997 11:38:04
Moved to tech-userlevel since I think it's more appropriate.

[Discussion about wether how-to documents need their own man section]

In article <XFMail.971208190657.root@garbled.futureone.com> you write:
> isnt category 7 for miscellaneous things?  That might be a good place..  Though
> since it's windows it should probably go under 6.  ;)

Section 7 still isn't right... in fact, I think how-to's fit in section 8
better than 7. 

Here's the arguments pro and con for adding a new how-to section:

+ How-to's are logically separate from "system maintenance and operation
  commands"

+ Some people are confused by, eg, adduser(8), which they think is a
  program.

+ Creating a section for how-tos may stimulate writing more of them.

+ There's no shortage of tasks that need how-tos written about them
  (setting up network boot server, compiling a kernel, seetting up a
  multi-os boot, etc.)

+ There are a few how-to pages already so that it won't be entirely bare
  (adduser, compat_xxx, the w95boot page I wrote)

- There is only one section digit left (0), which might be better user
  for something else (user introduction or unix novice documentatiuon or
  something)

- The only alternative to 0 is a letter. The only precedent for this I
  know of is Tcl's section 'n'.