docs/master: preface.roff annotate

annotate preface.roff @ 141:450a19ca3020

front: Again a redesign.

author	markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de>
date	Thu, 05 Jul 2012 15:32:11 +0200
parents	0e102cec0c73
children	996c4ac500df

rev	line source
0 dc2bfef4cda7 Initial commit: Basic structure, macros and fonts. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: diff changeset	1 .H0 "Preface" no
dc2bfef4cda7 Initial commit: Basic structure, macros and fonts. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: diff changeset	2
23 1e4afeb34da7 Rework in the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 8 diff changeset	3 .P
87 7d5b180de542 All kinds of rework plus new refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 68 diff changeset	4 I have discovered the mail client \fInmh\fP in Fall 2009.
7d5b180de542 All kinds of rework plus new refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 68 diff changeset	5 At that time I used \fImutt\fP, as many advanced Unix users do.
7d5b180de542 All kinds of rework plus new refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 68 diff changeset	6 When I read about nmh, its concepts convinced me at once.
7d5b180de542 All kinds of rework plus new refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 68 diff changeset	7 The transition from mutt to nmh was similar to beginning with
7d5b180de542 All kinds of rework plus new refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 68 diff changeset	8 file management in the Unix shell when being used to the
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 52 diff changeset	9 \fImidnight commander\fP,
87 7d5b180de542 All kinds of rework plus new refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 68 diff changeset	10 or like starting with vi when being used to modeless editors.
7d5b180de542 All kinds of rework plus new refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 68 diff changeset	11 Such a change is not trivial, but, in being convinced by the
31 029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	12 concepts and by having done similar transitions for file management
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 52 diff changeset	13 and editing already, it was not too difficult.
51 49cf68506b5d Spell checking. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	14 In contrast, setting up nmh to a convenient state became a tedious task
23 1e4afeb34da7 Rework in the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 8 diff changeset	15 that took several months.
28 6c63083b4c19 Wrote text for the Preface; changed headings in Preface and Introduction. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 27 diff changeset	16 Once having nmh arranged to a convenient state, I enjoyed using it
6c63083b4c19 Wrote text for the Preface; changed headings in Preface and Introduction. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 27 diff changeset	17 because of its conceptional elegance and its scripting capabilities.
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	18 Nevertheless, it was still inconvenient for handling attachments,
87 7d5b180de542 All kinds of rework plus new refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 68 diff changeset	19 non-ASCII character encodings, and similar features of modern emailing.
31 029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	20 My setup demanded more and more additional configuration and helper scripts
87 7d5b180de542 All kinds of rework plus new refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 68 diff changeset	21 to have nmh behave the way I wanted; yet my
31 029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	22 expectations were rather common for modern emailing.
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	23 As a computer scientist and programmer, I wanted to improve the situation.
8 3ef5449c1175 Moved text; wrote more text; removed ch02.roff. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 5 diff changeset	24 .P
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	25 In Spring 2010, I sent a message to the \fInmh-workers\fP mailing list,
3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	26 asking for the possibility to offer a Google Summer of Code project for me.
3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	27 Participating in the development of nmh in this manner appeared attractive
3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	28 to me, because I would have been able to work full time on nmh.
3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	29 Although the nmh community had reacted generally positive to the suggestion,
3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	30 the administrative work for a GSoC project would had been too much.
3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	31 Nonetheless, my proposal had activated the nmh community.
31 029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	32 In the following weeks, goals for nmh's future were discussed.
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	33 In these discussions, I became involved in the
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 52 diff changeset	34 question whether nmh should include mail transfer facilities.
34 2fea9739507f Added some refs to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 31 diff changeset	35 .[
2fea9739507f Added some refs to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 31 diff changeset	36 nmh-workers thread mta mua
2fea9739507f Added some refs to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 31 diff changeset	37 .]
87 7d5b180de542 All kinds of rework plus new refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 68 diff changeset	38 I argued for the MTA of nmh to be removed.
7d5b180de542 All kinds of rework plus new refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 68 diff changeset	39 In this fundamental question,
7d5b180de542 All kinds of rework plus new refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 68 diff changeset	40 my opinion differed from the opinion of most others.
7d5b180de542 All kinds of rework plus new refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 68 diff changeset	41 Sadly, besides the discussions, hardly any real work was done.
7d5b180de542 All kinds of rework plus new refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 68 diff changeset	42 Being unable to work on nmh in a way that would be accepted at university
7d5b180de542 All kinds of rework plus new refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 68 diff changeset	43 as part of my studies, I needed to choose another project.
8 3ef5449c1175 Moved text; wrote more text; removed ch02.roff. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 5 diff changeset	44 .P
23 1e4afeb34da7 Rework in the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 8 diff changeset	45 Half a year later, starting in August 2010,
1e4afeb34da7 Rework in the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 8 diff changeset	46 I took one semester off to travel through Latin America.
87 7d5b180de542 All kinds of rework plus new refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 68 diff changeset	47 During my time in Argentina, I wanted to work on Free Software.
23 1e4afeb34da7 Rework in the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 8 diff changeset	48 This brought me back to nmh.
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 52 diff changeset	49 Richard Sandelman, an active nmh user, cared for the official basis.
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	50 Juan Granda, an Argentine Free Software developer,
87 7d5b180de542 All kinds of rework plus new refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 68 diff changeset	51 provided a computer with Internet connection.
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 52 diff changeset	52 Thanks to them, I was able to work on nmh during my three-month
87 7d5b180de542 All kinds of rework plus new refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 68 diff changeset	53 stay in Santiago del Estero, Argentina.
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	54 Quickly it became obvious that I would not succeed with my main goal,
87 7d5b180de542 All kinds of rework plus new refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 68 diff changeset	55 to improve the character encoding handling.
7d5b180de542 All kinds of rework plus new refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 68 diff changeset	56 (One of its ramifications is the
7d5b180de542 All kinds of rework plus new refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 68 diff changeset	57 missing transfer decoding of quoted text in replies.)
23 1e4afeb34da7 Rework in the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 8 diff changeset	58 As this is one of the most intricate parts of the system, the goal
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 52 diff changeset	59 was simply set too high.
01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 52 diff changeset	60 Instead, I improved the code base as I read through it.
87 7d5b180de542 All kinds of rework plus new refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 68 diff changeset	61 I found minor bugs for which I proposed fixes.
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 52 diff changeset	62 In the same go, I improved the documentation in minor ways.
01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 52 diff changeset	63 When I started with larger code changes,
01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 52 diff changeset	64 I had to discover that the community was reluctant to change.
01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 52 diff changeset	65 Its wish for compatibility was much stronger than its
31 029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	66 wish for convenient out-of-the-box setups \(en in contrast to my opinion.
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	67 This, once again, led to long discussions.
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 52 diff changeset	68 I came to understand their point of view, but it was different to mine.
23 1e4afeb34da7 Rework in the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 8 diff changeset	69 At the end of my three-month project, I had become familiar with
87 7d5b180de542 All kinds of rework plus new refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 68 diff changeset	70 nmh's code base and community,
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 52 diff changeset	71 I had improved the project in minor ways,
87 7d5b180de542 All kinds of rework plus new refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 68 diff changeset	72 and I still was convinced that I wanted to continue to do so.
23 1e4afeb34da7 Rework in the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 8 diff changeset	73 .P
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 52 diff changeset	74 Another half year later, the end of my studies came within reach.
23 1e4afeb34da7 Rework in the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 8 diff changeset	75 I needed a topic for my master's thesis.
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	76 Without question, I wanted to work on nmh.
3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	77 But not exactly on nmh, because I had accepted that its
3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	78 community has different goals than I have.
87 7d5b180de542 All kinds of rework plus new refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 68 diff changeset	79 Working on nmh would result in much discussion and, in consequence,
7d5b180de542 All kinds of rework plus new refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 68 diff changeset	80 little progress.
23 1e4afeb34da7 Rework in the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 8 diff changeset	81 After careful thought, I decided to start an experimental version of nmh.
31 029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	82 I wanted to implement my own ideas of how an MH-like system should look like.
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	83 I wanted to create a usable alternative version to be compared with
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	84 the present state of nmh.
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 52 diff changeset	85 Eventually, my work would be proven successful or not.
01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 52 diff changeset	86 In any case, the nmh project would profit from my experiences.
28 6c63083b4c19 Wrote text for the Preface; changed headings in Preface and Introduction. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 27 diff changeset	87
30 d996f130e279 Some rework and new text in the Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	88 .U2 "Focus of this Document
28 6c63083b4c19 Wrote text for the Preface; changed headings in Preface and Introduction. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 27 diff changeset	89 .P
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 52 diff changeset	90 This document explains the design goals and implementation decisions
01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 52 diff changeset	91 for mmh.
31 029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	92 It discusses technical, historical, social and philosophical considerations.
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	93 On the technical side, this document
125 0e102cec0c73 s/stream-line/streamline/; s/motorbike/motorcycle/ markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 106 diff changeset	94 explains how an existing project was streamlined by removing rough edges
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	95 and better exploitation of the central concepts.
3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	96 On the historical side, changes through time are discussed,
3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	97 regarding the use cases and the email features,
3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	98 as well as the reactions to them.
31 029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	99 Socially, this document describes the effects
28 6c63083b4c19 Wrote text for the Preface; changed headings in Preface and Introduction. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 27 diff changeset	100 and experiences of a newcomer with revolutionary aims entering an old
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 52 diff changeset	101 and matured software project.
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	102 Philosophical thoughts on style, mainly based on the Unix
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 52 diff changeset	103 philosophy, are present throughout the discussions.
01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 52 diff changeset	104 The document describes the changes to nmh,
01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 52 diff changeset	105 but as well, it clarifies my personal perception of the
01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 52 diff changeset	106 concepts of MH and Unix, and explain my therefrom resulting point of view.
8 3ef5449c1175 Moved text; wrote more text; removed ch02.roff. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 5 diff changeset	107 .P
31 029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	108 This document is written for the community around MH-like mail systems,
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	109 including developers and users.
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	110 Despite the focus on MH-like systems, this document may be valuable
3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	111 to anyone interested in the Unix philosophy and anyone in contact with
3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	112 old software projects, be it code- or community-related.
23 1e4afeb34da7 Rework in the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 8 diff changeset	113 .P
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	114 The reader is expected to be familiar with Unix, C and emailing.
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 52 diff changeset	115 Good Unix shell knowledge is required, because MH relies fundamentally
125 0e102cec0c73 s/stream-line/streamline/; s/motorbike/motorcycle/ markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 106 diff changeset	116 on the shell. Without the power of the shell, MH becomes a motorcycle
30 d996f130e279 Some rework and new text in the Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	117 without winding roads: boring.
31 029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	118 Introductions to Unix and its shell can be found in ``The UNIX Programming
37 83b1481dda93 More refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 34 diff changeset	119 Environment'' by Kernighan and Pike
83b1481dda93 More refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 34 diff changeset	120 .[
83b1481dda93 More refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 34 diff changeset	121 kernighan pike unix prog env
83b1481dda93 More refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 34 diff changeset	122 .]
83b1481dda93 More refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 34 diff changeset	123 or ``The UNIX System'' by Bourne.
83b1481dda93 More refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 34 diff changeset	124 .[
83b1481dda93 More refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 34 diff changeset	125 bourne unix system
83b1481dda93 More refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 34 diff changeset	126 .]
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 52 diff changeset	127 The reader is assumed to be a C programmer,
01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 52 diff changeset	128 but the document should be understandable otherwise, too.
01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 52 diff changeset	129 The definitive guide to C is Kernighan and Ritchie's
01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 52 diff changeset	130 ``The C Programming Language''.
37 83b1481dda93 More refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 34 diff changeset	131 .[
83b1481dda93 More refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 34 diff changeset	132 kernighan ritchie c prog lang
83b1481dda93 More refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 34 diff changeset	133 .]
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	134 A book about system-level C programming can be helpful
3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	135 additional literature, such as those written by Rochkind and Curry.
37 83b1481dda93 More refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 34 diff changeset	136 .[
83b1481dda93 More refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 34 diff changeset	137 rochkind advanced unix prog
83b1481dda93 More refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 34 diff changeset	138 .]
83b1481dda93 More refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 34 diff changeset	139 .[
83b1481dda93 More refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 34 diff changeset	140 curry system prog
83b1481dda93 More refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 34 diff changeset	141 .]
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	142 Old books are likely more helpful for understanding,
3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	143 because large parts of the source code are old.
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 52 diff changeset	144 The reader is expected to know the format of email messages and
01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 52 diff changeset	145 the structure of email transfer systems, at least on a basic level.
01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 52 diff changeset	146 It's advisable to have cross-read the RFCs 821 and 822.
31 029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	147 Further more, basic understanding of MIME is good to have.
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	148 The Wikipedia provides good introduction-level information about email.
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 52 diff changeset	149 .P
28 6c63083b4c19 Wrote text for the Preface; changed headings in Preface and Introduction. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 27 diff changeset	150 Frequent references to the Unix philosophy will be made.
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 52 diff changeset	151 Gancarz has tried to sum it up in his book
34 2fea9739507f Added some refs to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 31 diff changeset	152 ``The UNIX Philosophy''.
2fea9739507f Added some refs to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 31 diff changeset	153 .[
2fea9739507f Added some refs to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 31 diff changeset	154 gancarz unix phil
2fea9739507f Added some refs to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 31 diff changeset	155 .]
47 eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	156 Even better, though less concrete, are ``The UNIX Programming Environment''
34 2fea9739507f Added some refs to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 31 diff changeset	157 .[
2fea9739507f Added some refs to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 31 diff changeset	158 kernighan pike unix prog env
2fea9739507f Added some refs to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 31 diff changeset	159 .]
2fea9739507f Added some refs to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 31 diff changeset	160 and ``The Practice of Programming''
2fea9739507f Added some refs to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 31 diff changeset	161 .[
2fea9739507f Added some refs to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 31 diff changeset	162 kernighan pike practice of prog
2fea9739507f Added some refs to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 31 diff changeset	163 .]
2fea9739507f Added some refs to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 31 diff changeset	164 by Kernighan and Pike.
2fea9739507f Added some refs to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 31 diff changeset	165 The term paper ``Why the Unix Philosophy still matters''
2fea9739507f Added some refs to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 31 diff changeset	166 .[
2fea9739507f Added some refs to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 31 diff changeset	167 why unix phil still matters schnalke
2fea9739507f Added some refs to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 31 diff changeset	168 .]
2fea9739507f Added some refs to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 31 diff changeset	169 by myself
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 52 diff changeset	170 provides an overview on the philosophy, including a case study of MH.
01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 52 diff changeset	171 .P
30 d996f130e279 Some rework and new text in the Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	172 Although a brief introduction to MH is provided in Chapter 1, the reader
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 52 diff changeset	173 is encouraged to have a look at the \fIMH Book\fP
01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 52 diff changeset	174 ``MH & nmh: Email for Users & Programmers'' by Jerry Peek.
34 2fea9739507f Added some refs to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 31 diff changeset	175 .[
2fea9739507f Added some refs to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 31 diff changeset	176 peek mh
2fea9739507f Added some refs to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 31 diff changeset	177 .]
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 52 diff changeset	178 The current version is available freely on the Internet.
30 d996f130e279 Some rework and new text in the Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	179 It is the definitive guide to MH and nmh.
d996f130e279 Some rework and new text in the Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	180 .P
d996f130e279 Some rework and new text in the Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	181 This document is neither a user's tutorial to mmh nor an introduction
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 52 diff changeset	182 to any of the topics covered.
01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 52 diff changeset	183 The technical discussions are on an advanced level.
52 f12b22b0e29a Improvements by diction(1). markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	184 Nevertheless, as knowledge of the fundamental concepts is the most valuable
51 49cf68506b5d Spell checking. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	185 information a user can acquire about some program or software system,
52 f12b22b0e29a Improvements by diction(1). markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	186 this document may be worth a read for non-developers as well.
8 3ef5449c1175 Moved text; wrote more text; removed ch02.roff. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 5 diff changeset	187
3ef5449c1175 Moved text; wrote more text; removed ch02.roff. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 5 diff changeset	188
28 6c63083b4c19 Wrote text for the Preface; changed headings in Preface and Introduction. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 27 diff changeset	189 .U2 "Organization
0 dc2bfef4cda7 Initial commit: Basic structure, macros and fonts. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: diff changeset	190 .P
28 6c63083b4c19 Wrote text for the Preface; changed headings in Preface and Introduction. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 27 diff changeset	191 Which font for what use.
6c63083b4c19 Wrote text for the Preface; changed headings in Preface and Introduction. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 27 diff changeset	192 Meaning of `foo(1)'.
6c63083b4c19 Wrote text for the Preface; changed headings in Preface and Introduction. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 27 diff changeset	193 RFCs.
6c63083b4c19 Wrote text for the Preface; changed headings in Preface and Introduction. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 27 diff changeset	194 .P
68 7ca31b06b653 Preface: Added some lines about source code commit references. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 53 diff changeset	195 References to source code repository commits are printed as
7ca31b06b653 Preface: Added some lines about source code commit references. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 53 diff changeset	196 .Ci 1a2b3c4 .
7ca31b06b653 Preface: Added some lines about source code commit references. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 53 diff changeset	197 They can be looked up with
7ca31b06b653 Preface: Added some lines about source code commit references. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 53 diff changeset	198 .Cl "git show XXX
7ca31b06b653 Preface: Added some lines about source code commit references. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 53 diff changeset	199 on the command line or
7ca31b06b653 Preface: Added some lines about source code commit references. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 53 diff changeset	200 online at
7ca31b06b653 Preface: Added some lines about source code commit references. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 53 diff changeset	201 .CW "http://git.marmaro.de/?p=mmh;a=commitdiff;h=XXX" ,
7ca31b06b653 Preface: Added some lines about source code commit references. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 53 diff changeset	202 replacing `\f(CWXXX\fP' with the hash value.
7ca31b06b653 Preface: Added some lines about source code commit references. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 53 diff changeset	203 In this example:
7ca31b06b653 Preface: Added some lines about source code commit references. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 53 diff changeset	204 .Cl "git show 1a2b3c4
7ca31b06b653 Preface: Added some lines about source code commit references. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 53 diff changeset	205 or
7ca31b06b653 Preface: Added some lines about source code commit references. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 53 diff changeset	206 .CW "http://git.marmaro.de/?p=mmh;a=commitdiff;h=1a2b3cd" .
7ca31b06b653 Preface: Added some lines about source code commit references. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 53 diff changeset	207 Whereas the code repository will probably be available on the Internet
7ca31b06b653 Preface: Added some lines about source code commit references. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 53 diff changeset	208 forever, a website URL is always at risk to change.
7ca31b06b653 Preface: Added some lines about source code commit references. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 53 diff changeset	209 .P
51 49cf68506b5d Spell checking. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	210 This thesis is divided into XXX chapters, ...
24 9be9b47eb52d Added text placeholders to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 23 diff changeset	211 .P
9be9b47eb52d Added text placeholders to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 23 diff changeset	212 .I Chapter 1
9be9b47eb52d Added text placeholders to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 23 diff changeset	213 introduces ...
9be9b47eb52d Added text placeholders to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 23 diff changeset	214 .P
9be9b47eb52d Added text placeholders to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 23 diff changeset	215 .I Chapter 2
9be9b47eb52d Added text placeholders to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 23 diff changeset	216 describes ...
9be9b47eb52d Added text placeholders to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 23 diff changeset	217 .P
9be9b47eb52d Added text placeholders to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 23 diff changeset	218 .I Chapter 3
9be9b47eb52d Added text placeholders to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 23 diff changeset	219 covers ...
9be9b47eb52d Added text placeholders to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 23 diff changeset	220
23 1e4afeb34da7 Rework in the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 8 diff changeset	221
28 6c63083b4c19 Wrote text for the Preface; changed headings in Preface and Introduction. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 27 diff changeset	222 .U2 "Acknowledgments
23 1e4afeb34da7 Rework in the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 8 diff changeset	223 .P
24 9be9b47eb52d Added text placeholders to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 23 diff changeset	224 To be written at the very end.

Mercurial > docs > master

annotate preface.roff @ 141:450a19ca3020