docs/master: preface.roff annotate

annotate preface.roff @ 49:d3a02f5e63b3

Various rework.

author	markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de>
date	Sat, 19 May 2012 17:56:15 +0200
parents	eae5e50381ce
children	49cf68506b5d

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
47 eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	4 MH is a set of mail handling tools with a common concept, similar to
eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	5 the Unix toolchest, which is a set of file handling tools with a common
23 1e4afeb34da7 Rework in the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 8 diff changeset	6 concept. nmh is the currently most popular implementation of an
1e4afeb34da7 Rework in the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 8 diff changeset	7 MH-like mail handling system.
47 eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	8 This thesis describes an experimental version of nmh, named \fImmh\fP.
23 1e4afeb34da7 Rework in the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 8 diff changeset	9
30 d996f130e279 Some rework and new text in the Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	10 .U2 "Background to this Thesis
8 3ef5449c1175 Moved text; wrote more text; removed ch02.roff. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 5 diff changeset	11 .P
28 6c63083b4c19 Wrote text for the Preface; changed headings in Preface and Introduction. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 27 diff changeset	12 I have discovered nmh in September 2009. At that time I used to use the
31 029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	13 mail client \fImutt\fP, like many advanced Unix users do.
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	14 As I read about nmh, its concepts had convinced me at once.
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	15 Learning its different model of email handling had been relatively easy,
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	16 because my starting situation was being convinced of the concepts.
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	17 The transition from mutt to nmh was similar to
28 6c63083b4c19 Wrote text for the Preface; changed headings in Preface and Introduction. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 27 diff changeset	18 managing files in the Unix shell when being used to graphical file
31 029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	19 managers, or like editing with vi when being used to modeless editors.
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	20 Such a change is not trivial, but in being convinced by the
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	21 concepts and by having done similar transitions for file management
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	22 and editing already, it was not too difficult neither.
28 6c63083b4c19 Wrote text for the Preface; changed headings in Preface and Introduction. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 27 diff changeset	23 In contrast, setting up nmh to a convenient state became a tendious task
23 1e4afeb34da7 Rework in the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 8 diff changeset	24 that took several months.
1e4afeb34da7 Rework in the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 8 diff changeset	25 .P
28 6c63083b4c19 Wrote text for the Preface; changed headings in Preface and Introduction. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 27 diff changeset	26 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	27 because of its conceptional elegance and its scripting capabilities.
23 1e4afeb34da7 Rework in the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 8 diff changeset	28 On the other hand, however, it still was
31 029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	29 inconvenient for handling attachments, non-ASCII character encodings,
23 1e4afeb34da7 Rework in the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 8 diff changeset	30 and similar features of modern emailing.
31 029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	31 My setup demanded more and more additional configuration and helper scripts
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	32 to get nmh behave the way I wanted, although my
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	33 expectations were rather common for modern emailing.
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	34 In being a computer scientist and programmer,
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	35 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	36 .P
31 029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	37 In Spring 2010, I asked on the \fInmh-workers\fP mailing list for the
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	38 possibility to offer a Google Summer of Code project.
23 1e4afeb34da7 Rework in the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 8 diff changeset	39 Participating in the development this way appeared attractive to me,
31 029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	40 as it would have been possible to have the project
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	41 accepted at university. Although generally the nmh community
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	42 had been positive on the
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	43 suggestion, the administrative work had been to much, eventually.
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	44 But my proposal had activated the nmh community.
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	45 In the following weeks, goals for nmh's future were discussed.
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	46 In these discussions, I became involved in the
34 2fea9739507f Added some refs to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 31 diff changeset	47 question whether nmh should be an MTA.
2fea9739507f Added some refs to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 31 diff changeset	48 .[
2fea9739507f Added some refs to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 31 diff changeset	49 nmh-workers thread mta mua
2fea9739507f Added some refs to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 31 diff changeset	50 .]
31 029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	51 In this central point, my opinion differed from the opinion of most others.
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	52 I argued for the MTA facility of nmh to be removed.
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	53 Besides the discussions, hardly any real work was done.
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	54 Being unable to work on nmh in a way that would be
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	55 accepted as part of my official 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	56 .P
23 1e4afeb34da7 Rework in the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 8 diff changeset	57 Half a year later, starting in August 2010,
1e4afeb34da7 Rework in the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 8 diff changeset	58 I took one semester off to travel through Latin America.
31 029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	59 Within this time, I had to do practical computer work for three months.
23 1e4afeb34da7 Rework in the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 8 diff changeset	60 This brought me back to nmh.
1e4afeb34da7 Rework in the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 8 diff changeset	61 Richard Sandelman, an active nmh user, made it possible for
1e4afeb34da7 Rework in the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 8 diff changeset	62 me to work on nmh. Juan Granda, living in Santiago del
31 029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	63 Estero in Argentina, provided a computer with Internet connection for
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	64 my work. Thanks to them, I was able to work on nmh during my three-month
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	65 stay in Argentina.
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	66 Within this time, I became familiar with nmh's code base and
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	67 community. I learned how things work. Quickly it became obvious that
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	68 I wouldn't succeed with my main goal: improving the character
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	69 encoding handling within the project. One of its ramifications is the
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	70 missing transfer decoding of quoted text in replies.
23 1e4afeb34da7 Rework in the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 8 diff changeset	71 As this is one of the most intricate parts of the system, the goal
31 029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	72 was simply set too high. Hence, I dropped the original plan.
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	73 Instead, I improved the code base as I read through it. I found minor bugs
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	74 for which I proposed fixes to the community. In the same go, I
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	75 improved the documentation in minor ways. When I started with
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	76 larger code changes, I had to discover that the community was reluctant
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	77 to change. Its wish for compatibility was much stronger than its
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	78 wish for convenient out-of-the-box setups \(en in contrast to my opinion.
23 1e4afeb34da7 Rework in the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 8 diff changeset	79 This lead to long discussions, again.
31 029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	80 I came to understand their point of view, but it is different to mine.
23 1e4afeb34da7 Rework in the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 8 diff changeset	81 At the end of my three-month project, I had become familiar with
31 029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	82 nmh's code base and community. I had improved the project in minor ways,
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	83 and I still was convinced that I wanted to go on to do so.
23 1e4afeb34da7 Rework in the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 8 diff changeset	84 .P
1e4afeb34da7 Rework in the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 8 diff changeset	85 Another half a year later, the end of my studies came within reach.
1e4afeb34da7 Rework in the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 8 diff changeset	86 I needed a topic for my master's thesis.
1e4afeb34da7 Rework in the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 8 diff changeset	87 There was no question: I wanted to work on nmh.
1e4afeb34da7 Rework in the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 8 diff changeset	88 But well, not exactly on nmh,
8 3ef5449c1175 Moved text; wrote more text; removed ch02.roff. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 5 diff changeset	89 because I had accepted that the nmh community has different goals
31 029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	90 than I have. This would result in much discussion and thus little progress.
23 1e4afeb34da7 Rework in the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 8 diff changeset	91 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	92 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	93 I wanted to see where that would lead to.
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	94 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	95 the present state of nmh.
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	96 My work should be proved successful or failed.
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	97 The nmh project would not be hurt by my work, but
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	98 it 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	99
30 d996f130e279 Some rework and new text in the Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	100 .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	101 .P
47 eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	102 This document describes my work on mmh.
eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	103 It explains the changes to nmh, with focus on their reasons.
31 029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	104 It discusses technical, historical, social and philosophical considerations.
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	105 On the technical side, this document
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	106 explains how an existing project was stream-lined by removing rough edges
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	107 and exploiting the central concepts better.
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	108 On the historical
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	109 side, changes through time in the use cases and the email features,
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	110 as well as the reactions to them, are discussed.
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	111 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	112 and experiences of a newcomer with revolutionary aims entering an old
31 029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	113 and matured software projects.
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	114 Finally, philosophical thoughts on style, mainly based to the Unix philosophy,
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	115 are present throughout the discussions.
8 3ef5449c1175 Moved text; wrote more text; removed ch02.roff. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 5 diff changeset	116 .P
31 029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	117 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	118 including developers and users.
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	119 First of all, the document shall explain the design goals and
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	120 implementation decisions for mmh. But as well, it shall clarify my
30 d996f130e279 Some rework and new text in the Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	121 personal perception of the
31 029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	122 concepts of MH and Unix, and explain my therefrom resulting point of view.
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	123 Despite the focus on MH-like systems, this document may be worthwhile
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	124 to anyone interested in the Unix philosophy and anyone in contact to
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	125 old software projects, be it code or community-related.
23 1e4afeb34da7 Rework in the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 8 diff changeset	126 .P
30 d996f130e279 Some rework and new text in the Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	127 The reader is expected to have good knowledge of Unix, C and emailing.
d996f130e279 Some rework and new text in the Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	128 Good Unix shell
28 6c63083b4c19 Wrote text for the Preface; changed headings in Preface and Introduction. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 27 diff changeset	129 knowledge, including shell scripting, is required. MH relies fundamentally
6c63083b4c19 Wrote text for the Preface; changed headings in Preface and Introduction. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 27 diff changeset	130 on the shell. Without the power of the shell, MH becomes a motorbike
30 d996f130e279 Some rework and new text in the Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	131 without winding roads: boring.
31 029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	132 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	133 Environment'' by Kernighan and Pike
83b1481dda93 More refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 34 diff changeset	134 .[
83b1481dda93 More refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 34 diff changeset	135 kernighan pike unix prog env
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 or ``The UNIX System'' by Bourne.
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 bourne unix system
83b1481dda93 More refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 34 diff changeset	140 .]
28 6c63083b4c19 Wrote text for the Preface; changed headings in Preface and Introduction. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 27 diff changeset	141 The reader is
6c63083b4c19 Wrote text for the Preface; changed headings in Preface and Introduction. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 27 diff changeset	142 expected to be familiar with the C programming language, although the
30 d996f130e279 Some rework and new text in the Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	143 document should be understandable without knowledge of C, too.
37 83b1481dda93 More refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 34 diff changeset	144 ``The C Programming Language'' by Kernighan and Ritchie
83b1481dda93 More refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 34 diff changeset	145 .[
83b1481dda93 More refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 34 diff changeset	146 kernighan ritchie c prog lang
83b1481dda93 More refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 34 diff changeset	147 .]
83b1481dda93 More refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 34 diff changeset	148 is the definitive guide to C.
28 6c63083b4c19 Wrote text for the Preface; changed headings in Preface and Introduction. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 27 diff changeset	149 Some book about system-level C programming is worthwile additional
6c63083b4c19 Wrote text for the Preface; changed headings in Preface and Introduction. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 27 diff changeset	150 literature. Rochkind and Curry have written such books.
37 83b1481dda93 More refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 34 diff changeset	151 .[
83b1481dda93 More refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 34 diff changeset	152 rochkind advanced unix prog
83b1481dda93 More refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 34 diff changeset	153 .]
83b1481dda93 More refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 34 diff changeset	154 .[
83b1481dda93 More refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 34 diff changeset	155 curry system prog
83b1481dda93 More refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 34 diff changeset	156 .]
31 029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	157 As large parts of the code are old, old books are likely more helpful
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	158 to understanding.
28 6c63083b4c19 Wrote text for the Preface; changed headings in Preface and Introduction. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 27 diff changeset	159 The format of email messages as well as the structure of email transfer
6c63083b4c19 Wrote text for the Preface; changed headings in Preface and Introduction. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 27 diff changeset	160 systems should be familiar to the reader, at least on a basic level.
31 029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	161 It's advisable to have at least cross-read the RFCs 821 and 822.
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	162 Further more, basic understanding of MIME is good to have.
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	163 The Wikipedia provides good introduction-level information to email.
28 6c63083b4c19 Wrote text for the Preface; changed headings in Preface and Introduction. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 27 diff changeset	164 Frequent references to the Unix philosophy will be made.
34 2fea9739507f Added some refs to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 31 diff changeset	165 Gancarz had tried to sum the philosophy up in his book
2fea9739507f Added some refs to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 31 diff changeset	166 ``The UNIX Philosophy''.
2fea9739507f Added some refs to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 31 diff changeset	167 .[
2fea9739507f Added some refs to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 31 diff changeset	168 gancarz unix phil
2fea9739507f Added some refs to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 31 diff changeset	169 .]
47 eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	170 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	171 .[
2fea9739507f Added some refs to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 31 diff changeset	172 kernighan pike unix prog env
2fea9739507f Added some refs to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 31 diff changeset	173 .]
2fea9739507f Added some refs to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 31 diff changeset	174 and ``The Practice of Programming''
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 kernighan pike practice of prog
2fea9739507f Added some refs to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 31 diff changeset	177 .]
2fea9739507f Added some refs to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 31 diff changeset	178 by Kernighan and Pike.
2fea9739507f Added some refs to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 31 diff changeset	179 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	180 .[
2fea9739507f Added some refs to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 31 diff changeset	181 why unix phil still matters schnalke
2fea9739507f Added some refs to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 31 diff changeset	182 .]
2fea9739507f Added some refs to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 31 diff changeset	183 by myself
28 6c63083b4c19 Wrote text for the Preface; changed headings in Preface and Introduction. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 27 diff changeset	184 provides an overview on the topic, including a case study of MH.
30 d996f130e279 Some rework and new text in the Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	185 Although a brief introduction to MH is provided in Chapter 1, the reader
d996f130e279 Some rework and new text in the Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	186 is encouraged to have a look at the \fIMH Book\fP by Jerry Peek.
34 2fea9739507f Added some refs to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 31 diff changeset	187 .[
2fea9739507f Added some refs to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 31 diff changeset	188 peek mh
2fea9739507f Added some refs to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 31 diff changeset	189 .]
30 d996f130e279 Some rework and new text in the Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	190 It is the definitive guide to MH and nmh.
31 029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	191 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	192 .P
d996f130e279 Some rework and new text in the Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	193 This document is neither a user's tutorial to mmh nor an introduction
31 029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	194 to any of the topics covered. It discusses Unix, email
30 d996f130e279 Some rework and new text in the Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	195 and system design on an advanced level.
d996f130e279 Some rework and new text in the Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	196 However, as knowledge of the fundamental concepts is the most valuable
31 029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	197 information a user can aquire about some program or software system,
029e11dd4de1 Rework in Preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 30 diff changeset	198 this document might 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	199
3ef5449c1175 Moved text; wrote more text; removed ch02.roff. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 5 diff changeset	200
28 6c63083b4c19 Wrote text for the Preface; changed headings in Preface and Introduction. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 27 diff changeset	201 .U2 "Organization
0 dc2bfef4cda7 Initial commit: Basic structure, macros and fonts. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: diff changeset	202 .P
28 6c63083b4c19 Wrote text for the Preface; changed headings in Preface and Introduction. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 27 diff changeset	203 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	204 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	205 RFCs.
6c63083b4c19 Wrote text for the Preface; changed headings in Preface and Introduction. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 27 diff changeset	206 .P
6c63083b4c19 Wrote text for the Preface; changed headings in Preface and Introduction. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 27 diff changeset	207 This thesis is devided into XXX chapters, ...
24 9be9b47eb52d Added text placeholders to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 23 diff changeset	208 .P
9be9b47eb52d Added text placeholders to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 23 diff changeset	209 .I Chapter 1
9be9b47eb52d Added text placeholders to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 23 diff changeset	210 introduces ...
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 2
9be9b47eb52d Added text placeholders to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 23 diff changeset	213 describes ...
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 3
9be9b47eb52d Added text placeholders to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 23 diff changeset	216 covers ...
9be9b47eb52d Added text placeholders to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 23 diff changeset	217
23 1e4afeb34da7 Rework in the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 8 diff changeset	218
28 6c63083b4c19 Wrote text for the Preface; changed headings in Preface and Introduction. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 27 diff changeset	219 .U2 "Acknowledgments
23 1e4afeb34da7 Rework in the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 8 diff changeset	220 .P
24 9be9b47eb52d Added text placeholders to the preface. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 23 diff changeset	221 To be written at the very end.

Mercurial > docs > master

annotate preface.roff @ 49:d3a02f5e63b3