docs/master

annotate preface.roff @ 18:db3567c9cc3f

style: Added format macros for files, functions, switches, etc. Converted the existing text.
author markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de>
date Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:52:25 +0200
parents 8cc0af0724c2
children 1e4afeb34da7
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meillo@0 1 .H0 "Preface" no
meillo@0 2
meillo@8 3 .H1 "How the Fun Began" no
meillo@8 4 .P
meillo@8 5 I have discovered nmh in XXX. I used to use mutt, like many
meillo@8 6 command line-attracted Unix users. Nmh had convinced me conceptually
meillo@8 7 at once. Unfortunately, setting it up to a convenient state became a
meillo@8 8 tendious task. Learning its different model of email handling had,
meillo@8 9 in contrast, been relatively easy. Learning to use MH if you are used
meillo@8 10 to monolithic mail clients is like learning vi if you are used to
meillo@8 11 modeless editors.
meillo@8 12 Once having nmh set up, using it was joy because of its conceptional
meillo@8 13 elegance and scripting capabilities, but on the other hand it was
meillo@8 14 inconvenient in handling attachments, non-ASCII character encodings,
meillo@8 15 and similar stuff. I found it wrong to require more and more scripts
meillo@8 16 and configuration to have it act the expected way. In being a
meillo@8 17 software developer, I wanted to improve the situation.
meillo@8 18 .P
meillo@8 19 In Spring 2010, I asked on the nmh-workers mailing list for the
meillo@8 20 possibility to have a Google Summer of Code project on nmh. Being a
meillo@8 21 student, this appeared attractive to me. Eventually, it had not been
meillo@8 22 possible, but the nmh community started to move. In these months
meillo@8 23 nmh's future was discussed and I became part of a ``Does nmh need an
meillo@8 24 MTA'' discussion. There, my opinion differed from the opinion of
meillo@8 25 most others.
meillo@8 26 .P
meillo@8 27 As it hadn't been possible to work on nmh in a way that would be
meillo@8 28 accepted as part of my official studies, I needed to get my credit
meillo@8 29 points in some other way. But half a year later I was back. Starting
meillo@8 30 in Summer 2010, I took one semester off to travel through Latin America.
meillo@8 31 Within this time, I needed to do practical computer work for three
meillo@8 32 months. Richard Sandelman, an active nmh user, made it possible for
meillo@8 33 me to work on nmh during this time. Juan Granda, from Santiago del
meillo@8 34 Estero in Argentina, provided a computer and Internet connection.
meillo@8 35 Within these three month, I became familiar with nmh's code base and
meillo@8 36 its community. I learned how things work. Quickly it was obvious that
meillo@8 37 I wouldn't succeed to improve on the non-ASCII character encoding
meillo@8 38 problems, as this is one of the most intricate parts of the system.
meillo@8 39 Instead I improved code as I read through it. I found minor bugs in
meillo@8 40 the code and could improve the documentation. When I started with
meillo@8 41 larger code changes, I had to discover that the community's wish for
meillo@8 42 compatibility was stronger than its wish for convenient
meillo@8 43 out-of-the-box setups. This lead to long discussions, again. Finally,
meillo@8 44 I understand their point of view, but it's not mine.
meillo@8 45 At the end of my three-month project, I had became familiar with
meillo@8 46 nmh's code base and community, I had improved both a bit, and I still
meillo@8 47 was convinced that I wanted to go on with it.
meillo@8 48 .P
meillo@8 49 Another half a year later, I needed a topic for my master's thesis.
meillo@8 50 Now it was clear: I wanted to work on nmh. No, not exactly nmh,
meillo@8 51 because I had accepted that the nmh community has different goals
meillo@8 52 than I have. The won't be much progress if generally different opinions
meillo@8 53 lead to long discussions. After careful thought, I had decided to
meillo@8 54 start an experimental version of nmh. I wanted to go my way and see
meillo@8 55 where it would lead to. Time would tell if it would prove successful.
meillo@8 56 Nmh would hardly be hurt by my work, but could profit from my
meillo@8 57 experiences later.
meillo@8 58 .P
meillo@8 59 When I started to work on mmh, my experimental version, in Fall 2011,
meillo@8 60 activity in nmh rose suddenly. While I was working on mmh, XXX were
meillo@8 61 working on nmh. After long years of idleing, nmh was actively
meillo@8 62 developed again. That was a good sign. My own work went in parallel
meillo@8 63 and unrelated. Today, my experimental version became de facto a fork.
meillo@8 64 The mail storage, however, is still compatible.
meillo@8 65
meillo@8 66
meillo@5 67 .H1 "Naming Conventions" no
meillo@0 68 .P
meillo@5 69 There are three different versions of MH available currently: original MH,
meillo@5 70 nmh, and mmh. Following is a description how the terms are used.
meillo@0 71 .P
meillo@5 72 .B MH
meillo@5 73 (Mail Handler).
meillo@5 74 Used for any MH-like mail systems, namely the original MH, nmh, and mmh.
meillo@5 75 .P
meillo@5 76 .B "Mail client" .
meillo@5 77 Synonym for MUA. The part of the mail software the user directly
meillo@5 78 interacts with.
meillo@0 79
meillo@0 80
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