# HG changeset patch # User markus schnalke # Date 1336571440 -7200 # Node ID d996f130e2792de317f1a404bf79cf1c2d59abb4 # Parent 6afbb4a499624f5874906a9f92c6efe9c023b4f7 Some rework and new text in the Preface. diff -r 6afbb4a49962 -r d996f130e279 preface.roff --- a/preface.roff Wed May 09 15:19:30 2012 +0200 +++ b/preface.roff Wed May 09 15:50:40 2012 +0200 @@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ to modernize, stream-line and to exploit the concepts even more thoroughly. -.U2 "The Path to this Thesis +.U2 "Background to this Thesis .P I have discovered nmh in September 2009. At that time I used to use the mail client mutt, like many command line-attracted Unix users do. @@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ Nmh would hardly be hurt by my work as I would not interfere with them. But nmh would profit from my experiences. -.U2 "Focus and Delimitation of the Document +.U2 "Focus of this Document .P This document describes my work on the experimental version, named \fImmh\fP. It explains the changes I did to nmh, with having the focus @@ -111,25 +111,25 @@ thoughts on style, mainly based to the Unix philosophy, are present throughout the discussions. .P -This document is written for the community \(en developers and users \(en -around MH-like mail systems. +This document is written for the community around MH-like mail systems +\(en developers and users. First of all, the document shall propagade the design goals and implementation decisions of mmh. But as well, it shall clarify my -perception of the -concepts of MH and Unix, and the therefrom resulting point of view. -Further more, the document shall explain this view on nmh and mmh. -Despite the focus on MH-like systems, this document can be useful +personal perception of the +concepts of MH and Unix, and explain the therefrom resulting point of view. +Despite the focus on MH-like systems, this document can be worthwhile to anyone interested in the Unix philosophy, as well as anyone -involved in old software projects, be it code-related or community-related. +involved in old software projects, be it code or community-related. .P -The reader is expected to know Unix, C and email well. Good Unix shell +The reader is expected to have good knowledge of Unix, C and emailing. +Good Unix shell knowledge, including shell scripting, is required. MH relies fundamentally on the shell. Without the power of the shell, MH becomes a motorbike -without winding roads. +without winding roads: boring. Introductions to Unix and its shell can be found in XXX. The reader is expected to be familiar with the C programming language, although the -document should be quite readable without knowledge of C, too. +document should be understandable without knowledge of C, too. The book by Kernighan and Ritchie is the definitive guide to C. Some book about system-level C programming is worthwile additional literature. Rochkind and Curry have written such books. @@ -143,6 +143,17 @@ concrete is the literature by Kernighan and Pike XXX. The term paper ``Why the Unix Philosophy still matters'' by myself provides an overview on the topic, including a case study of MH. +Although a brief introduction to MH is provided in Chapter 1, the reader +is encouraged to have a look at the \fIMH Book\fP by Jerry Peek. +It is the definitive guide to MH and nmh. +The current version is available freely on the Internet XXX. +.P +This document is neither a user's tutorial to mmh nor an introduction +to any of the topics covered. It contains discussions on Unix, email +and system design on an advanced level. +However, as knowledge of the fundamental concepts is the most valuable +information over some program or software system a user can aquire, +this document might be worth a read for non-developers too. .U2 "Organization @@ -171,6 +182,7 @@ .\" End or Preface. Start of the normal text. .\" Switch to arabic page numbers and start on a right page. +. .if e \{ . pn 1 . af PN 1