Path: csiph.com!goblin2!goblin1!goblin.stu.neva.ru!usenet.stanford.edu!not-for-mail From: Newsgroups: gnu.groff.bug Subject: [bug #58653] Please add back in the mdoc(7) manual Date: Wed, 24 Jun 2020 18:13:32 -0400 (EDT) Lines: 76 Approved: bug-groff@gnu.org Message-ID: References: <20200624-221331.sv200595.64640@savannah.gnu.org> NNTP-Posting-Host: lists.gnu.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain;charset=UTF-8 X-Trace: usenet.stanford.edu 1593036815 12148 209.51.188.17 (24 Jun 2020 22:13:35 GMT) X-Complaints-To: action@cs.stanford.edu To: , bug-groff@gnu.org Envelope-to: bug-groff@gnu.org X-PHP-Originating-Script: 1001:sendmail.php X-Savane-Server: savannah.gnu.org:443 [209.51.188.72] X-Savane-Project: groff X-Savane-Tracker: bugs X-Savane-Item-ID: 58653 User-Agent: w3m/0.5.3+git20180520 X-Apparently-From: 24.22.130.192 (Savane authenticated user hackerb9) In-Reply-To: X-BeenThere: bug-groff@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.23 Precedence: list List-Id: "Bug reports for the GNU version of nroff, troff et al" List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-Mailman-Original-Message-ID: <20200624-221331.sv200595.64640@savannah.gnu.org> Xref: csiph.com gnu.groff.bug:1881 URL: Summary: Please add back in the mdoc(7) manual Project: GNU troff Submitted by: hackerb9 Submitted on: Wed 24 Jun 2020 10:13:31 PM UTC Category: Macro - mdoc Severity: 3 - Normal Item Group: Documentation Status: None Privacy: Public Assigned to: None Open/Closed: Open Discussion Lock: Any Planned Release: None _______________________________________________________ Details: According to Ingo Schwarze on the groff mailing list, the groff project recently convinced the Linux man pages project to remove their mdoc(7) manual as it was outdated by a few decades. However, the groff project lacks anything equivalent to mdoc(7). Ingo suggested I try mandoc.bsd.lv, but I found it more cryptic and less helpful. Yes, there is a man page for groff_mdoc(7), but it is a "complete reference" which is rather difficult for a beginner to get started using mdoc. In contrast, mdoc(7) from the Linux man pages was a quick reference on the macro names and their meanings, laid out in a logical fashion. At the top, mdoc(7) informs the reader to check groff_mdoc(7) for the nitty gritty. groff_mdoc(7) appears to have been based upon mdoc.samples(7) which was written as a companion to mdoc(7). Although groff_mdoc(7) removed all references to mdoc(7), it does not stand alone well. As somone new to the world of troff, I found mdoc(7) to be necessary when I attempted my first serious man pages. If I had had only groff_mdoc(7) available, I would have given up. Please import the old mdoc(7) file into the groff project so that it can become available on all GNU/Linux machines once again. Please do not wait to update it before importing. Even outdated, it is extremely useful and mostly correct. Once in Savannah, it can be iteratively improved via bug reports. The mdoc(7) file can be viewed online here: https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man7/mdoc.7.html And the troff can be found here: https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/docs/man-pages/man-pages.git/tree/man7/mdoc.7?id=6474f351fd8ac68e6e0c8820bb8926c6b9e3ec97 Thanks! _______________________________________________________ Reply to this item at: _______________________________________________ Message sent via Savannah https://savannah.gnu.org/