On Tue, 4 May 1999, Tommy Malloy wrote: I agree with this one. Now and then I will install a package in which none of the binaries have the same name as the package, and there is no manpage available, so I have to hunt for the application's _name_. It makes one feel very silly, and can be quite frustrating.
I think that dselect could use an additional tool to navigate through the contents of packages. I realize that there is a "dpkg -l" option, but there must be a better way. - Bill > Suppose you have a Debian Gnu/Linux system set up and fully loaded with > applications. A new user appears who is going to use the system. The > new user is a unix novice. He/she knows enough basic commands to get > by. > Is there a simple way for that user to find every available application > on the system, what the application does, and how to use it? > I really don't think so. Remember apropos only scans man pages. > Looking in /usr/bin isn't much help for finding a tool to do a specific > job unless you already know about it. I really believe that any user > should be able to step up to the machine and quickly and easily find if > an application to do what they want is available. Yes this is available > for many applications, but not for all. > I believe that this serious problem, which is an impediment to Linuxes > mass acceptance could easily be fixed. Debian should not include > application that are not fully documented ie have manpages, info pages > etc > Also some frontend appliction for finding applicatons would be helpful > Somethnig based on he code for dselect would probably work fine. > Please don't suggest that I write it. I can't. I am only commenting > on a feature I would like to see. Please don't ask what type of > applicaton I am looking for so you can help me find it. I am not > looking for an application. But I would like to be able, and have any > users be able, to know what applications are available on my system and > how to use them. > I would like to be able to get that informantion exclusivly from my > computer and not depend on this list, irc, usenet, my big pile of tech > books, or any external source. I am root for heavens sake. > Strictly from a System administration perspective, There should be a > simple way for users to know what apps are available to them. If you > know one please let me know it > > > -- > Unsubscribe? mail -s unsubscribe [EMAIL PROTECTED] < /dev/null > >