On Fri, May 23, 2008 at 4:16 PM, Stephen Hahn <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>  Regarding the -s option:  Once, I'd hoped we could collect the man
>  directories from the smf(5) template information across all services.
>
>  That's still not enough, though.  In keeping with our new model, we
>  should really see packages deliver a file with their man path or paths
>  into some well known directory.  -s should concatenate these files
>  into an effective man path.

How about having packages deliver man pages as actions? The
appropriate handler could figure out how exactly how it is stored
(compressed, preformatted, etc.) based upon configuration, how the
windex file is updated, etc.  This provides an effective means for
delivering them today with whatever glue is needed to merge between
the arcane past and the hopefully-not-arcane future.

>  So, maybe
>
>  /etc/man/paths
>
>  contains files like
>
>  /etc/man/paths/SUNWxscreensaver-hacks
>
>  which has contents
>
>  /usr/share/X11/man

This seems like it would work, but there are two things that I don't like:

- It introduces an interface (for package producers) that feels like a
workaround.
- It will add hundreds or thousands of tiny files, which ontribute to
longer times for things like installation, restore, etc.  If these
files are read during boot it can add a lot of random reads to the
boot process.

However - if that is the mechanism used behind a man page action, it
seems to be an OK mechanism until more attention can be paid.

-- 
Mike Gerdts
http://mgerdts.blogspot.com/
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