From e0c7ae7028b7aab04d2437679a99d5ad43c0c83e Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: "Bruce A. Mah" Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2001 16:29:28 +0000 Subject: [PATCH] More README file cleanup, mostly for style. Also punt the readers to the Handbook for more documentation sources. Mention INSTALL.TXT as one of the other release documentation files. --- release/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/readme/about.sgml | 121 +++++++++--------- release/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/readme/intro.sgml | 75 ++++++----- release/doc/share/sgml/release.ent | 2 + 3 files changed, 107 insertions(+), 91 deletions(-) diff --git a/release/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/readme/about.sgml b/release/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/readme/about.sgml index 1a33d149c213..779b552cc65b 100644 --- a/release/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/readme/about.sgml +++ b/release/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/readme/about.sgml @@ -12,91 +12,92 @@ come from the old ABOUT.TXT. About &os; - What is &os;? &os; is an operating system based on 4.4 BSD + &os; is an operating system based on 4.4 BSD Lite for Intel, AMD, Cyrix or NexGen x86 based PC hardware and Compaq (formerly DEC) Alpha computers. Versions for the IA64 and PowerPC architectures are currently under development as well. &os; works with a - very wide variety of PC peripherals and configurations and can be - used for everything from software development to Internet Service + wide variety of peripherals and configurations and can be + used for everything from software development to games to Internet Service Provision. This release of &os; contains everything you need to run - such a system, including full source code for everything. With the - source distribution installed you can literally recompile the entire + such a system, including full source code for the kernel and all + utilities in the base distribution. With the + source distribution installed, you can literally recompile the entire system from scratch with one command, making it ideal for students, - researchers or folks who simply want to see how it all works. + researchers, or users who simply want to see how it all works. - A large collection of third party ported software (the - Ports Collection) is also provided to make it easier - for you to obtain and install all your favorite traditional UNIX - utilities for &os;. Over 5000 ports, from editors to programming + A large collection of third-party ported software (the + Ports Collection) is also provided to make it easy + to obtain and install all your favorite traditional UNIX + utilities for &os;. Each + port consists of a set of scripts to retrieve, + configure, build, and install a piece of software, with a single + command. Over 5000 ports, from editors to programming languages to graphical applications, make &os; a powerful and comprehensive operating environment that extends far beyond what's - provided by many commercial versions of UNIX. + provided by many commercial versions of UNIX. Most ports are also + available as pre-compiled packages, which can be + quickly installed from the installation program. - For more documentation on this system it is recommended that - you purchase The Complete FreeBSD, available from local bookstores - and from The FreeBSD Mall (http://www.freebsdmall.com), - as well as the 4.4BSD Document Set from O'Reilly Associates and the - USENIX Association, ISBN 1-56592-082-1. We have no connection with - O'Reilly, we're just satisfied customers! + Pointers to more documentation on &os; can be found in the + Books + & Magazines Specific to FreeBSD section of the FreeBSD Handbook. + Because of &os;'s strong UNIX heritage, many other documents written + for UNIX systems are applicable as well. A selection of these books + can be found in the Handbook's Bibliography. + If you're new to &os; then you should also read - everything - listed in the Documentation menu on the boot floppy. It may seem - like a lot to read, but you should at least acquaint yourself with - the types of information available should you later get stuck. Once - the system is installed, you can also revisit this menu and use a - Web browser to read the installed FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) - and Handbook HTML documentation sets for &os;. Note that on-line + all of the documentation files listed in , + all of which are available from the Documentation menu in the + installation program. + It may seem + like a lot to read, but it's important to at least acquaint yourself with + the types of information available, should you run into problems later. Once + the system is installed, you can also revisit this menu by running + the &man.sysinstall.8; utility. + + On-line versions of the FAQ and Handbook are also + url="http://www.freebsd.org/faq/">FAQ (Frequently Asked + Questions) document and Handbook are always available from the FreeBSD Project Web - site, if you have an Internet connection. See - README.TXT for more information on the - resources available to you. + site or its mirrors. + If you install the + doc distribution set, you can use a + Web browser to read the FAQ and Handbook locally. - If you read no other documentation before installing a given - version of &os;, you should at least by all means read - the errata for that release so that you don't stumble - over problems which have already been found and fixed. The - ERRATA.TXT file accompanying your release (it - should be right next to this file) is obviously already out of - date by definition, but other copies are kept updated on the net + It is extremely important to read the errata for any given + release before installing it, to learn about any + late-breaking news or post-release problems. + The + errata file accompanying each release + (most likely right next to this file) is already out of + date by definition, but other copies are kept updated on the Internet and should be consulted as the current errata for - your release (this is also what your - ERRATA.TXT file says, by the way). These - other copies of the errata are located at: - - - - http://www.freebsd.org/releases/ - - - ftp://ftp.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD/releases/your-release/ERRATA.TXT - (and any sites which keep up-to-date mirrors of this - location). - - - + this release. These + other copies of the errata are located at + + (as well as any sites which keep up-to-date mirrors of this + location). While &os; does its best to safeguard against accidental - loss of data, it's still more than possible to wipe out - your entire disk - with this installation! Please do not proceed to the - final &os; installation menu unless you've adequately backed up - any important data first! We really mean it! + loss of data, it is still more than possible to accidentally erase + entire disks + with this installation. Please remember to back up any important + data before beginning the &os; + installation process. - - - diff --git a/release/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/readme/intro.sgml b/release/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/readme/intro.sgml index 13f84f637fa1..6e9a398bc545 100644 --- a/release/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/readme/intro.sgml +++ b/release/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/readme/intro.sgml @@ -12,49 +12,56 @@ old README.TXT (the file with Chuck in ASCII art). Introduction - This is a binary snapshot of &os; &release.current;, the - &release.branch; branch that is currently moving towards - &release.next;. - - Feedback or offers to help with anything you see in this - release are most welcome and should be sent to one of the - appropriate mailing lists, as listed in . + This distribution is a &release.type; of &os; &release.current;, the + latest point along the &release.branch; branch. Target Audience - This release is aimed primarily at early-adopters and the - various other folks who want to get involved with the ongoing - development of &os; and are willing to deal with a few bumps in - the road. We do our best to ensure that each snapshot works as - advertised, but tracking -CURRENT is a process which frequently - has its off days. +This &release.type; is aimed primarily at early adopters and + various other users who want to get involved with the ongoing + development of &os;. While the &os; development team tries its + best to ensure that each &release.type; works as + advertised, &release.branch; is very much a work-in-progress. - If you're both technically proficient and know exactly what - you're getting into here (e.g. you've been following -CURRENT) - then this snapshot is probably for you. If you're more interested - in doing business with &os; than in playing with the cutting - edge of technology, however, then 3.x or 4.x is almost certainly - your best bet. + The basic requirements for using this &release.type are + technical proficiency with &os; and an understanding of the ongoing + development process of &os; &release.current; + (as discussed on the &a.current;). + + For those more interested + in doing business with &os; than in experimenting with new &os; + technology, formal releases (such as &release.prev;) are frequently more + appropriate. Releases undergo a period of testing and quality + assurance checking to ensure high reliability and dependability. +]]> + +This &release.type; of &os; is suitable for all users. It has + undergone a period of testing and quality assurance + checking to ensure the highest reliability and dependability. +]]> - If you're a developer/hobbiest and not interested in QA'd - releases so much as simply keeping up to date on the latest &os; - technology, you can also install one of our - snapshot releases. - - - For More Information + + Release Documentation A number of other files provide more specific information - about this distribution. + about this &release.type; distribution. These files are provided + in various formats. Most distributions will include both ASCII + text (.TXT) and HTML + (.HTM) renditions. Some distributions may + also include other formats such as PostScript + (.PS) or Portable Document Format + (.PDF). README.TXT: This file, which gives some general information about &os; as well as some - cursory notes about installation.. + cursory notes about obtaining a distribution. RELNOTES.TXT: The release notes, @@ -66,13 +73,19 @@ old README.TXT (the file with Chuck in ASCII art). compatability list, showing devices with which &os; has been tested and is known to work. + + INSTALL.TXT: Installation + instructions for installing &os; from its distribution + media. + ERRATA.TXT: Release errata. Late-breaking, post-release information can be found in this - file. Read this file! It will tell you where to look for + file, which is principally applicable to releases (as opposed to + snapshots). It is important to consult this file before + installing a release of &os;, as it contains the latest information on problems which have been found and - fixed since this release was created (and may bite - you). + fixed since the release was created. diff --git a/release/doc/share/sgml/release.ent b/release/doc/share/sgml/release.ent index 17c158401745..ba3f00ebdf5d 100644 --- a/release/doc/share/sgml/release.ent +++ b/release/doc/share/sgml/release.ent @@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ + +