Please CC me on this, I'm not on tech-userlevel, but am interested in this
discussion.

On 09-Dec-97 Ty Sarna spoke unto us all:
# Here's the arguments pro and con for adding a new how-to section:
# 
# + How-to's are logically separate from "system maintenance and operation
#   commands"

Which is why I vote against section 8.

# 
# + Some people are confused by, eg, adduser(8), which they think is a
#   program.

Perhaps it just needs to say right in the beginning "This is a how to NOT a
binary"

# 
# + Creating a section for how-tos may stimulate writing more of them.

That is a good thing, we need more how-tos and what not, to let users get
netbsd running smoothly, and keep them from degrading thier system to linux or
whatnot.

# 
# + There's no shortage of tasks that need how-tos written about them
#   (setting up network boot server, compiling a kernel, seetting up a
#   multi-os boot, etc.)

Alot of this can be taken from Dave's excellent FAQ, and just converted to a
man style page.

# 
# + There are a few how-to pages already so that it won't be entirely bare
#   (adduser, compat_xxx, the w95boot page I wrote)

If we do make a section, all this should be moved.

# 
# - There is only one section digit left (0), which might be better user
#   for something else (user introduction or unix novice documentatiuon or
#   something)

I don't think we should use the 0.  I'm sure it will be more useful for
something else eventually

# 
# - The only alternative to 0 is a letter. The only precedent for this I
#   know of is Tcl's section 'n'.

I personally don't see why you wouldn't want it in section 7.  It is a section
for "miscelaneous" things.  Its not really used other than explaning how to use
groff and the like.. and those are "kinda" how-to's..

If you really wanted to..  we could make a help section.. like /usr/share/doc..
and fill it with these sort of how tos.  The problem with this is you lose the
man interface to it..  If it had to be it's own category.. I would suggest
something like H for HELP or wotever..

I think 8 is a very poor section for all of this.  I think of 8 as more system
level programs.. things like newfs.. which a non root user never needs, and is
not by any means a how to.. but a man page for the program.  System
administration type stuff should go here.

Section 7 is pretty much unused.. why not put it to some use?

---
Tim Rightnour    -  root@garbled.futureone.com
http://www.zynetwc.com/~garbled/garbled.html