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From: allbery@ncoast.UUCP (Brandon Allbery)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions,comp.sources.wanted
Subject: Re: "RTFM!" (Was: Multiple Field Sorts in UNIX(tm))
Message-ID: <3635@ncoast.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 26-Jul-87 17:54:32 EDT
Article-I.D.: ncoast.3635
Posted: Sun Jul 26 17:54:32 1987
Date-Received: Wed, 29-Jul-87 04:28:34 EDT
References: <2459@whuts.UUCP> <758@custom.UUCP>
Reply-To: allbery@ncoast.UUCP (Brandon Allbery)
Followup-To: comp.unix.questions
Organization: Cleveland Public Access UN*X, Cleveland, Oh
Lines: 34
Xref: mnetor comp.unix.questions:3374 comp.sources.wanted:1744

As quoted from <758@custom.UUCP> by boykin@custom.UUCP (Joseph Boykin):
+---------------
| In article <2459@whuts.UUCP>, tes@whuts.UUCP (STERKEL) writes:
| (about a problem involving sort, which can be solved via the man page)
|
| There are a bunch of options which help delimit what a field looks
| like, sorting order, etc.  Check sort(1) for details.
+---------------

PET PEEVE TIME!!!

Anyone who's been forced to use Xenix 3.0 _knows_ that the man pages are
strictly _optional_.  PLEASE, don't assume that everyone's got the man pages
-- some brain-damaged resellers leave them out or make them optional or
put them in the development system or etc.!

Some people at Oberlin College here can't install a copy of a program given to
them on PC disks onto their 3B2/300 because the manuals weren't given to them
with the system, so they can't find the command to use to read the PC disks,
although they are certain that there is one.  3B2s, FOR G*D'S SAKE!  If AT&T
can omit the manuals, so can anyone else!  Sad, decidedly bogus behavior, but
unfortunately it seems to be true.

I _replied_ to the original posting, and gave a (hopefully) clear description
of the way to use the "sort" command.  Because I've had to use systems that
didn't have manuals.  If the UN*X (re-)sellers start doing bogus things with
the manuals, then people will post to the net for help, and it behooves those
who know the answer to help the unfortunates.  (Or to support GNU, and thereby
thumb their noses at the bogus (re-)sellers.)
-- 
 Brandon S. Allbery, moderator of comp.sources.misc and comp.binaries.ibm.pc
  {{harvard,mit-eddie}!necntc,well!hoptoad,sun!cwruecmp!hal}!ncoast!allbery
ARPA: necntc!ncoast!allbery@harvard.harvard.edu  Fido: 157/502  MCI: BALLBERY
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