From c533072f51c67481f2dbc3a70e23ba5c6633bc6b Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: David Starks-Browning Date: Wed, 7 Jun 2000 10:38:47 +0000 Subject: [PATCH] Major update to "Where can I get more information?" section. Now includes: - Posting guidelines - Pointers to User's Guide, API Reference, USENIX paper - Pointer to alternate searchable mail archive (www.delorie.com) - Addresses for commercial & CD-ROM inquiries --- winsup/doc/how.texinfo | 108 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-------- 1 file changed, 88 insertions(+), 20 deletions(-) diff --git a/winsup/doc/how.texinfo b/winsup/doc/how.texinfo index 6af67cfb0..83c661ee5 100644 --- a/winsup/doc/how.texinfo +++ b/winsup/doc/how.texinfo @@ -4,26 +4,34 @@ @subsection Where's the documentation? -@strong{(Please note: This section has not yet been updated for the latest -net release.)} +There are links to quite a lot of it on the main Cygwin project web +page: @file{http://sourceware.cygnus.com/cygwin/}. Be sure to at least +read any 'Release Notes' or 'Readme' or 'read this' links on the main +web page, if there are any. -There are links to quite a lot of it on the main Cygwin project WWW page: -@file{http://sourceware.cygnus.com/cygwin/} -Be sure to at least read the Release Notes on the main WWW page, if -there are any. +There is a comprehensive Cygwin User's Guide at +@file{http://sourceware.cygnus.com/cygwin/cygwin-ug-net/cygwin-ug-net.html} +and an API Reference at +@file{http://sourceware.cygnus.com/cygwin/cygwin-api/cygwin-api.html}. -Tool-specific documentation is available at: -@file{http://www.cygnus.com/pubs/gnupro/} +There is an interesting paper about Cygwin from the 1998 USENIX Windows +NT Workshop Proceedings at +@file{http://sourceware.cygnus.com/cygwin/usenix-98/cygwin.html}. + +You can find documentation for the individual GNU tools at +@file{http://www.fsf.org/manual/}. (You should read GNU manuals from a +local mirror, check @file{http://www.fsf.org/server/list-mirrors.html} +for a list of them.) @subsection What Cygwin mailing lists can I join? -@strong{(Please note: This section has not yet been updated for the latest -net release.)} +Comprehensive information about the Cygwin mailing lists can be found at +@file{http://sourceware.cygnus.com/cygwin/lists.html}. To subscribe to the main list, send a message to cygwin-subscribe@@sourceware.cygnus.com. To unsubscribe from the main list, send a message to cygwin-unsubscribe@@sourceware.cygnus.com. -In both cases, the subject and body of the message is ignored. +In both cases, the subject and body of the message are ignored. Similarly, to subscribe to the Cygwin annoucements list, send a message to cygwin-announce-subscribe@@sourceware.cygnus.com. To unsubscribe, @@ -31,21 +39,81 @@ send a message to cygwin-announce-unsubscribe@@sourceware.cygnus.com. If you are going to help develop the Cygwin library by volunteering for the project, you will want to subscribe to the Cygwin developers list, -called cygwin-developers. The same mechanism as described for the first -two lists works for this one as well. +called cygwin-developers. If you are contributing to Cygwin tools & +applications, rather than the library itself, then you should subscribe +to cygwin-apps. The same mechanism as described for the first two lists +works for these as well. Both cygwin-developers and cygwin-apps are +by-approval lists. -There's an archive of the main mailing list at +There is a searchable archive of the main mailing list at +@file{http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/cygwin/}. There is an alternate +archive, also searchable, at @file{http://www.delorie.com/archives/}. -@file{http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/cygwin/} +Cygwin mailing lists are not gatewayed to USENET, so anti-spam measures +in your email address are neither required nor appreciated. Also, avoid +sending HTML content to Cygwin mailing lists. @subsection Why won't you/the mailing list answer my questions? -@strong{(Please note: This section has not yet been updated for the latest -net release.)} +If you follow these guidelines, you are much more likely to get a +helpful response from the Cygwin developers and/or the Cygwin community at +large: -Perhaps your question has an answer that's already in the FAQ. -Perhaps nobody has time to answer your question. Perhaps nobody -knows the answer... +@itemize @bullet +@item Read the User's Guide and the FAQ first. +@item Check the mailing list archives. Your topic may have come up +before. (It may even have been answered!) Use the search facilities +at the links above. Try the alternate site if the main archive is not +producing search results. +@item Explain your problem carefully and completely. "I installed Blah +and it doesn't work!" wastes everybody's time. It provides no +information for anyone to help you with your problem. You should +provide: + +@itemize @bullet +@item A problem statement: How does it behave, how do you think it +should behave, and what makes you think it's broken? (Oh yeah, and what +is @emph{"it"}?) +@item Information about your Windows OS ("Win95 OSR2" or "NT4/SP3" or +"Win2K" or "Win98 SE" or ...). +@item Details about your installation process, or attempts at same. (Internet or +Directory install? If the former, exactly when and from what mirror? +If the latter, which packages did you download? Which version of +setup.exe? Any subsequent updates?) +@item Details about your Cygwin setup, accomplished by @emph{pasting} +the output of 'cygcheck -s -v -r' into your message. (Do not send the +output as a file attachment.) +@item A valid return address, so that a reply doesn't require manual editing of +the 'To:' header. +@end itemize + +@item Your message must be relevant to the list. Messages that are +@emph{not} directly related to Cygwin are considered off-topic and are +unwelcome. For example, the following are off-topic: + +@itemize @bullet +@item General programming language questions +@item General Windows programming questions +@item General UNIX shell programming questions +@item General application usage questions +@item How to make millions by working at home +@item Announcements from LaserJet toner cartridge suppliers +@end itemize + +@end itemize + +If you do not follow the above guidelines, you may still elicit a +response, but you may not appreciate it! + +Inquiries about support contracts and commercial licensing should go to +info@@cygnus.com. If you want to purchase the Cygwin 1.0 CD-ROM, visit +@file{http://www.cygnus.com/cygwin/} or write to +cygwin-info@@cygnus.com. While not strictly @emph{unappreciated} in the +main cygwin list, you'll get the information you need more quickly if +you write to the correct address in the first place. + +Beyond that, perhaps nobody has time to answer your question. Perhaps +nobody knows the answer. @section Installation and Setup