RTFM - Read The Fine Manual

From time to time someone here suggests that a newbie RTFM which can be
found using a search engine. I've occasionally tried to find the manual
referenced and have often found either the search engine finds an
unacceptably large number of indirect and therefore useless references
or nothing for my chosen search term. Would it be considered against
policy for this newsgroup to add to this thread a series of replies that
point to specific locations for specific manuals?

Re: RTFM - IETF RFCs

Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) Request For Comments (RFC):
http://www.ietf.org/rfc.html

The RFCs are the documents that describe the design intent of the
various protocols that are used on the Internet.

Re: RTFM - IETF RFCs

NeoPhyte_Rep writes:
> Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) Request For Comments (RFC):
> http://www.ietf.org/rfc.html
>
> The RFCs are the documents that describe the design intent of the
> various protocols that are used on the Internet.

i've index RFCs in various different ways
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/rfcietff.htm

some RFCs are also STDs ... i.e. the protocol (and other) standards
for internet operation
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/rfcstd.htm#stand
and
http://www.galric.com/~lynn/rfcdoc.htm#STDdoc

there is also defined process that proposed/pending standards go thru
.... first (RFCs) as proposed standards
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/rfcstd.htm#prop

and then progress to draft standards
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/rfcstd.htm#draf

before moving on to full standards.

there are numerious other RFCs that are classified as informational
(some giving design intent) or experimental. Then there are some
number of RFCs that are classified as historical and/or obsolete.

then there is a whole process involving internet-drafts ... documents
that haven't yet reached RFC status. i.e.
http://www.ietf.org/ID.html

Re: RTFM - LDP HOWTO-INDEX

The Linux Documentation Project (tLDP) HOWTO-INDEX
http://tldp.org/HOWTO/HOWTO-INDEX/index.html

I series of documents that attempt to give basic information about how
to use various Linux (and other *NIX operating system) programs.

Re: RTFM - Read The Fine Manual

Post removed (X-No-Archive: yes)

Re: RTFM - USA DSS NISPOM

United States of America (USA) Department of Defense (DoD) Defense
Security Service (DSS) National Industrial Security Program (NISPOM):
http://www.dss.mil/files/pdf/nispom2006-5220.pdf

"(NISPOM) prescribes the requirements, restrictions, and other
safeguards to prevent unauthorized disclosure of classified information."

This is the current US government manual that describes a way to erase a
computer disk drive so no one can read it without a substantial
investment of time.

Re: RTFM - Read The Fine Manual

Sebastian Gottschalk wrote:
> NeoPhyte_Rep wrote:
>
>> From time to time someone here suggests that a newbie RTFM which can be
>> found using a search engine. I've occasionally tried to find the manual
>> referenced and have often found either the search engine finds an
>> unacceptably large number of indirect and therefore useless references
>> or nothing for my chosen search term.
>
> Then your search term was inappropriate. Now please learn hot to STFW!

I agree my search term was inappropriate. That's why I started a
collection of the original source for each manual that has received a
RTFM directive. They must be important enough to read and might be
important enough to share by direct reference since copying a Universal
Record Locater (URL) isn't all that difficult if you have one to copy.

When I start to have more success determining an appropriate search
term, I'll publish a page that describes how I think I succeed. I'm
sorry I'm not there, yet. Currently I'm studying the XHTML and
associated standards and building my personal opinion of what a good web
page should contain. That's not ready for prime time yet either. Sorry
I'm just a HUMAN who keeps trying to improve.

Re: RTFM - Read The Fine Manual

NeoPhyte_Rep writes:

> From time to time someone here suggests that a newbie RTFM which can
> be found using a search engine. I've occasionally tried to find the
> manual referenced and have often found either the search engine finds
> an unacceptably large number of indirect and therefore useless
> references or nothing for my chosen search term. Would it be
> considered against policy for this newsgroup to add to this thread a
> series of replies that point to specific locations for specific
> manuals?

This is a very handy page that references a LOT of man pages--for many
of *nixen out there:

http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi

--
Todd H.
http://www.toddh.net/

Re: RTFM - Read The Fine Manual

On Sat, 06 Jan 2007 19:30:27 GMT, NeoPhyte_Rep wrote:
> From time to time someone here suggests that a newbie RTFM which can be
> found using a search engine. I've occasionally tried to find the manual
> referenced and have often found either the search engine finds an
> unacceptably large number of indirect and therefore useless references
> or nothing for my chosen search term. Would it be considered against
> policy for this newsgroup to add to this thread a series of replies that
> point to specific locations for specific manuals?

Since you did not specify what Operating System you may want to read
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

But the "specific manual" applies to a program or setting up
/something/ for some /Operating System/.

On linux, you might get results by doing a
locate -i some_possible_part_of_a_file_name_here
and wih a filter if you like, Example for thunderbird

locate -i thunder | grep /doc | grep -v /usr/lib | grep -v /usr/src
/local/opt/thunderbird-1.5.0.9/components/docshell.xpt
/usr/share/doc/mozilla-thunderbird-1.5.0.8
/usr/share/doc/mozilla-thunderbird-1.5.0.8/LEGAL

application/file_info manuals file count on my Mandriva Linux
locate /man | wc -l
15714

How To document count
locate howto | wc -l
7523

Then there is http://tldp.org

Re: RTFM - IETF RFC 1118

NeoPhyte_Rep wrote:
> Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) Request For Comments (RFC):
> http://www.ietf.org/rfc.html
>
The Hitchhikers Guide to the Internet
http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc1118.txt?number=1118

Status of this Memo

This RFC is being distributed to members of the Internet community in
order to make available some "hints" which will allow new network
participants to understand how the direction of the Internet is set,
how to acquire online information and how to be a good Internet
neighbor. While the information discussed may not be relevant to the
research problems of the Internet, it may be interesting to a number
of researchers and implementors. No standards are defined or
specified in this memo. Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

Re: RTFM - IETF RFC 1180

NeoPhyte_Rep wrote:
> Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) Request For Comments (RFC):
> http://www.ietf.org/rfc.html
>
A TCP/IP Tutorial
http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc1180.txt?number=1180

Status of this Memo

This RFC is a tutorial on the TCP/IP protocol suite, focusing
particularly on the steps in forwarding an IP datagram from source
host to destination host through a router. It does not specify an
Internet standard. Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

Re: RTFM - IETF RFC 0959 FILE TRANSFER PROTOCOL (FTP)

NeoPhyte_Rep wrote:
> Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) Request For Comments (RFC):
> http://www.ietf.org/rfc.html
>
FILE TRANSFER PROTOCOL (FTP)
http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc0959.txt?number=959

FTP Security Extensions
http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2228.txt?number=2228

Internationalization of the File Transfer Protocol
http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2640.txt?number=2640

Encryption using KEA and SKIPJACK
http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2773.txt?number=2773

Re: RTFM - IETF RFC 1635 How to Use Anonymous FTP

NeoPhyte_Rep wrote:
> Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) Request For Comments (RFC):
> http://www.ietf.org/rfc.html
>
How to Use Anonymous FTP
http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc1635.txt?number=1635

Re: RTFM - NIST SP 800-56A

Recommendation for Pair-Wise Key Establishment Schemes
Using Discrete Logarithm Cryptography

USA National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Special Publication 800-56A
http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/nistpubs/800-56A/sp800-56A _May-3-06.pdf