Subj : Re: Is (Redhat) Linux just a cheap version of Windows?
To   : comp.os.linux.redhat,comp.os.linux
From : Jim Levie
Date : Thu Sep 02 2004 08:56 am

On Thu, 02 Sep 2004 00:55:04 -0700, Singburi Sam wrote:
> 
> Let me contrast this with my present system.  When I boot Redhat the first
> thing I do when I get control is to send STOP signals to magicdev and
> eggcups.  I stumbled on this procedure through a combination of
> trial-and-error, and the techniques I would have used in Version 7 when
> coping with a malicious user.
> 
magicdev is a daemon that watches for media being inserted into a drive
(CD, floppy, etc) and when it see that happen it will mount the volume. It
can be stopped or completely removed from the system (rpm -e magicdev)
with no detrimental affects.

eggcups is a utility that watches the status of the printing system and
shown that status in the printer icon on the Gnome taskbar.

> 
> On Version 7, I could get a clue about ``eggcups'' with ``man eggcups.''
> I know Mr. Stallman wouldn't approve of that, but ``info eggcups''
> doesn't work either.  ``eggcups --help'' does have some effect: it tells
> me, for example, to type ``--oaf-activate-iid=IID'' if I'm interested in
> ``Bonobo activation Support.''  Hunh?  Earth to Redhat: I was (vaguely)
> curious about eggcups; the ``--help'' option explains zero but throws
> more meaningless brand-names at me!
> 
> If some kind soul answers my message, please don't tell me what, if
> anything, eggcups and magicdev do -- I'm afraid my curiosity has waned
> -- but do clue me in why there's no ``info'' or ``man'' for these
> programs, though they start up by default.  I'd also be curious to see
> the summary of Redhat's internal debate, where they decided their
> customers needed to run, by default, programs with no apparent purpose
> except to slow down the machine.
> 
In the "old days" every utility and file type on a Unix machine had a man
page and later a man page or an info node. Sadly that's not necessarily
the case any more. I suspect that's because too many developers just don't
know how to write a man page because the only dcoumentation they've ever
done has been with a Wysiwyg tool and there's not one for roff.

-- 
The instructions said to use Windows 98 or better, so I installed RedHat.

.