From nobody@FreeBSD.ORG  Sat Dec 18 22:16:51 1999
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Date: Sat, 18 Dec 1999 22:16:51 -0800 (PST)
From: johnpipe@nwserv.com
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To: freebsd-gnats-submit@freebsd.org
Subject: man page for 'man' doesn't explain syntax for accessing "SEE ALSO" numbered pages.
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>Number:         15557
>Category:       docs
>Synopsis:       man page for 'man' doesn't explain syntax for accessing "SEE ALSO" numbered pages.
>Confidential:   no
>Severity:       non-critical
>Priority:       low
>Responsible:    asmodai
>State:          closed
>Quarter:        
>Keywords:       
>Date-Required:  
>Class:          doc-bug
>Submitter-Id:   current-users
>Arrival-Date:   Sat Dec 18 22:20:01 PST 1999
>Closed-Date:    Mon Dec 20 06:49:51 PST 1999
>Last-Modified:  Mon Dec 20 06:50:40 PST 1999
>Originator:     John Meshkoff
>Release:        o FreeBSD 3.3-STABLE (vs. 3.3-RC) - This includes minor
>Organization:
Siva Kalpa Productions
>Environment:
FreeBSD web2.sea.nwserv.com 3.3-STABLE FreeBSD 3.3-STABLE #0: Sun Nov 21 16:12:06 GM
T 1999     dpk@web2.sea.nwserv.com:/usr/src/sys/compile/NWSERV-S  i386
>Description:
As a novice user, I encountered the problem that I didn't know how to
 access man pages under "SEE ALSO" where those pages were given in the
 form:
   
    "SEE ALSO
         sysctl(3),  uname(3),  sysctl(8)"

the command 'man man' (i.e., the man page for 'man') ought to explain 
and give an example of the syntax, so new users can find how to access
 these pages; the syntax is not at all apparent, since parentheses are 
not used in the 'man' command, and the syntax is opposite of that 
implied above, i.e.,

   "man 3 sysctl".  

I only found out how to do this because a reply to a question posted to
 best.unix (local group on best.com) included a paste-in of the
 command format.
>How-To-Repeat:

>Fix:
Add command syntax explanation and example for numbered man pages to 
the man page for 'man'.

>Release-Note:
>Audit-Trail:
Responsible-Changed-From-To: freebsd-doc->asmodai 
Responsible-Changed-By: asmodai 
Responsible-Changed-When: Sun Dec 19 02:07:22 PST 1999 
Responsible-Changed-Why:  
I'll take this. 

From: Jeroen Ruigrok/Asmodai <asmodai@freebsd.org>
To: johnpipe@nwserv.com
Cc: freebsd-gnats-submit@freebsd.org
Subject: Re: docs/15557: man page for 'man' doesn't explain syntax for accessing "SEE ALSO" numbered pages.
Date: Sun, 19 Dec 1999 17:03:30 +0100

 -On [19991219 08:00], johnpipe@nwserv.com (johnpipe@nwserv.com) wrote:
 >>Fix:
 >Add command syntax explanation and example for numbered man pages to 
 >the man page for 'man'.
 
 My current idea is to do include an Examples section in man.man which
 gives two examples, one calling a manual page normally, and one with the
 section number incorporated into it.
 
 I welcome other people's ideas though.
 
 -- 
 Jeroen Ruigrok van der Werven/Asmodai           asmodai@[wxs.nl|bart.nl]
 Documentation nutter.          *BSD: Technical excellence at its best...  
 The BSD Programmer's Documentation Project <http://home.wxs.nl/~asmodai>
 Atone me to my throes curtail...
 
State-Changed-From-To: open->closed 
State-Changed-By: asmodai 
State-Changed-When: Mon Dec 20 06:49:51 PST 1999 
State-Changed-Why:  
Fixed in rev 1.10 of CURRENT's src/gnu/usr.bin/man/man/man.man. 
Fixed in rev 1.6.2.2 of STABLE's src/gnu/usr.bin/man/man/man.man. 

Thanks for noticing. 
>Unformatted:
