Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!aplcen!samsung!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!ncar!boulder!ccncsu!oldfield!rsk
From: rsk@oldfield.tmc.edu (Rich Kulawiec)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: The Glossary Project
Summary: It's been covered -- sorta.
Message-ID: <9644@ccncsu.ColoState.EDU>
Date: 24 Sep 90 14:31:04 GMT
References: <2002@island.uu.net>
Sender: news@ccncsu.ColoState.EDU
Organization: Colorado State University
Lines: 40

In article <2002@island.uu.net> daniel@island.COM (Daniel Smith) writes:
>	Seems as if it would be pretty helpful to have a glossary
>available on Unix (and other) systems - something where every entry
>explained in less than 10 lines what different programs are, what different
>terminology/acronyms are, etc.  Sort of like the hackers
>dictionary, but different subject matter.

A first-cut solution to this may already exist: the Unix Pocket Guide.
I co-wrote this with Francie Newbery several year ago when we both
worked at Purdue; I'm now updating it to reflect the changes that
have taken place since then.

The PG has entries for 274 user-level commands, with an emphasis on
those most heavily used.  (For instance, "ratfor" is certainly
a user-level command, but it's not one of those most-used.)
The PG was written in an all-BSD environment, so it makes no
allowances for the System-V world.  It does, however, include
many non-BSD commands in common use, e.g. the MH commands, RCS,
vnews/readnews, rn/Pnews/Rnmail, etc.

Each entry has been written with the "typical" user in mind: i.e.
not every option or every command has been covered.  The PG is *not*
a replacement for the manual set.  But it is a handy quick reference
which seems to answer most questions for most users quickly.  Entries
are cross-referenced.

Introductory pages and appendices cover items such as commonly-used
file suffixes and file names; regular expressions; ex/vi quick
reference; commonly-used terms (e.g. "stdin"), environment variables, etc.

The hardcopy version is bound with a spiral binding and fits in a shirt
pocket.  As of the last time, I checked, there were still a thousand
or so copies remaining at Purdue - drop me a line if you want ordering info.
(They're about $1.75 each.)

---Rsk
--
Be seeing you,
Rich Kulawiec
rsk@cs.colostate.edu, rsk@ecn.purdue.edu, pur-ee!rsk