![[BACK]](/cvsweb/icons/back.gif){kind=icon}
Return to 2.1 CVS log ![[TXT]](/cvsweb/icons/text.gif){kind=icon}
![[DIR]](/cvsweb/icons/dir.gif){kind=icon}
Up to [CSRG BSD Unix] / 43BSDReno / share / doc / usd / 11.notes|
Return to 2.1 CVS log | Up to [CSRG BSD Unix] / 43BSDReno / share / doc / usd / 11.notes |
1.1 root 1: .\" @(#)2.1 6.1 (Berkeley) 5/26/86
2: .\"
3: .ls 1
4: .ch "Using Notesfiles"
5:
6: The notesfile system is invoked with a single command line.
7: Most notesfile commands require only a single character (like the vi editor).
8: Those that require more than one character are terminated by a carriage
9: return.
10:
11: .se "Invocation"
12:
13: Invoke the notesfile system with:
14:
15: notes [ -sxi ] [-a subsequencer] [ -t termtype ] [ -f nfile ] [ topic1 ] [ topic2 ... ]
16:
17: The topic list (e.g., topic1) specifies the notesfiles to read.
18: Invoking the notes system with NO arguments yields a list of some
19: available topics.
20: When more than one topic is specified, the user encounters each topic
21: sequentially (i.e., topic2 is entered upon completion of topic1).
22:
23: The -s switch activates the ``notesfile sequencer'' which is discussed
24: in section 2.8.
25: Specify ``-x'' to use the extended sequencer.
26: The ``-i'' flag selects yet another sequencing mode.
27: The ``-a'' option specifies a particular subsequencer.
28: This allows several users sharing a signon to maintain their
29: own sequencing timestamp information.
30:
31: The -t option directs the notesfile system to use ``termtype'' as the user's
32: terminal type, overriding the TERM shell variable.
33:
34: The -f option directs the notesfile system to read the contents
35: of the file ``nfile'' for a list of notesfiles to read.
36: See section 2.3 (``The -f Option'')
37: for more information on the format of this file.
38:
39: .se "Notesfile Names and Wildcards"
40:
41: Notesfiles can be specified in several ways.
42: The most common way is to merely give the name of the notesfile,
43: such as ``general''.
44: These notesfiles typically reside in the directory
45: ``/usr/spool/notes''.
46: Notesfiles may also be specified by their complete pathname;
47: thus you could also refer to ``general'' by its full
48: pathname ``/usr/spool/notes/general''.
49: Using complete naming, notesfiles can be placed anywhere in
50: the filesystem.
51: This allows ``private'' notesfiles to be
52: stored in personal directories.
53:
54: The notesfile system supports pattern matching for names in
55: the same manner as the shell.
56: By using the shell meta-characters ``*'', ``?'', ``['' and ``]'', the user
57: can specify a number of notesfiles with a single entry.
58: To read all the notesfiles that pertain to
59: unix, enter the following
60: line (the quotes are required to protect the metacharacters from interpretation
61: by the shell):
62:
63: notes ``*unix*''
64:
65: There are several ways to read the notesfiles
66: test1, test2, test3 and test4:
67:
68: notes test1 test2 test3 test4
69: .br
70: notes ``test?''
71: .br
72: notes ``test[1234]''
73:
74: Entries can also be eliminated from the list of notesfiles to
75: look at.
76: By prefixing a notesfile name (possibly containing wildcard characters)
77: with a `!', the notesfiles are excluded from the list
78: to be examined.
79: If one wished to look at all of the ``test'' notesfiles except
80: test3, one could specify:
81:
82: notes ``test?'' !test3
83:
84: If you use the c shell, you will have to escape the `!', the history character:
85:
86: notes ``test?'' \\!test3
87:
88: These features are available from
89: the normal entry (notes) and
90: the automatic sequencer entry (see section 2.8).
91: Most notesfile programs recognize this format. Among those
92: which do not are programs which must receive exactly one
93: notesfile name.
94:
95: .se "The -f Option"
96:
97: The ``-f'' option of the notesfile system
98: specifies a file of notesfile names to read.
99: The file consists of lines containing notesfile names:
100:
101: .ne 4
102: .nf
103: nfgripes
104: net.unix-wizards
105: net.general
106: fa.telecom
107: .fi
108:
109: The names start at the left margin; they are indented here
110: for readability.
111: Wildcard characters (``*'', ``?'', ``['', and ``]'')
112: are acceptable in this context.
113: Full names such as ``/usr/spool/notes/general''
114: are also accepted.
115: Notesfiles can be eliminated through the ``!'' feature
116: as described in section 2.2.
117: The sequencer mode can be changed (see section 2.8)
118: by inserting a line of the form:
119:
120: -s
121:
122: Again, this starts at the left margin.
123: The ``s'' can be any of: ``s'', ``x'', ``i'', or ``n''.
124: When a line of this form is read from the file, the sequencer mode
125: is set to the corresponding mode: The normal ``s''equencer,
126: the e``x''tended sequencer,
127: the ``i''ndex sequencer,
128: and
129: ``n''o sequencer.
130:
131: To always enter nfgripes, micronotes, and bicycle
132: while only entering the networked notesfiles ``net.*'' when new notes
133: are present, one might use ``notes -f myfile''
134: with this ``myfile'':
135:
136: .ne 6
137: .nf
138: -x
139: nfgripes
140: micronotes
141: bicycle
142: -s
143: net.*
144: .fi
145:
146: .se "General"
147:
148: Almost all notesfile commands consist of exactly one character
149: (no carriage return). Only commands that are longer than one character
150: require a terminating carriage return (currently, choosing a note to read
151: is the only non-single character command).
152:
153: The commands were chosen to be easy to remember.
154: Upper case forms of commands usually function
155: like their lower case counterparts but with some additional
156: feature or power (i.e., ``w'' writes a response, ``W'' includes the current
157: displayed text in the response).
158:
159: Some commands are available almost everywhere in the notesfile
160: system. These include those for help, exiting, forking a shell,
161: and making a comment for the suggestion box.
162:
163: .ss "Help"
164:
165: Typing ``?'' anywhere will list the available options in
166: an abbreviated format.
167:
168: .ss "Exiting"
169:
170: Type ``q'' (``quit'') to leave the current notesfile.
171: Capital ``Q''
172: leaves the current notesfile and refrains from entering your
173: last entry time into the sequencer table (see section ``The Sequencer'').
174: The notesfile system
175: proceeds to the next topic in the invocation list.
176: The ``k'' and ``K'' keys function exactly as ``q'' and ``Q''.
177:
178: Use control-D (``signoff'')
179: to leave the notesfile system completely (without updating
180: entry time information).
181: The ``z'' command (which functions only when reading notes or responses
182: or when on the index page)
183: behaves similarly to control-D:
184: the user exits the notesfile system immediately, but unlike control-D,
185: updates the
186: entry time information for the current notesfile.
187:
188:
189: .ss "Shells"
190:
191: Fork a shell at any time by typing ``!''
192: (just like many other Unix programs).
193:
194: .ss "Comments & Suggestions"
195:
196: Type capital ``B'' (``suggestion Box'')
197: while on the index page or reading notes
198: to make a comment or suggestion about the notesfile program.
199: Your suggestion will be stored in another
200: notesfile reviewed frequently by the notesfile system manager.
201:
202: .se "The Index Page"
203:
204: When the notes system is invoked without the -s option,
205: the user sees an index
206: of the most recent notes.
207: A sample page is shown below:
208:
209: .KS
210: .nf
211: .in +10
212: Workstation Discussion 2:03 pm Jan 4, 1982
213:
214: .ta .75i 3.0i 3.25i
215: 12/9/81 2 Stanford SUN 4 horton
216: 3*WICAT 68000 kolstad
217: 4 M68000 1 horton
218: 5 Dolphin 3 duke!johnson
219: 12/10 6 CDC Standalone 1 smith
220: 8 IBM Personal Computer henry
221: 9 Personal computers harmful? 8 Anonymous
222: 10 Ethernet interfaces 3 mhz? 23 essick
223: 11 Requirements for uiucdcs 10 botten
224: 1/1/82 12 Happy New Year! 5 mjk
225:
226:
227: .TA
228: .in
229: .fi
230: .KE
231: The upper left corner shows the notesfile's title. In this
232: example, the notesfile discusses personal workstations.
233: The current time and date are displayed in the upper right corner.
234: Approximately ten note titles are displayed (if available).
235: More notes are displayed on longer
236: screens (such as the Ann Arbor Ambassador).
237: Each note is displayed
238: with its date (if different from the previous date), note number,
239: title, number of responses (if any), and author. The first note above
240: was written by user ``horton'' on December 9th, is entitled ``Stanford
241: SUN'' and has four responses. Note 7 has been deleted for some reason
242: (by either its author or a notesfile director). Note 5 was written
243: by user ``johnson'' whose signon resides on the ``duke'' system.
244: Note 9 was written by an author who preferred to remain unidentified.
245: Notes with director messages (sometimes denoting importance) are displayed
246: with a ``*'' next to the note number (see note 3 above).
247:
248: From the index page the user may:
249:
250: .br
251: .bx
252: .ix
253: Scroll the index forward or backward.
254: .ix
255: Read a note.
256: .ix
257: Write a note.
258: .ix
259: Go to the next unread note.
260: .ix
261: Search for notes or responses after a specific date/time.
262: .ix
263: Search for keywords within notes' titles.
264: .ix
265: Search for notes/responses by a specific author.
266: .ix
267: Go to another notesfile.
268: .ix
269: Consult the notesfile's archive.
270: .ix
271: Read the policy note.
272: .ix
273: Check on anonymous and networked status.
274: .ix
275: Register a complaint/suggestion about notesfiles.
276: .ix
277: Fork a shell.
278: .ix
279: Exit the notes program.
280: .ix
281: Invoke notesfile director options (if the user is a director).
282: .ex
283:
284: .ss "Scrolling the Index Page"
285:
286: Scroll the index page by:
287:
288: .nf
289: .ls 1
290: +, <return>, <space> forward one page
291: * forward to the most recent page (* is multiple +'s)
292: - backward one page
293: = backward all the way (= is multiple -'s)
294: .br
295: .ls
296: .fi
297:
298: .ss "Choosing Notes & Responses"
299:
300: While on the index page, choose a note to read by typing its number
301: followed by a carriage return.
302: (This is the only command that requires a carriage return after it.)
303: Usually the space bar is used to scan text.
304: To skip to a particular note or response, use the features below.
305:
306: While reading a note, ``;'' or ``+''
307: advances to the
308: first response of the note.
309: The next note is displayed if there are no responses.
310: The number keys (``1'', ``2'', ... , ``9'') advance that many
311: responses.
312: If there are fewer responses, the last response is displayed.
313: The return key skips the responses and goes to the next note.
314: Press ``-'' or backspace to see the previous page of the current note;
315: if the page currently displayed is the first, the notesfile program
316: displays the first page of the previous note.
317:
318: While a response is on the screen, the ``;'' and ``+'' keys
319: display the next response.
320: As with reading a note, if there are no further responses these
321: keys advance to the next note.
322: The number keys (``1'', ... , ``9'') will advance the appropriate number
323: of responses.
324: If there are fewer responses, the last response is displayed.
325: The ``-'' or backspace keys display the previous page of the current
326: response. If the current page is the first page of the response,
327: these keys display the first page of the previous response.
328: Enter ``='' to see the base note of the current note string.
329: Press the return key to proceed to the next note.
330:
331: .se "Notes & Responses"
332:
333: .ss "Reading Notes"
334:
335: After selecting a note from the index page (or entering the
336: notesfile with your ``sequencer'' on), the note is displayed. A sample
337: display is shown below:
338:
339: .KS
340: .nf
341: Note 15 Workstation Discussion 2 responses
342: horton WICAT 150 4:03 pm Dec 11, 1981
343:
344: Wicat System 150
345:
346: 8 MHz 68000, Mem. mgmt, Multibus architecture, 256k to 1.5 Mb RAM,16/32/64Kbyte EPROM,
347: 10 ms interval timer, 2 RS232 (19.6k async, 56k sync), 16 bit parallel intelligent disk controller,
348: 10 Mbyte winchester (5.25", 3600 rpm, access: 3 ms trk-trk, 70 avg, 150 max),
349: 960Kb floppy (5.25", 300 rpm, access 10 ms trk-trk, 267 avg, 583 max)
350: Options: battery backed clock, graphics with touch panel, video disk control,
351: High Speed Serial Network Interface
352: Unix/V7 avail, Pascal, C, APL, ADA, Cobol, Fortran, Lisp, Basic, Asm
353:
354: .fi
355: .KE
356:
357: This is note number 15 in the ``Workstation Discussion'' file.
358: User ``horton'' wrote this note at 4:03 pm on December 11th, 1981. Two
359: responses have been written. The note's title is ``WICAT 150''. If a
360: director had written the note, the ``director message'' might have been
361: displayed beneath the note's title. Director's notes sometimes contain
362: important information or new policies.
363:
364: Since notes and responses can each be up to 3 Mbytes long,
365: the display routine breaks text into pages automatically.
366: For all but the last page of a long note or response,
367: the lower right corner of the display shows the percentage of the
368: note that has been shown.
369: For all but the first page of long text, the message ``[Continued]''
370: appears in the upper left portion of the display.
371: Use the space bar to see the next page of a long note or response.
372: When the last page is displayed, the space key functions as the ``;''
373: key: it proceeds to the next response.
374: The ``-'' and backspace keys back up the display to the previous page.
375: Only the first 50 pages of text are managed this way;
376: typing ``-'' from the fifty-second page will return to the fiftieth page.
377: The ``='' key returns to the first page of the note.
378:
379: While reading a note, it is possible to:
380: .br
381: .bx
382: .ix
383: Display the next, previous, or first page of the note.
384: .ix
385: Write a response to the displayed note.
386: .ix
387: Read next note or previous note.
388: .ix
389: Read next unread response or note.
390: .ix
391: Return to the index page.
392: .ix
393: Skip to a given response.
394: .ix
395: Delete the note (if you are its author or a file director).
396: .ix
397: Edit the note's title (if it is yours).
398: .ix
399: Edit the note (if it is yours and there are no responses).
400: .ix
401: Copy the note to another notesfile.
402: .ix
403: Save the note in your file space.
404: .ix
405: Mail the note to someone.
406: .ix
407: Talk (``write'') to the author of the note.
408: .ix
409: Search for keywords in note titles.
410: .ix
411: Search for notes/responses by a particular author.
412: .ix
413: Toggle the director message (if privileged).
414: .ix
415: Fork a shell.
416: .ix
417: Go to another notesfile.
418: .ix
419: Make a comment or suggestion about notesfiles.
420: .ix
421: Exit the notesfile program.
422: .ex
423:
424: .ss "Reading Responses"
425:
426: Response displays are similar to those of main notes with the exception that
427: ``Response x of y'' replaces the note's title.
428: The first response to note 15 is shown below:
429:
430: .KS
431: .nf
432: Note 15 Workstation Discussion
433: koehler Response 1 of 2 11:53 pm Dec 11, 1981
434:
435: Does anyone have any insight about the relative speeds of the Winchester disks available
436: on these systems? The previous disk seems to have track to track response times commensurate
437: with reasonably fast 8" floppies. I wonder if some of the manufacturers are using disks that
438: will not meet reasonable specifications for response time for these kinds of applications.
439:
440: On the other hand, with intelligent layout of file sectors, the I/O system
441: could romp and stomp on often used files...
442: ======================================
443: .fi
444: .KE
445:
446: The commands for manipulating the text of a long response
447: are the same as those for looking at long notes.
448: Typing space will move to the next page.
449: Typing ``-'' or backspace will display the previous page, within the
450: same limitations as for reading notes (only 50 pages are kept).
451: Press ``='' to go back to the first page of the text.
452:
453: The options available while reading responses include:
454: .bx
455: .ix
456: Display the next, previous, or first page of the response.
457: .ix
458: Go to a different response (usually the next one).
459: .ix
460: Go to the next unread note/response.
461: .ix
462: Reread the base note.
463: .ix
464: Reread the previous note.
465: .ix
466: Return to the index page.
467: .ix
468: Copy the response to another notesfile.
469: .ix
470: Mail the response to someone.
471: .ix
472: Save the response in your file space.
473: .ix
474: Talk to the response's author.
475: .ix
476: Write another response to the note.
477: .ix
478: Search for keywords in note titles.
479: .ix
480: Search for notes/responses by particular authors.
481: .ix
482: Delete the response (if you are its author or a file director).
483: .ix
484: Edit the response (if it is yours and there are no later responses).
485: .ix
486: Fork a shell
487: .ix
488: Go to another notesfile.
489: .ix
490: Register a suggestion or complaint about the notesfile program.
491: .ix
492: Exit the notesfile program.
493: .ex
494:
495:
496: .ss "Writing Notes & Responses"
497:
498: Write new base notes by hitting ``w'' while reading the index page.
499: The notesfile system will then invoke an editor
500: (
501: ``ed'' by default; use either of the shell variables NFED or EDITOR to change it).
502: After the prompt,
503: compose the text you wish to enter, then
504: write the text to the disk and leave the editor. The system will prompt
505: you for various options if they are available: anonymity, director
506: message status, and the note's title.
507:
508: To write a response to a note type ``w'' while that note or any of
509: its responses is displayed.
510: The same steps used to write a base note
511: should then be followed.
512:
513: .ss "Mailing Notesfile Text"
514:
515: Both notes and responses can be mailed to other users (with
516: optional appended text).
517: The capital ``M'' (``mail'') command gives you the opportunity to edit the text then send
518: it to anyone. Its inferior counterpart, ``m'', allows you to mail a message to
519: anyone.
520: To mail to the author of the text,
521: use capital ``P'' (``Personal comment'') to send the text
522: and your comments; use ``p'' for a simple letter.
523:
524: To use a specific mail program, set the environment variable
525: MAILER. If this is not set, a standard mail program is used.
526:
527: .ss "Forwarding Text To Other Notesfiles"
528:
529: There are several methods for forwarding text from one notesfile
530: to another.
531: Single notes or responses can be copied with the ``c'' or ``C'' command
532: while entire note strings can be forwarded with the ``f'' and ``F''
533: commands.
534:
535: The ``f'' (``forward'') command is given when a base note
536: is displayed on the screen.
537: When given, the ``f'' command causes the base note and all of its
538: responses to be copied to another notesfile.
539: The user is prompted for the destination notesfile.
540: The copied note and all of the copied responses contain header
541: information detailing their origin.
542: Where ``f'' copies the note string without change, the ``F''
543: command allows the user to edit the text of the note and each
544: response before inserting it into the target notesfile.
545:
546: The ``c'' (``copy'') command prompts for a destination notesfile
547: then
548: copies the currently displayed note or response to the target notesfile.
549: The user is allowed to choose between forwarding the note as a response
550: or as a new base note.
551: The ``c'' command does not give the user a chance to edit the text
552: before inserting it in the new notesfile.
553: The extended copying command ``C''
554: allows editing of the note text before it is copied to the other notesfile.
555:
556: Both the ``c'' and ``C'' commands provide for
557: the forwarded text to be entered as either a new note or as a response
558: to an existing note.
559: In the latter case, an index page is given to the user for
560: choosing the appropriate note to which to respond.
561:
562: .ss "Saving Text in Local Files"
563:
564: The ``s'' (``save'') command appends the current displayed text to a
565: file of your choice (which is created if not present).
566: Notesfiles prompts for the file name;
567: typing only a carriage return aborts the command -- no text is saved.
568: Capital ``S'' appends
569: the base note and all its responses. The number of lines saved and the name
570: of the file written are printed when the command completes.
571:
572: .ss "Deletion"
573:
574: Capital ``D'' (``delete'') deletes a note or response if it is yours and
575: has no subsequent responses. Notes already sent to the network can not be
576: deleted by non-directors.
577: Directors can delete any note or response with the ``Z'' (``zap'') command.
578:
579:
580: .ss "Online Communication"
581:
582: Typing ``t'' (``talk'') attempts to page the author of the current displayed
583: text. The Unix ``write'' command to him/her is issued
584: if the author is local and non-anonymous. If the environment variable WRITE
585: is defined, the program it specifies is used to write to the author.
586:
587: .ss "Editing Note Titles"
588:
589: While reading a base note, type ``e'' (``edit'') to
590: change the note's title
591: (provided you are the author of the note or a notesfile director).
592:
593: .ss "Editing Notes/Responses"
594:
595: ``E'' allows editing of the text of a note or response.
596: It is not permitted to edit an article if it has subsequent responses or
597: if it has been sent to the network.
598: If the ``later responses'' are deleted, it is possible to edit the
599: original text.
This archive runs on limited infrastructure. Preserving old code on modern bandwidth. Automated agents are requested to crawl responsibly.