Reading the handbook from console

[Polytropon]

On Thu, 10 Jan 2013 13:57:47 -0500, Fbsd8 wrote:
> Scott Eberl wrote:
> > I went ahead and installed the FreeBSD handbook onto my system and I was
> > able to find it on disk per the motd notes but I'm wondering if there is a
> > preferred method for reading these since they are in html format. I tried
> > w3m and lynx and it looks like they are both not installed. Is there
> > something i'm missing for reading these or do I just need to install a cli
> > browser?
> > 
> > 
> Viewing html takes some form of browser.

There is no text mode web browser in the base system.
Installing one is easy: As the HTML files generated
for the Handbook are good quality, they display nicely
in lynx, links, and w3m (probably the most prominent
three text mode web browsers).



> All most all browsers need a desktop to function.

Definitely NO.

Do not confuse X with a window manager or a full desktop
environment. Famous browsers like Firefox, Chrome and
Opera _of course_ run only within X (even if there is
no window manager or desktop environment installed).
But that concept is totally against the goal to read
the Handbook in text mode. In some worst-case scenario
where no X is available, or on a server that has very
tight security restrictions (for the server and for
the environment you work in), having access to the
Handbook and the FAQ in local text mode can be a real
benefit (just as manpages).



> I install the links port and select the vga option
> before doing make install on it.

The links browser can also work in normal text mode.



> You can launch it from the command line and once started
> point it to the HD path where the handbook html is and wala.

Or you could call it directly with the Handbook entry
or section TOC you want to access, on the command line,
maybe using the shell's autocomplete capability. This
might make navigation a bit easier in case you know
what you're searching for.




-- 
Polytropon
Magdeburg, Germany
Happy FreeBSD user since 4.0
Andra moi ennepe, Mousa, ...