Reading the handbook from console

[dteske at freebsd.org]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Polytropon [mailto:freebsd at edvax.de]
> Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2013 3:41 PM
> To: dteske at freebsd.org
> Cc: 'Fbsd8'; scotteberl at gmail.com; questions at freebsd.org
> Subject: Re: Reading the handbook from console
> 
> On Thu, 10 Jan 2013 14:48:33 -0800, dteske at freebsd.org wrote:
> >
> >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: owner-freebsd-questions at freebsd.org [mailto:owner-freebsd-
> > > questions at freebsd.org] On Behalf Of Polytropon
> > > Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2013 2:33 PM
> > > To: Fbsd8
> > > Cc: scotteberl at gmail.com; questions at freebsd.org
> > > Subject: Re: Reading the handbook from console
> > >
> > > 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).
> > >
> > >
> >
> > I must know...
> >
> > What is Polytropon's favorite of those listed? (and perhaps also "elinks" ?)
> 
> Hard to say, now that X is everywhere... :-)
> 
> In the past, I've started using lynx because it was "the
> default". Somehow I even tend to remember that it was part
> of the default installation in around FreeBSD 4 or so...
> but that could be wrong.
> 
> Later on I tried w3m and also found it usable.
> 
> Today I'd say I prefer links for interactive text mode
> browsing. Still "lynx -dump" is a welcome tool in some
> of my scripts, and never change a running system. :-)
> 

Ok, the reason I ask is actually because I have this insane (?) idea of shoving
one of the aforementioned solutions onto the installation media so that (gasp)
we can have that functionality back like we had in the days of sysinstall.

So naturally, my first question is "which one?"

Thoughts?
-- 
Devin



> Reading the pkg-descr of elinks it seems to bring lots
> of extensions, some interesting, some not that interesting
> (at least for the use discussed here: reading FreeBSD
> supplied local documentation: no need for cookies, scripts,
> or HTTP referers). Other features like the ability to
> render tables might be a reason not to use a browser
> that cannot do this (maybe lynx can't?).
> 
> 
> 
> > (and do you enable console graphics?)
> 
> No, I have to admit that I've never even _tried_ that.
> Somehow deep inside my brain there's the statement that
> "graphics in console mode is libvga which is for Linux,
> not for FreeBSD", but that might not apply anymore.
> 
> However, The FreeBSD Handbook and the FAQ mostly contain
> text, I mean, that's what they are about, and for reading
> text I don't see a need for graphics. If I want graphics,
> I have X. :-)
> 
> 
> 
> --
> Polytropon
> Magdeburg, Germany
> Happy FreeBSD user since 4.0
> Andra moi ennepe, Mousa, ...

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