Bug#1092823: startpar.1: Some remarks and a patch with editorial changes for this man page
Bjarni Ingi Gislason
bjarniig at simnet.is
Sun Jan 12 02:00:46 GMT 2025
Package: startpar
Version: 0.65-4
Severity: minor
Tags: patch
* What led up to the situation?
Checking for defects with a new version
test-[g|n]roff -mandoc -t -K utf8 -rF0 -rHY=0 -rCHECKSTYLE=10 -ww -z < "man page"
[Use "groff -e ' $' <file>" to find trailing spaces.]
["test-groff" is a script in the repository for "groff"; is not shipped]
(local copy and "troff" slightly changed by me).
[The fate of "test-nroff" was decided in groff bug #55941.]
* What was the outcome of this action?
an.tmac:<stdin>:23: style: .TH missing fourth argument; consider package/project name and version (e.g., "groff 1.23.0")
* What outcome did you expect instead?
No output (no warnings).
-.-
General remarks and further material, if a diff-file exist, are in the
attachments.
-- System Information:
Debian Release: trixie/sid
APT prefers testing
APT policy: (500, 'testing')
Architecture: amd64 (x86_64)
Kernel: Linux 6.12.6-amd64 (SMP w/2 CPU threads; PREEMPT)
Locale: LANG=is_IS.iso88591, LC_CTYPE=is_IS.iso88591 (charmap=ISO-8859-1), LANGUAGE not set
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /usr/bin/dash
Init: sysvinit (via /sbin/init)
Versions of packages startpar depends on:
ii libc6 2.40-4
startpar recommends no packages.
Versions of packages startpar suggests:
ii insserv 1.26.0-1
ii sysv-rc 3.11-1
-- no debconf information
-------------- next part --------------
Input file is startpar.1
Any program (person), that produces man pages, should check the output
for defects by using (both groff and nroff)
[gn]roff -mandoc -t -ww -b -z -K utf8 <man page>
The same goes for man pages that are used as an input.
For a style guide use
mandoc -T lint
-.-
So any 'generator' should check its products with the above mentioned
'groff', 'mandoc', and additionally with 'nroff ...'.
This is just a simple quality control measure.
The 'generator' may have to be corrected to get a better man page,
the source file may, and any additional file may.
Common defects:
Input text line longer than 80 bytes.
Not removing trailing spaces (in in- and output).
The reason for these trailing spaces should be found and eliminated.
Not beginning each input sentence on a new line.
Lines should thus be shorter.
See man-pages(7), item 'semantic newline'.
-.-
The difference between the formatted output of the original and patched file
can be seen with:
nroff -mandoc <file1> > <out1>
nroff -mandoc <file2> > <out2>
diff -u <out1> <out2>
and for groff, using
"printf '%s\n%s\n' '.kern 0' '.ss 12 0' | groff -mandoc -Z - "
instead of 'nroff -mandoc'
Add the option '-t', if the file contains a table.
Read the output of 'diff -u' with 'less -R' or similar.
-.-.
If 'man' (man-db) is used to check the manual for warnings,
the following must be set:
The option "-warnings=w"
The environmental variable:
export MAN_KEEP_STDERR=yes (or any non-empty value)
or
(produce only warnings):
export MANROFFOPT="-ww -b -z"
export MAN_KEEP_STDERR=yes (or any non-empty value)
-.-.
Output from "mandoc -T lint startpar.1": (shortened list)
2 input text line longer than 80 bytes
1 skipping paragraph macro
2 whitespace at end of input line
-.-.
Output from "test-groff -mandoc -t -ww -z startpar.1": (shortened list)
2 trailing space in the line
-.-.
Remove space characters (whitespace) at the end of lines.
Use "git apply ... --whitespace=fix" to fix extra space issues, or use
global configuration "core.whitespace".
Number of lines affected is
2
-.-.
Change a HYPHEN-MINUS (code 0x2D) to a minus(-dash) (\-),
if it
is in front of a name for an option,
is a symbol for standard input,
is a single character used to indicate an option,
or is in the NAME section (man-pages(7)).
N.B. - (0x2D), processed as a UTF-8 file, is changed to a hyphen
(0x2010, groff \[u2010] or \[hy]) in the output.
60:.RB [ -f ]
63:.RB [ -v ]
-.-.
Wrong distance between sentences in the input file.
Separate the sentences and subordinate clauses; each begins on a new
line. See man-pages(7) ("Conventions for source file layout") and
"info groff" ("Input Conventions").
The best procedure is to always start a new sentence on a new line,
at least, if you are typing on a computer.
Remember coding: Only one command ("sentence") on each (logical) line.
E-mail: Easier to quote exactly the relevant lines.
Generally: Easier to edit the sentence.
Patches: Less unaffected text.
Search for two adjacent words is easier, when they belong to the same line,
and the same phrase.
The amount of space between sentences in the output can then be
controlled with the ".ss" request.
Mark a final abbreviation point as such by suffixing it with "\&".
72:option, the default is full parallelism. An argument to all of
91:exits, so output lines of different scripts won't mix. You can
96:option is used as buffer timeout. If the output buffer of a
103:option timeout works more globally. If no output is printed for
107:the oldest output. Afterwards it will only print output of this
134:directory. The default is to use /etc. Using \-e we can use alternative locations
140:until startpar reaches the end of input or the process is killed. When \-f
142:ignored. This option is only kept for legacy purposes.
146:option tells startpar to print its name and version number. When the
-.-.
Split lines longer than 80 characters into two or more lines.
Appropriate break points are the end of a sentence and a subordinate
clause; after punctuation marks.
Line 134, length 81
directory. The default is to use /etc. Using \-e we can use alternative locations
Line 139, length 81
option causes startpar to copy standard input (stdin) to standard output (stdout)
-.-.
FSF office address update. See
https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-gnulib/2024-09/msg00004.html
18:.\" Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston,
-.-.
Put a subordinate sentence (after a comma) on a new line.
72:option, the default is full parallelism. An argument to all of
87:started, where nblocked is the number of processes currently blocked
91:exits, so output lines of different scripts won't mix. You can
99:seconds ago, startpar will flush the buffer.
106:seconds, startpar will flush the buffer of the script with
112:flag is used, output from a running job is prefixed with the name
122:.IR boot ", " start ", and " stop
147:version flag is used, all other command line parameters are ignored.
-.-.
Output from "test-groff -mandoc -t -K utf8 -rF0 -rHY=0 -rCHECKSTYLE=10 -ww -z ":
an.tmac:<stdin>:23: style: .TH missing fourth argument; consider package/project name and version (e.g., "groff 1.23.0")
troff:<stdin>:110: warning: trailing space in the line
troff:<stdin>:137: warning: trailing space in the line
-.-
Additionally (general):
FSF office address update. See
https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-gnulib/2024-09/msg00004.html
-------------- next part --------------
--- startpar.1 2025-01-12 01:32:34.398167607 +0000
+++ startpar.1.new 2025-01-12 01:51:23.147932633 +0000
@@ -57,11 +57,10 @@ startpar \- start runlevel scripts in pa
.IR boot | start | stop ]
.br
.B startpar
-.RB [ -f ]
+.RB [ \-f ]
.br
.B startpar
-.RB [ -v ]
-.br
+.RB [ \-v ]
.SH DESCRIPTION
startpar is used to run multiple run\-level scripts in parallel.
@@ -69,8 +68,9 @@ The degree of parallelism on one
.B CPU
can be set with the
.B \-p
-option, the default is full parallelism. An argument to all of
-the scripts can be provided with the
+option,
+the default is full parallelism.
+An argument to all of the scripts can be provided with the
.B \-a
option.
Processes blocked by pending
@@ -83,34 +83,41 @@ can be used to specify another value. T
.EQ
weight = (nblocked times iorate) / 1000
.EN
-will be subtracted from the total number of processes which could be
-started, where nblocked is the number of processes currently blocked
+will be subtracted from the total number of processes
+which could be started,
+where nblocked is the number of processes currently blocked
by pending I/O.
-The output of each script is buffered and written when the script
-exits, so output lines of different scripts won't mix. You can
-modify this behaviour by setting a timeout.
+The output of each script is buffered
+and written
+when the script exits,
+so output lines of different scripts won't mix.
+You can modify this behaviour by setting a timeout.
The timeout set with the
.B \-t
-option is used as buffer timeout. If the output buffer of a
-script is not empty and the last output was
+option is used as buffer timeout.
+If the output buffer of a script is not empty
+and the last output was
.I timeout
-seconds ago, startpar will flush the buffer.
+seconds ago,
+startpar will flush the buffer.
The
.B \-T
-option timeout works more globally. If no output is printed for
-more than
+option timeout works more globally.
+If no output is printed for more than
.I global_timeout
-seconds, startpar will flush the buffer of the script with
-the oldest output. Afterwards it will only print output of this
-script until it is finished.
+seconds,
+startpar will flush the buffer of the script with the oldest output.
+Afterwards it will only print output of this script
+until it is finished.
-When the
+When the
.B \-n
-flag is used, output from a running job is prefixed with the name
-of the program or script being run.
+flag is used,
+output from a running job is prefixed with the name of the program
+or script being run.
The
.B \-M
@@ -118,7 +125,8 @@ option switches
.B startpar
into a
.BR make (1)
-like behaviour. This option takes three different arguments:
+like behaviour.
+This option takes three different arguments:
.IR boot ", " start ", and " stop
for reading
.IR .depend.boot " or " .depend.start " or " .depend.stop
@@ -131,20 +139,30 @@ it then executes the appropriate scripts
The
.B \-e
option allows the user to set the location of the system's etc configuration
-directory. The default is to use /etc. Using \-e we can use alternative locations
+directory.
+The default is to use /etc.
+Using \-e
+we can use alternative locations
such as /usr/local/etc.
-The
+The
.B \-f
-option causes startpar to copy standard input (stdin) to standard output (stdout)
-until startpar reaches the end of input or the process is killed. When \-f
-is used no programs are started and other parameters on the command line are
-ignored. This option is only kept for legacy purposes.
+option causes startpar to copy standard input
+(stdin)
+to standard output
+(stdout)
+until startpar reaches the end of input
+or the process is killed.
+When \-f is used
+no programs are started
+and other parameters on the command line are ignored.
+This option is only kept for legacy purposes.
The
.B \-v
-option tells startpar to print its name and version number. When the
-version flag is used, all other command line parameters are ignored.
+option tells startpar to print its name and version number.
+When the version flag is used,
+all other command line parameters are ignored.
The version number will be printed and startpar then immediately exits.
.SH FILES
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