Re: lynx-dev Re: STARTFILE patch

[Philip Webb]

990414 Leonid Pauzner wrote: 
> Henry's point was the startfile probles should belong to PROBLEMS
> since this most usual a local networking problem, not lynx.browser.org one.

whatever HN's point may have been -- he wasn't very coherent -- ,
the everyday problem is ordinary users who can't even start Lynx
because l.b.o. is down: this will go on happening if we continue to offer
a remote file as STARTFILE default.  it's got nothing to do with networking.

> So a person compiling lynx from sources could read PROBLEMS
> without our advice.

people compiling their own Lynx are not the ones having the problem:
yes, they should have gone thro'  lynx.cfg  themselves when they started.
 
> "precompiled binaries" are usually distributed
> without INSTALLATION, PROBLEMS, samples/ etc.
> and used by less technical people. So they need another README file,
> in additional to one from sources package.

that's a good point: someone should volunteer to write one.

> Startfile problems, platform-specific paths, advise to check lynx.cfg, etc.
> all should belong there (assuming a user cannot start lynx).
> However, this is up to the binary distributions author.

if so, they'll probably still be waiting in 2099.
 
> In fact, most UNIX users already have lynx installed somewhere
> on their system out-of-the-box, they may have no idea about
> the package besides trying to start "lynx"
> However, lynx -help always work unless the executable is corrupted.
> How about adding a special text for -morehelp option (may be another name)
> like we have for -permissions without arguments?
> This can be a separate included file, easily maintainable in a root directory
> and built into any lynx binary like we have for configure options currently.
 
this would help some users, if anyone cares to implement it. 

to repeat:
 
>> HN turns up once in a long while with loud advice for everyone,
>> but he's very rarely around to answer all those anguished users
>> who suddenly can't get Lynx to start
>> & can't even hit `h'elp because Lynx won't start
>> & can't check  lynx.cfg  because they don't know what it is
>> & can't get thro' to their always over-worked sysadmin:
>> THEY are the people who call in here needing down-to-earth advice.
>> the way to help them is to make the STARTFILE default something local
>> & i agree with LP (on further thought) that the Main Help Page is best;
>> alternatively, KW's URL for the user's home directory would be ok.

-- 
========================,,============================================
SUPPORT     ___________//___,  Philip Webb : address@hidden
ELECTRIC   /] [] [] [] [] []|  Centre for Urban & Community Studies
TRANSIT    `-O----------O---'  University of Toronto