pedz@smu.UUCP (01/27/84)
#N:smu:18500003:000:1632 smu!pedz Jan 25 23:33:00 1984 Pocket Guide to Unix I have been recently introduced to Unix and have found the need for what I would call a pocket guide. Sure the MAN facility is neat but is a bit arkward at times. What I have in mind is a thin "pocket" size booklet with selected portions of the UNIX documentation. I have not been able to find such a booklet already in print so I wanted to check out the possibilities of printing one myself. I have located a printing company who has the apropriate equipment to print the booklet. I am intending on using very thin paper like what is in dictionaries. Using this paper I can get 200 sheets (400 pages) into a half inch booklet. I am intending on making the page size about 4" x 5". I may decied to use less than 200 sheets. Then I intend to bind it into a reasonable looking booklet. I plan on getting the artwork off of an imagen printer. There are two fundamental questions which I need to ask. First, is there any interest from others out on the network for such a book? If so do you have any suggestions as to which parts of the Unix documentation to put into it? How much would you be willing to pay for it? The other question is "is any of this legal?" I have been told by unreliable sources that there are no copyright notices on the Unix documentation. I have not seen any but that is not saying much. Also is there any way that I may get permission from the apropriate people to make it legal? I would appreciate any responses to this that you may have. Also, I would greatly appreciate it if someone would put this message over on some of the other networks. pedz parsec!smu!pedz
nather@utastro.UUCP (Ed Nather) (01/27/84)
<> I have in hand a pocket guide to UNIX put out by the Pixel Division of Instrumentation Laboratory Inc. It includes the most common Unix commands a la Berkeley (ex, vi, -me macros, csh ...) and runs to 38 pages (the last two contain errata). It is terse but seems to have the most-used commands and options. I keep it right next to my terminal. I never use it.
woods@hao.UUCP (01/27/84)
My 4.2BSD manual *is* copyrighted. The copyright notice is:
Copyright 1979, Bell Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated.
Holders of a UNIX/32V software license are permitted to
copy this document, or any portion of it, as necessary for
the licensed use of the software, provided this copyright notice
and statement of permission are included.
I interpret this as saying you can publish your booklet, but you can't
sell it for money or distribute it to anyone who doesn't have a 32V license.
I'd check the particular manual you are planning on copying if I were you.
GREG
P.S. I think it is a great idea. I'm sure it would be a big hit here if
someone did a 4.2BSD version.
--
{ucbvax!hplabs | allegra!nbires | decvax!kpno | harpo!seismo | ihnp4!kpno}
!hao!woodspreece@uicsl.UUCP (01/28/84)
#R:smu:18500003:uicsl:21300002:000:193 uicsl!preece Jan 27 08:07:00 1984 The back of the title page of the printed documentation (as distributed with 4.1bsd) says "Copyright 1979, 1980, Bell Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated." so I think you might have trouble.
edhall%rand-unix@sri-unix.UUCP (01/31/84)
I have one, too; I never `use' it, but I *did* look it over pretty carefully. Aside from the two pages of errata, I found a lot of typo's that were *not* listed, including two in the errata themselves! The guide is actually pretty good, but the typesetter screwed it up completely. Common errors were things like `1' for `l', omitted or incorrect punctuation, and other things you would expect in a sloppy transcription by someone who wasn't familiar with the material. PIXEL probably had it re-printed and decided to give away the old print run. -Ed Hall edhall@rand-unix (ARPA) decvax!randvax!edhall (UUCP)