jwabik@shamash.UUCP (Jeff Wabik) (01/05/88)
Forgive if this is not the proper place to ask this question:
We are finally starting to get "into" UNIX here, and are faced with
teaching many "computer people" with no background in UNIX how to exist
in a UNIX environment. Of course, they don't like UNIX at all, and get
aggrivated by the manuals, etc.. I'm curious if there exists (running
on any system, be it PEE CEE, or UNIX) a sort_of, "Online Guru"..
Software that you could literally ask, "How to I do disk backups", to
which the response would be, "Dump is the UNIX utility that [...].
Please see the manual page for dump(8) for further [...]."
Anyone know of such a thing?
Thanks ..
-Jeff
---
Jeff A. Wabik @ Control Data Corporation Bloomington, MN 55440
UUCP: {rosevax,umn-cs,meccts,ems}!shamash!jwabik ARPA: jwabik@ub.d.umn.edu
Live long and program.jejones@mcrware.UUCP (James Jones) (01/06/88)
In article <2665@shamash.UUCP>, jwabik@shamash.UUCP (Jeff Wabik) writes: > I'm curious if there exists (running > on any system, be it PEE CEE, or UNIX) a sort_of, "Online Guru".. > Software that you could literally ask, "How to I do disk backups", to > which the response would be, "Dump is the UNIX utility that [...]. > Please see the manual page for dump(8) for further [...]." > > Anyone know of such a thing? Long ago, I recall that some university comp center wrote some scripts for ELIZA or her moral equivalent to turn her into an advisor on how to use the system. It struck me as a pretty neat idea. It was written up in an issue of CACM, I believe in the mid '70s. You might try that sort of approach; it should just be a question of editing up keywords and responses for an ELIZAoid program (an added hack that would do command substitution in responses might be nice; no doubt there are other neat hacks as well). James Jones
john@uw-nsr.UUCP (John Sambrook) (01/06/88)
In article <2665@shamash.UUCP> jwabik@shamash.UUCP (Jeff Wabik) writes: >Forgive if this is not the proper place to ask this question: > >We are finally starting to get "into" UNIX here, and are faced with >teaching many "computer people" with no background in UNIX how to exist >in a UNIX environment. Of course, they don't like UNIX at all, and get >aggrivated by the manuals, etc.. I'm curious if there exists (running >on any system, be it PEE CEE, or UNIX) a sort_of, "Online Guru".. >Software that you could literally ask, "How to I do disk backups", to >which the response would be, "Dump is the UNIX utility that [...]. >Please see the manual page for dump(8) for further [...]." > >Anyone know of such a thing? Funny you should ask. I was thinking about this just the other day. In the book "Planning and Understanding -- A Computational Approach to Human Reasoning" the author, Robert Wilensky, describes `UC', the UNIX Consultant. On page 155 of the text the following transcript of a UC session is presented: User: How can I delete a file? UC: typing 'rm filename' will remove the file with the name filename from your current directory User: move a file? UC: typing 'mv filename newfilename' will move the file with the name filename to a file with the name newfilename User: How might a file be created in UNIX? UC: the best way to create a new file is to use the editor, i.e. - 'vi filename' User: a directory? UC: typing 'mkdir dirname' will create the directory 'dirname' in the current directory User: How can I find out how full the disk is? UC: typing 'df' will tell you how full the disk is User: How can I find out who is on the system? UC: typing 'who' will tell you who is connected to UNIX User: How do I print a file on the line printer? UC: typing 'lpr filename' will print the file filename on the line printer User: What is a search path? UC: A search path is a list of directions in which the operating system searches for programs you have asked it to execute. I would like to find out more about this program. It would be great if this program turned out to be generally useful, however, I'd settle for hearing more about it from the people at Berkeley. I also have a reference that I haven't tracked down yet. Here it is: Wilensky, R. (1982). Talking to UNIX in English: An Overview of UC. Proceedings of the Second Annual National Conference on Artificial Intelligence. Pittsburgh. -- John Sambrook Internet: john@nsr.bioeng.washington.edu University of Washington RC-05 UUCP: uw-nsr!john Seattle, Washington 98195 Dial: (206) 548-4386
riddle@woton.UUCP (Prentiss Riddle ) (01/08/88)
> Long ago, I recall that some university comp center wrote some scripts for > ELIZA or her moral equivalent to turn her into an advisor on how to use > the system... I can see it all now: Luser: Guruji, I have a problem. Guru: Read The Fine Manual. Luser: I just typed "rm -r *" and now I can't find my files. Guru: Read The Fine Manual. And so on... --- Prentiss Riddle ("Aprendiz de todo, maestro de nada.") --- Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of Shriners Burns Institute. --- riddle@woton.UUCP {ihnp4,harvard}!ut-sally!im4u!woton!riddle
coe@io.UUCP (Chet Edelman) (01/08/88)
In article <2665@shamash> jwabik@shamash writes: > ... a sort_of, "Online Guru".. >Software that you could literally ask, "How to I do disk backups", to >which the response would be, "Dump is the UNIX utility that [...]. >Please see the manual page for dump(8) for further [...]." I use ``man -k'' (k for keywords, the name and one-line decription on a manual page) to find out about programs that I think ought to be there. Of course, one has to develop a sense of significant keywords. -- Chet Edelman "Here am I" Interleaf Inc. 10 Canal Park coe@umb.EDU (coe%umb.edu@relay.cs.NET) Cambridge Ma 02141 {sun!sunne!ileaf!io!hineni,harvard!umb}!coe (617)577-9813x3425
hubcap@hubcap.UUCP (Mike Marshall) (01/11/88)
* > I'm curious if there exists (running
* > on any system, ... a sort_of, "Online Guru"..
* > Software that you could literally ask, "How to I do disk backups", to
* > which the response would be, "Dump is the UNIX utility that [...].
* > Please see the manual page for dump(8) for further [...]."
have you tried "man -k KEYWORD" ?
If you think I am being patronizing, press "n" now.
If not, here's how it works: pick a KEYWORD that relates to what you want
to learn about, and all of the title lines from the man pages will be
searched and the ones with KEYWORD in 'em will be listed. You might have to
try several times to find what you want, but it usually works for me.
For example: man -k backup won't get you what you want...
but
man -k file will do it.
Also, We BSD types can say "apropos" instead of "man -k"... classy!
-Mike Marshall hubcap@hubcap.clemson.edu ...!hubcap!hubcapjwabik@shamash.UUCP (Jeff Wabik) (01/15/88)
In article <841@hubcap.UUCP>, hubcap@hubcap.UUCP (Mike Marshall) writes: > * > I'm curious if there exists (running > * > on any system, ... a sort_of, "Online Guru".. > * > Software that you could literally ask, "How to I do disk backups", to > * > which the response would be, "Dump is the UNIX utility that [...]. > * > Please see the manual page for dump(8) for further [...]." > have you tried "man -k KEYWORD" ? I was thinking more of an AI doohickey that would interact with you more like a "human guru". I received a number of excellent responses (like 30 or 35) via E/Mail -- Thanks to all. If anyone would like a compiled copy of the stuff I received, please drop me a note. -Jeff --- Jeff A. Wabik @ Control Data Corporation Bloomington, MN 55440 UUCP: {rosevax,umn-cs,meccts,ems}!shamash!jwabik ARPA: jwabik@ub.d.umn.edu Live long and program.
PAAAAAR%CALSTATE.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU (01/15/88)
Jeff Wabik <jwabik@shamash.uucp> writes: > I'm curious if there exists (running >on any system, be it PEE CEE, or UNIX) a sort_of, "Online Guru".. >Software that you could literally ask, "How to I do disk backups", to >which the response would be, "Dump is the UNIX utility that [...]. >Please see the manual page for dump(8) for further [...]." There must be a smarter program than the script I hacked up recently for my new users but it is short, simple and does the trick. Step 1: Write a file full of one line 'facts' like: The MSDOS 'dir' command is done by 'ls' on Unix. The 'message of the day is stored in file /etc/motd and printed when you logi (You need a lot of these - all ONE line long) Step 2: List in a file 'stopwds' all the boring words you can think of like do from to in of is not of ... Step 3: write a script that implements this pseudocode: for each argument in turn if its a stopwd ignore it else look for a word match (grep -iw) in the 'facts' file else look for any substring (fgrep -i $word $facts) else apologise and mail guru a copy of the command try the next argument. Step 4: set up 'guru' as an alias for a group of volunteer experts who like to show off their knowledge. Step 5: If the 'guru's are asked something - add the answers to the 'facts'file. Step 6: Call the script 'help' (originallity!) and put it on your beginning user path. Hope this helps! Dick Botting, PAAAAAR@CCS.CSUSCC.CALSTATE(doc-dick) paaaaar@calstate.bitnet PAAAAAR%CALSTATE.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU Dept Comp Sci., Cal State U, San Bernardino, CA 92407 Disclaimer: I am an only an egg
rick@leadsv.UUCP (Rick Schneider) (01/16/88)
In article <2665@shamash.UUCP>, jwabik@shamash.UUCP (Jeff Wabik) writes: > "Online Guru".. > Software that you could literally ask, "How to I do disk backups", to > which the response would be, "Dump is the UNIX utility that [...]. > Please see the manual page for dump(8) for further [...]." There is an option for the "man" command that does a keyword search of the man pages. For instance the answer to the question "How do I find what directory a file is in?" can be found by typing: man -k find This command will produce the following output: find (1) - find files help (1) - an easy way to find and use information indxbib, lookbib (1) - build inverted index for a bibliography, find references in a bibliography look (1) - find lines in a sorted list lorder (1) - find ordering relation for an object library man (1) - find manual information by keywords; print out the manual pfind (1P) - find files in projects refer (1) - find and insert literature references in documents spell, spellin, spellout (1) - find spelling errors strings (1) - find the printable strings in a object, or other binary, file ttynam, isatty (3F) - find name of a terminal port ttyname, isatty, ttyslot (3) - find name of a terminal There is one problem with this if the keyword you are looking for does not appear in the man page's header. Dump will not be identified by "man -k backup", but will be identified with any of the words in the dump man page header: "dump, rdump - incremental file system dump".