the intro man pages are, upon installation recommend as one of the first man pages to read to familiarise oneself with a freebsd system however, after reading them, we have, at best, familiarised ourself with a freebsd system from the 1990s I don't believe that it's necessary for `intro(8)` to speak of > Network related services like `inetd(8)` and `ftpd(8)` are also described.
See also: <http://markmail.org/message/nlp6ahgbje42expx> > The 2000s called. They want their intro(8) back. – Pau Amma, New Year's Eve, 2021.
(In reply to Graham Perrin from comment #1) Also known as https://lists.freebsd.org/archives/freebsd-doc/2021-December/001068.html
Hello, I have some plans to update and revamp intro(9). I will create a separate bug for this when the time comes. Perhaps this one could become a tracking PR? Cheers, Mitchell
(In reply to Mitchell Horne from comment #3) > … Perhaps this one could become a tracking PR? Yeah, let's do that now, before the twenty-second century calls. Mina: feel free to revert the status, keyword(s), etc., if you'd prefer a different approach. Thanks, and thanks.
I started on intro(2) because making it pretty seemed straightforward, I think it's getting pretty good. https://github.com/freebsd/freebsd-src/pull/1065 I don't know if I should add the internal kernel pseudoerrors mentioned in errno.h? Any recommendations for intro(2)? I'm feeling extremely insecure about realizing another typo while trying to sleep, and then force-pushing, and then github check fails telling me I ostensibly wasted the whole entire projects github compute bandwidth recompiling llvm for typo correction in a 28K man page.
Here's what I've got so far for intro(1). I want to update this page concisely without bloating or mangling it. It's previous state is extremely eloquent and concise, and I'd like to see that preserved. https://github.com/freebsd/freebsd-src/pull/1136
intro(5) is up for review. https://github.com/freebsd/freebsd-src/pull/1534
A commit in branch main references this bug: URL: https://cgit.FreeBSD.org/src/commit/?id=a6175f28da7018ba9f824f48fe6db732bd9cb501 commit a6175f28da7018ba9f824f48fe6db732bd9cb501 Author: Alexander Ziaee <ziaee@FreeBSD.org> AuthorDate: 2025-03-23 18:41:09 +0000 Commit: Alexander Ziaee <ziaee@FreeBSD.org> CommitDate: 2025-03-26 16:44:33 +0000 intro.5: Crossreference ascii(7) Since the beginning, Unix has included an ASCII chart. Over the last half a century to this day, the most common format for lexographical organization in files is according to ASCII. Consistency is maintainable and for that reason, crossreference ascii(7) promenently in the introduction to the File Formats Manual. Additionally, this demonstrates the often softer style of bullet lists in the manual tradition. PR: 248562 MFC after: 3 days Reviewed by: mhorne Approved by: mhorne (mentor) Pull Request: https://github.com/freebsd/freebsd-src/pull/1534 share/man/man5/intro.5 | 7 ++++--- 1 file changed, 4 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)
A commit in branch main references this bug: URL: https://cgit.FreeBSD.org/src/commit/?id=8d65152cbfc8861f6920846dea6f540c673ab7b6 commit 8d65152cbfc8861f6920846dea6f540c673ab7b6 Author: Alexander Ziaee <ziaee@FreeBSD.org> AuthorDate: 2024-11-17 17:07:34 +0000 Commit: Alexander Ziaee <ziaee@FreeBSD.org> CommitDate: 2025-03-26 16:43:54 +0000 intro.5: Add local to files, minor maintenence New users are sometimes confused about the difference between /etc/ and /usr/local/etc. Explain this in the manual as we did in intro(1). Link hier(7) which now lists base system configuration files in /etc/. Add a section number to HISTORY for clarity. PR: 248562 MFC after: 3 days Approved by: mhorne (mentor) Reviewed by: imp, mhorne, Lexi Winter <lexi@le-fay.org> Pull Request: https://github.com/freebsd/freebsd-src/pull/1534 share/man/man5/intro.5 | 20 +++++++++++++------- 1 file changed, 13 insertions(+), 7 deletions(-)
A commit in branch main references this bug: URL: https://cgit.FreeBSD.org/src/commit/?id=26ec376536622e8fec8f40847aa9b2d1121d585d commit 26ec376536622e8fec8f40847aa9b2d1121d585d Author: Alexander Ziaee <ziaee@FreeBSD.org> AuthorDate: 2024-11-17 17:10:56 +0000 Commit: Alexander Ziaee <ziaee@FreeBSD.org> CommitDate: 2025-03-26 16:44:16 +0000 intro.5: Import description table from OpenBSD Looking around at how everyone else is doing it, this list seems nearly perfect to me and we should just import it from them. I have added "and streams" because we have some explanations of those in this section too. PR: 248562 MFC after: 3 days Obtained from: OpenBSD Approved by: mhorne (mentor) Reviewed by: imp, mhorne, Lexi Winter <lexi@le-fay.org> Pull Request: https://github.com/freebsd/freebsd-src/pull/1534 share/man/man5/intro.5 | 11 ++++++++++- 1 file changed, 10 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
A commit in branch main references this bug: URL: https://cgit.FreeBSD.org/src/commit/?id=37508388d066826d0a36b5ec646c95a9ffb00d28 commit 37508388d066826d0a36b5ec646c95a9ffb00d28 Author: Alexander Ziaee <ziaee@FreeBSD.org> AuthorDate: 2024-11-17 17:14:21 +0000 Commit: Alexander Ziaee <ziaee@FreeBSD.org> CommitDate: 2025-03-26 16:44:26 +0000 intro.5: More verbose introductory sentence Explain a little about everything is a file, matching the style of earlier intro pages. PR: 248562 MFC after: 3 days Approved by: mhorne (mentor) Reviewed by: imp, mhorne, Lexi Winter <lexi@le-fay.org> Pull Request: https://github.com/freebsd/freebsd-src/pull/1534 share/man/man5/intro.5 | 5 ++++- 1 file changed, 4 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
A commit in branch stable/14 references this bug: URL: https://cgit.FreeBSD.org/src/commit/?id=3cdf03dbfeffafb666ba25b13339a0ee7432d445 commit 3cdf03dbfeffafb666ba25b13339a0ee7432d445 Author: Alexander Ziaee <ziaee@FreeBSD.org> AuthorDate: 2025-03-23 18:41:09 +0000 Commit: Alexander Ziaee <ziaee@FreeBSD.org> CommitDate: 2025-03-29 01:32:41 +0000 intro.5: Crossreference ascii(7) Since the beginning, Unix has included an ASCII chart. Over the last half a century to this day, the most common format for lexographical organization in files is according to ASCII. Consistency is maintainable and for that reason, crossreference ascii(7) promenently in the introduction to the File Formats Manual. Additionally, this demonstrates the often softer style of bullet lists in the manual tradition. PR: 248562 MFC after: 3 days Reviewed by: mhorne Approved by: mhorne (mentor) Pull Request: https://github.com/freebsd/freebsd-src/pull/1534 (cherry picked from commit a6175f28da7018ba9f824f48fe6db732bd9cb501) share/man/man5/intro.5 | 7 ++++--- 1 file changed, 4 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)
A commit in branch stable/14 references this bug: URL: https://cgit.FreeBSD.org/src/commit/?id=342fa740cbc653909e7bc4197453b0da74d2f2ba commit 342fa740cbc653909e7bc4197453b0da74d2f2ba Author: Alexander Ziaee <ziaee@FreeBSD.org> AuthorDate: 2024-11-17 17:07:34 +0000 Commit: Alexander Ziaee <ziaee@FreeBSD.org> CommitDate: 2025-03-29 01:31:48 +0000 intro.5: Add local to files, minor maintenence New users are sometimes confused about the difference between /etc/ and /usr/local/etc. Explain this in the manual as we did in intro(1). Link hier(7) which now lists base system configuration files in /etc/. Add a section number to HISTORY for clarity. PR: 248562 MFC after: 3 days Approved by: mhorne (mentor) Reviewed by: imp, mhorne, Lexi Winter <lexi@le-fay.org> Pull Request: https://github.com/freebsd/freebsd-src/pull/1534 (cherry picked from commit 8d65152cbfc8861f6920846dea6f540c673ab7b6) share/man/man5/intro.5 | 20 +++++++++++++------- 1 file changed, 13 insertions(+), 7 deletions(-)
A commit in branch stable/14 references this bug: URL: https://cgit.FreeBSD.org/src/commit/?id=0d35e639731f30d2472cdb92fb0e0821f8df6367 commit 0d35e639731f30d2472cdb92fb0e0821f8df6367 Author: Alexander Ziaee <ziaee@FreeBSD.org> AuthorDate: 2024-11-17 17:14:21 +0000 Commit: Alexander Ziaee <ziaee@FreeBSD.org> CommitDate: 2025-03-29 01:32:27 +0000 intro.5: More verbose introductory sentence Explain a little about everything is a file, matching the style of earlier intro pages. PR: 248562 MFC after: 3 days Approved by: mhorne (mentor) Reviewed by: imp, mhorne, Lexi Winter <lexi@le-fay.org> Pull Request: https://github.com/freebsd/freebsd-src/pull/1534 (cherry picked from commit 37508388d066826d0a36b5ec646c95a9ffb00d28) share/man/man5/intro.5 | 5 ++++- 1 file changed, 4 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
A commit in branch stable/14 references this bug: URL: https://cgit.FreeBSD.org/src/commit/?id=bb28ea49ad3a818371ecbde49556ca8f1260e81f commit bb28ea49ad3a818371ecbde49556ca8f1260e81f Author: Alexander Ziaee <ziaee@FreeBSD.org> AuthorDate: 2024-11-17 17:10:56 +0000 Commit: Alexander Ziaee <ziaee@FreeBSD.org> CommitDate: 2025-03-29 01:32:10 +0000 intro.5: Import description table from OpenBSD Looking around at how everyone else is doing it, this list seems nearly perfect to me and we should just import it from them. I have added "and streams" because we have some explanations of those in this section too. PR: 248562 MFC after: 3 days Obtained from: OpenBSD Approved by: mhorne (mentor) Reviewed by: imp, mhorne, Lexi Winter <lexi@le-fay.org> Pull Request: https://github.com/freebsd/freebsd-src/pull/1534 (cherry picked from commit 26ec376536622e8fec8f40847aa9b2d1121d585d) share/man/man5/intro.5 | 11 ++++++++++- 1 file changed, 10 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)