Skip to content
quotesby

About this quote

What does it mean?
The script announces that a package has manual pages in source, but warns they’re useless without nroff.
In plain terms
It says docs are available but probably not readable because nroff is missing.
What can you take from it?
Ensure documentation tools are installed for users to access manuals.

Where it applies

  • software installation
  • help systems

Putting it to work

  • install nroff
  • provide pre‑formatted docs

Questions to consider

  • Should alternative formats be offered?
  • How to detect missing tools automatically?

Another view

Relying on source‑only docs limits usability for many users.

More from Larry Wall

  1. echo 'ICK, NOTHING WORKED!!! You may have to diddle the includes.';;

    Permalink to quote #249
  2. echo 'Hmmm...you don't have Berkeley networking in libc.a...' echo 'but the Wollongong group seems to have hacked it in.

    Permalink to quote #248
  3. [End of diatribe. We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming...]

    Permalink to quote #252

Related quotes

  1. I define UNIX as 30 definitions of regular expressions living under one roof.

    Donald KnuthDonald Knuth quote #8
  2. On the plus side, it's a lot easier in general to find /usr/include than cpp.

    Larry WallLarry Wall quote #212
  3. In my first year I was taught about the slide rule. They said, 'The slide rule is important. Without it you can do nothing. The slide rule is the modern weapon…

    Eddie IzzardEddie Izzard quote #1