Call for volunteers to check manual files

Call for volunteers to check manual files

[Chong Yidong]

This is a call for volunteers to help check the manuals for the
upcoming Emacs 22 release.

Before the Emacs developers can release Emacs 22, we need to check the
manuals for factual accuracy, especially the parts describing new
features.  Any help that you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

We need to keep track of how many people have checked different parts
of the manual.  So, if you would like to help, please read and
*follow* these simple instructions:

1. Download the development version of Emacs from CVS.  Instructions
   can be found at

    http://savannah.gnu.org/cvs/?group=emacs

2. Build Emacs.  See INSTALL.CVS, in the source tree, for
   instructions; basically,

    $ ./configure
    $ make bootstrap

3. Read etc/NEWS (in the Emacs source tree) to find the changes made
   to Emacs since version 21.4.

   This is a very long file, but try to read as much as you can.  If
   you can't digest it in one go, skim through it now and come back to
   specific sections later, when you're checking the manuals.

4. Visit admin/FOR-RELEASE, and find the list of Emacs manual files
   that have not been checked.  There are two manuals that need to be
   checked: the Emacs Manual, and the Emacs Lisp Reference Manual.
   Choose a file that has not been checked by at least two people.
   (It is OK if you want to check the others, but the unchecked files
   are more important.)

5. Read the manual file.  These are Texinfo files (*.texi), and can be
   found in the directory man/ (for the Emacs Manual) or lispref/ (for
   the Emacs Lisp Reference Manual.)  You can also read the manuals
   using Info-mode in the Emacs that you built.

   What you are looking for, IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE, are

     * Wrong facts
     * Unclear or misleading statements
     * Spelling or grammar mistakes

   The main goal is to find wrong facts!  It is OK to report other
   types of mistakes, but don't let that detract from this purpose.

   Look out, in particular, for features that are new to Emacs 22.  If
   you are unsure if something is a mistake, go back and check in
   etc/NEWS, or test it out on the Emacs that you built.

6. Once you have checked the *the entire file*, send an email to
   emacs-devel@gnu.org, stating

     * "I have checked [which file(s)]."
     * What mistakes you found (if any).

   The best way to report mistakes is to comment the Texinfo file as
   you are checking it, and send a patch at the end.  For example,
   when you find such a mistake:

      The commands @kbd{M-f} (@code{forward-word}) and @kbd{M-b}
    (@code{forward-word}) move forward and backward over words.  These
    Meta characters are thus analogous to the corresponding control

   Add a comment to it like this:

      The commands @kbd{M-f} (@code{forward-word}) and @kbd{M-b}
    (@code{forward-word}) move forward and backward over words.  These
    @c Should be backward-word.
    Meta characters are thus analogous to the corresponding control

   At the end, run M-x diff and attach the patch to your report.

Thanks for your time.

Re: Call for volunteers to check manual files

[Lennart Borgman]

*** This is an important message so I add a bit for those using MS Windows:


If you are using MS Windows then you can get a precompiled version of 
Emacs (or instructions for building on MS Windows), see 
http://www.emacswiki.org/cgi-bin/wiki/CategoryWThirtyTwo.

There are actually also lacking some MS Windows specific information in 
the manuals currently.




Chong Yidong wrote:

>This is a call for volunteers to help check the manuals for the
>upcoming Emacs 22 release.
>
>Before the Emacs developers can release Emacs 22, we need to check the
>manuals for factual accuracy, especially the parts describing new
>features.  Any help that you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
>
>We need to keep track of how many people have checked different parts
>of the manual.  So, if you would like to help, please read and
>*follow* these simple instructions:
>
>1. Download the development version of Emacs from CVS.  Instructions
>   can be found at
>
>    http://savannah.gnu.org/cvs/?group=emacs
>
>2. Build Emacs.  See INSTALL.CVS, in the source tree, for
>   instructions; basically,
>
>    $ ./configure
>    $ make bootstrap
>
>3. Read etc/NEWS (in the Emacs source tree) to find the changes made
>   to Emacs since version 21.4.
>
>   This is a very long file, but try to read as much as you can.  If
>   you can't digest it in one go, skim through it now and come back to
>   specific sections later, when you're checking the manuals.
>
>4. Visit admin/FOR-RELEASE, and find the list of Emacs manual files
>   that have not been checked.  There are two manuals that need to be
>   checked: the Emacs Manual, and the Emacs Lisp Reference Manual.
>   Choose a file that has not been checked by at least two people.
>   (It is OK if you want to check the others, but the unchecked files
>   are more important.)
>
>5. Read the manual file.  These are Texinfo files (*.texi), and can be
>   found in the directory man/ (for the Emacs Manual) or lispref/ (for
>   the Emacs Lisp Reference Manual.)  You can also read the manuals
>   using Info-mode in the Emacs that you built.
>
>   What you are looking for, IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE, are
>
>     * Wrong facts
>     * Unclear or misleading statements
>     * Spelling or grammar mistakes
>
>   The main goal is to find wrong facts!  It is OK to report other
>   types of mistakes, but don't let that detract from this purpose.
>
>   Look out, in particular, for features that are new to Emacs 22.  If
>   you are unsure if something is a mistake, go back and check in
>   etc/NEWS, or test it out on the Emacs that you built.
>
>6. Once you have checked the *the entire file*, send an email to
>   emacs-devel@gnu.org, stating
>
>     * "I have checked [which file(s)]."
>     * What mistakes you found (if any).
>
>   The best way to report mistakes is to comment the Texinfo file as
>   you are checking it, and send a patch at the end.  For example,
>   when you find such a mistake:
>
>      The commands @kbd{M-f} (@code{forward-word}) and @kbd{M-b}
>    (@code{forward-word}) move forward and backward over words.  These
>    Meta characters are thus analogous to the corresponding control
>
>   Add a comment to it like this:
>
>      The commands @kbd{M-f} (@code{forward-word}) and @kbd{M-b}
>    (@code{forward-word}) move forward and backward over words.  These
>    @c Should be backward-word.
>    Meta characters are thus analogous to the corresponding control
>
>   At the end, run M-x diff and attach the patch to your report.
>
>Thanks for your time.
>_______________________________________________
>Help-gnu-emacs mailing list
>Help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org
>http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/help-gnu-emacs
>  
>


-- 
Lennart
från Lund
lennart.borgman.073@student.lu.se

Re: Call for volunteers to check manual files

[David Kastrup]

Chong Yidong <cyd@stupidchicken.com> writes:

> This is a call for volunteers to help check the manuals for the
> upcoming Emacs 22 release.

[...]

>    At the end, run M-x diff and attach the patch to your report.

It must be noted that it is largely useless to actually provide a
patch or rephrasing in most cases unless you are also willing to
provide a copyright assignment in writing to the FSF for your changes:
all copyrightable material (and a literal patch is likely to introduce
such) is only accepted into Emacs under this condition.

So just pointing out what's wrong is the best people can manage
without paperwork.  Of course, the paperwork in itself is not arduous,
but you have to be sure that your work contracts actually allow you to
participate in external projects.

-- 
David Kastrup, Kriemhildstr. 15, 44793 Bochum