Re: [seul-edu] Re: HOWTO-howto

[Michael Viron <mviron@wsdo.sao.uwf.edu>]

Under Linux, you could also open under xpdf.

Unless you really wanted to download a 6 MB file--you can download it from:
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

Mike
At 02:44 PM 09/10/2000 -0500, you wrote:
>To all:
>    Well, since nobody responded to my request for help on the format of
>HOWTO documents, I will answer my own question. Perhaps some other newbie
>will be spared the hours of frustration I went through finding and then
>figuring out how to read HOWTOs. To all of you, this stuff is obvious;
>however, to those like me it is not. Perhaps this could be added to FAQs.
>(EXPERIENCED USERS: don't bother to read this message. It's for newbies.)
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>-------------------
>HOW DO I FIND AND READ HOWTO FILES?
>    To any newbie: many of your questions about performing specific Linux
>tasks will be answered in a HOWTO file. However, you may not find a HOWTO
>for your particular topic on the Web. Don't despair; there are more HOWTOs
>available on CD if you bought a specific distro such as RedHat, Debian, etc.
>    If they are not available on your main distribution CD, look through
>everything in the box for another CD dedicated to documentation, possibly in
>a paper cover. It should list HOWTOs among its contents. Browse through the
>CD until you get to the HOWTO directory.
>    Many of the files in this directory are in a special format called sgml.
>Unless you are an experienced user, you will probably have trouble
>deciphering them. Don't worry, though; there are probably other formats
>available on the CD. For instance, RedHat has a subdirectory within howto,
>called other-formats. Click on it to find both html and pdf formatted
>howtos.
>    Html is easy; just double-click on the appropriate directory, then look
>for a file with the lowest number (or no number) at the end of the name.
>That is your startup file. Double-click on it and your default Web browser
>will open it for you.
>    The pdf format (Adobe's Portable Document Format) may be a little more
>complicated the first time you use it, but after that it's just as easy. To
>view and print pdf files you need the free Adobe Acrobat reader. Try
>double-clicking on any of the pdf formatted howto files. Since many
>computers come preloaded with Acrobat Reader, the file may just open right
>up and you will be good to go. If instead you get a dialog box asking what
>program to use to open the file, cancel it and go to Adobe's web site at
>www.adobe.com. Look in the free download section for the version of Acrobat
>Reader designed for your operating system (Linux, Windows, etc.). Follow the
>download and install instructions. When done, go back to the CD and
>double-click the pdf file again. It should now open up just fine.
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>-------------------
>    Hope this might help some other newbies in the future.
>Dave Prentice
>prentice@instruction.com
>