From: wanderer@tcsi.appleton.mil.wi.us (K.T. Wieringa)
Subject: Re: Commodity question
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.misc
Distribution: world
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]
Date: 6 Jan 93 00:21:09 CST
Organization: The River

Ross Hippely - Manuals (ross@cbmvax.commodore.com) wrote:
: In article <wanderer.03nq@tcsi.appleton.mil.wi.us> wanderer@tcsi.appleton.mil.wi.us (K.T. Wieringa) writes:
: >I upgraded to 2.04 not long ago and have been wading through various parts
: >of the new manual.  I think the index really bites.  This morning I was
: >looking for Enforcer information (the requestor asks for command line
: >arguments).  
: 
: What requester are you referring to?  

It was an "execute file" requestor that I got when I double clicked the
Enforcer Icon.  I found that it would launch ok if I just selected "ok" on
the requestor.  I was wondering if there were any command line options for
it.

Another person mailed me saying that enforcer wasn't part of the OS
distribution.  It seems to have come with mine; both on the hard drive
(sys:tools) and on the install3000 disk.  I was wondering if there was 
any documentation included.  I haven't found any.

: >Still haven't found it in the big book 
: 
: And could you refresh my memory on where in _Using the System Software_ 
: (not a new manual, by the way) Enforcer is mentioned?  

I think that was my point.  It's part of the OS disk distribution, but the
documentation isn't?

: >great detail explaining such weighty topics like using window gadgets,
: >double clicking, etc).  
: 
: Yes, well, we believe that new users find such information helpful.

point taken.  I apologize.  As far as detailed constructive criticism goes,

 -  I'd find it real helpful if there was some kind of appendix or 
    supplement available which covered, or at least cross referenced, 
    upgrading from one OS to another.  Something for those of us who know
    the basics but would like to more easily parse the differences without
    having to wade through the simple stuff all over again.

 -  The Index could use some work (in my opinion). The problem here was with
    Mountlist.  The one "mountlist" entry I did find sent me to to an
    obscure reference in the chapter on ED.  I didn't find any details on 
    how this was different from 1.3.  I know it didn't read the mountlist 
    in devs:, but I did get it to work (adding extra hard disks) alright 
    with your handy gui harddisk util.  I still haven't found out where the
    mountlist entry ended up.

 -  some of the requestors in the diagrams differ quite a bit in available
    options from the ones on my screen (prefs/screenmode and prefs/overscan
    are two that come to mind).

 -  how often do you really send out upgrades for this manual?  I know I
    never got any for 1.2 or 1.3.  i.e. is the looseleaf format really 
    necessary?  It doesn't seem near as durable as a bound manual.  You
    gotta remember some of us cheap bastards want to be able to use these 
    things for a few years.

: Indeed.  I'm not trying to mount a great defense of _USS_, but rather to
: point out two things: 1) We recently have been spending a great deal of time 
: and effort addressing such shortcomings in our documentation, effort that 
: addresses many of the problems such as you mention.  I'd much prefer to be 
: judged on the basis of the current (and upcoming) books.

And we can be such picky SOB's  :-). 

I try to avoid judging on the basis of things that aren't yet available.

I appreciate the effort, and the response.

: Ross Hippely:                                               Technical Writer
: employed by, not speaking for:              Commodore Business Machines Inc.

 | K.T. Wieringa              UUCP: toddw@tcsi.appleton.mil.wi.us |
 | Shawano, Wisconsin, USA    Fido: K.T. Wieringa @ 1:238/105.3   |
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