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From: "Gary R. Van Sickle" <g DOT r DOT vansickle AT worldnet DOT att DOT net>
To: <cygwin AT cygwin DOT com>
Subject: Proposed Mailing List Page Reorg (was: RE: No stderr output)
Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 20:55:54 -0600
Message-ID: <NCBBIHCHBLCMLBLOBONKGEMACIAA.g.r.vansickle@worldnet.att.net>
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: cygwin-owner AT cygwin DOT com [mailto:cygwin-owner AT cygwin DOT com]On Behalf
> Of Christopher Faylor
>

[snip]

> >For Bourne style shells I use
> >
> >runme > filename 2>&1
> >
> >This redirects stdout first and then stderr to whereever stdout is
> >pointing.
>
> If this doesn't do it, then I think the best plan is to find help from
> another mailing list.  Basic shell questions are not really appropriate
> here -- especially given the recent volume we've been experiencing.

I've been cogitating for a while that it could be mutually beneficial to
inexperienced users and regulars' blood pressures alike if the Cygwin mailing
list page listed a few concrete URLs to such "newbie" lists/newsgroups/FAQs etc,
and at the same time reworked the wording on the description of this particular
list.  Currently it says, "If you have questions about how to use Cygwin, or any
of its tools (bash, gcc, make, etc.), this is the list for you."  That means:
"If you have any question whatsoever regarding anything you can associate
somehow with Cygwin, post it here."  That's simply not the intention of the list
(at least since I've been around), nor should it be, but the description simply
gives no indication of the true intent, i.e. "Cygwin-specific questions only
need apply".

Now as for where best to send people, I have no idea (maybe some can just point
into the appropriate section of the FAQ).  But here's a rough outline of what
I'm thinking:


Help With The Tools Packaged With Cygwin
========================================

Can't figure out the bash command line syntax?  Don't know what a HOME is?
What-ular expressions?  These are general Unix sorts of questions , and you'll
have the best luck getting help at one of these many fine resources:

Unix basics: http://wherever/
Bash up the wazoo: news://bash.whatever/
Regular Expressions Revealed: mailinglist://heretoo/

Cygwin Specific Mailing Lists
=============================

cygwin-xfree: (same description, note the clever inversion of these two, thus
guaranteeing that no xfree questions get into the main list).

cygwin: A high volume list solely for the discussion of Cygwin-specific
issues/problems/etc.  If you have questions specifically related to the Cygwin
ports of the tools, *not* regarding the tools themselves, post here.

Cygwin Developers Mailing Lists
===============================

Heaven help you if you post something off topic to one of these:

cygwin-apps: blah blah blah
etc
etc


Comments?  Questions other than "what are you smoking"? ;-)

--
Gary R. Van Sickle
Brewer.  Patriot.


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