[Bug 216603] New: Environment variable MANLESS is described wrong in man(1)

[Bug 216603] New: Environment variable MANLESS is described wrong in man(1)

[bugzilla-daemon]

https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=216603

            Bug ID: 216603
           Summary: Environment variable MANLESS is described wrong in
                    man(1)
           Product: Documentation
           Version: unspecified
          Hardware: All
                OS: Linux
            Status: NEW
          Severity: normal
          Priority: P1
         Component: man-pages
          Assignee: documentation_man-pages@kernel-bugs.osdl.org
          Reporter: karttu+bugzilla@gmail.com
        Regression: No

In an example for setting MANLESS environment variable, man(1) claims:

    For example, if you want to set the prompt string unconditionally
    to "my prompt string", set $MANLESS to '-Psmy prompt string'.

However, this is not not correct as man uses the entire MANLESS variable
as a prompt for less.  I'll demonstrate:

    $ MANLESS='-Ps(prompt)' man man
    <ctrl-z>
    $ cat /proc/$(pgrep -P $(pgrep -f "man man"))/environ |
    tr '\0' '\n' | grep "^LESS="

    LESS=-ix8RmPm-Ps(prompt)$PM-Ps(prompt)$

As seen, man(1) defines -Pm and -PM prompts using the MANLESS variable as is.
The same applies to the command line option -r:

    $ man -r'-Ps(prompt)' man
    <ctrl-z>
    $ cat /proc/$(pgrep -P $(pgrep -f "man .* man"))/environ |
    tr '\0' '\n' | grep "^LESS="

    LESS=-ix8RmPm-Ps(prompt)$PM-Ps(prompt)$

Option -r does not make the same claim, but it says:

    By default man sets the -ix8 options.

Which also is a bit outdated as we can see it sets -ix8R.

So in summary, at least the '-Ps' part should be removed from the MANLESS
description example.  Furthermore, option -r description could elaborate on
how LESS variable is formed (-ix8RmPm<MANLESS or -r>$PM<MANLESS or -r>$).

Note: Dollar sign in less prompt definition is an end-of-string marker.

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[Bug 216603] Environment variable MANLESS is described wrong in man(1)

[bugzilla-daemon]

https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=216603

--- Comment #1 from Alejandro Colomar (man-pages) (alx.manpages@gmail.com) ---
Hi Arttu,

On 10/18/22 21:55, bugzilla-daemon@kernel.org wrote:
> https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=216603
> 
>              Bug ID: 216603
>             Summary: Environment variable MANLESS is described wrong in
>                      man(1)
>             Product: Documentation
>             Version: unspecified
>            Hardware: All
>                  OS: Linux
>              Status: NEW
>            Severity: normal
>            Priority: P1
>           Component: man-pages
>            Assignee: documentation_man-pages@kernel-bugs.osdl.org
>            Reporter: karttu+bugzilla@gmail.com
>          Regression: No
> 
> In an example for setting MANLESS environment variable, man(1) claims:
> 
>      For example, if you want to set the prompt string unconditionally
>      to "my prompt string", set $MANLESS to '-Psmy prompt string'.
> 
> However, this is not not correct as man uses the entire MANLESS variable
> as a prompt for less.  I'll demonstrate:
> 
>      $ MANLESS='-Ps(prompt)' man man
>      <ctrl-z>
>      $ cat /proc/$(pgrep -P $(pgrep -f "man man"))/environ |
>      tr '\0' '\n' | grep "^LESS="
> 
>      LESS=-ix8RmPm-Ps(prompt)$PM-Ps(prompt)$
> 
> As seen, man(1) defines -Pm and -PM prompts using the MANLESS variable as is.
> The same applies to the command line option -r:
> 
>      $ man -r'-Ps(prompt)' man
>      <ctrl-z>
>      $ cat /proc/$(pgrep -P $(pgrep -f "man .* man"))/environ |
>      tr '\0' '\n' | grep "^LESS="
> 
>      LESS=-ix8RmPm-Ps(prompt)$PM-Ps(prompt)$
> 
> Option -r does not make the same claim, but it says:
> 
>      By default man sets the -ix8 options.
> 
> Which also is a bit outdated as we can see it sets -ix8R.
> 
> So in summary, at least the '-Ps' part should be removed from the MANLESS
> description example.  Furthermore, option -r description could elaborate on
> how LESS variable is formed (-ix8RmPm<MANLESS or -r>$PM<MANLESS or -r>$).
> 
> Note: Dollar sign in less prompt definition is an end-of-string marker.
> 

The man(1) page is part of the man-db project, not the Linux man-pages. 
Colin is the maintainer of man-db, so I CCd him.

Their website is:

<https://man-db.nongnu.org/>

However, I'm curious about the resolution, so if you report it again in 
the man-db bug tracker (I guess that's their gitlab?  don't remember), 
please CC me. :)

Cheers,

Alex

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[Bug 216603] Environment variable MANLESS is described wrong in man(1)

[bugzilla-daemon]

https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=216603

--- Comment #2 from karttu@gmail.com ---
Hi Alex, and Colin,

I've never reported any man page bugs before and I basically searched
"reporting man page bugs" and ended up at Reporting man-pages bugs
(kernel.org) <https://www.kernel.org/doc/man-pages/reporting_bugs.html>.
But of course man(1) is an exception :/

Found the issue reporting from GitLab, so it will be there.

Best Regards,
 - Arttu


On Tue, 18 Oct 2022 at 23:05, Alejandro Colomar <alx.manpages@gmail.com>
wrote:

> Hi Arttu,
>
> On 10/18/22 21:55, bugzilla-daemon@kernel.org wrote:
> > https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=216603
> >
> >              Bug ID: 216603
> >             Summary: Environment variable MANLESS is described wrong in
> >                      man(1)
> >             Product: Documentation
> >             Version: unspecified
> >            Hardware: All
> >                  OS: Linux
> >              Status: NEW
> >            Severity: normal
> >            Priority: P1
> >           Component: man-pages
> >            Assignee: documentation_man-pages@kernel-bugs.osdl.org
> >            Reporter: karttu+bugzilla@gmail.com
> >          Regression: No
> >
> > In an example for setting MANLESS environment variable, man(1) claims:
> >
> >      For example, if you want to set the prompt string unconditionally
> >      to "my prompt string", set $MANLESS to '-Psmy prompt string'.
> >
> > However, this is not not correct as man uses the entire MANLESS variable
> > as a prompt for less.  I'll demonstrate:
> >
> >      $ MANLESS='-Ps(prompt)' man man
> >      <ctrl-z>
> >      $ cat /proc/$(pgrep -P $(pgrep -f "man man"))/environ |
> >      tr '\0' '\n' | grep "^LESS="
> >
> >      LESS=-ix8RmPm-Ps(prompt)$PM-Ps(prompt)$
> >
> > As seen, man(1) defines -Pm and -PM prompts using the MANLESS variable
> as is.
> > The same applies to the command line option -r:
> >
> >      $ man -r'-Ps(prompt)' man
> >      <ctrl-z>
> >      $ cat /proc/$(pgrep -P $(pgrep -f "man .* man"))/environ |
> >      tr '\0' '\n' | grep "^LESS="
> >
> >      LESS=-ix8RmPm-Ps(prompt)$PM-Ps(prompt)$
> >
> > Option -r does not make the same claim, but it says:
> >
> >      By default man sets the -ix8 options.
> >
> > Which also is a bit outdated as we can see it sets -ix8R.
> >
> > So in summary, at least the '-Ps' part should be removed from the MANLESS
> > description example.  Furthermore, option -r description could elaborate
> on
> > how LESS variable is formed (-ix8RmPm<MANLESS or -r>$PM<MANLESS or -r>$).
> >
> > Note: Dollar sign in less prompt definition is an end-of-string marker.
> >
>
> The man(1) page is part of the man-db project, not the Linux man-pages.
> Colin is the maintainer of man-db, so I CCd him.
>
> Their website is:
>
> <https://man-db.nongnu.org/>
>
> However, I'm curious about the resolution, so if you report it again in
> the man-db bug tracker (I guess that's their gitlab?  don't remember),
> please CC me. :)
>
> Cheers,
>
> Alex
>
> --
> <http://www.alejandro-colomar.es/>
>

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