Subject: LSM: New Release: 05JUN94
From: [email-masked] (Jeff Kopmanis)
Date: Tue, 7 Jun 1994 17:19:11 GMT
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.announce,comp.os.linux.development,comp.os.linux.help

LSM Release: 05JUN94
======================

[This is the Linux Software Map, a list of many software packages
available for Linux. --mdw]

The new version of the LSM was uploaded to sunsite.unc.edu in
/pub/Linux/Incoming/lsm-05jun94.gz and should be moved to /pub/Linux/docs
soon.  tsx-11.mit.edu's final version will appear in /pub/linux/docs also.

This is closer to what I had in mind a year ago when the LSM started.  
Periodic updates and timely releases.  FINALLY, my end has cleared up and I
have a system that is managable.  Took a while, but its here.

I have some issues that I've noticed over the last 2 months or so that
require quite a bit of editing on my part to get the entries to import
properly.  Nothing here is terribly earth-shattering, but with a little
help from YOU, the whole process can move smoother.

1. DATES.  A while back, there was a good deal of discussion about the date
   format used in the LSM.  Finally everyone agreed on ddMMMyy, a 7 character
   sequence that produces dates that look like this:  05JUN94, 22MAY94, etc.
   Stuff like "24 May 1994" and "Tues April 22, 1994 9:30:56 am" don't cut it.
   PLEASE do me a favor by properly formatting the dates.  Most come in good,
   but the exceptions take alot of time to fix up.

2. There seems to be some confusion over the Begin2/End KEYWORDS.  Yes, they
   are KEYWORDS and tell me the beginning and ending of an entry.  The 2
   is important, because it identifies the version number of the entry.

3. Unfortunately, Tabs are not considered to be white space in Visual BASIC.
   Please use spaces and not tabs.

4. Try to use the current template whenever possible.  It's easier on YOU!

5. Please try to stay away from some of those special characters (umlauts,
   hachas, enyays, etc), because they are 8-bit and non-standard.  7-bit
   ASCII characters (i.e. "Text" files) are preferred.  I don't think the
   8-bit chars are doing any harm, but there are NO guarantees of how they
   will show or what they will do with the WWW-type programs reading the LSM.

Again, these were some recurring problems that I noted as I was cleaning
up the entries to import.  If the date and Begin2/End problems are cured,
I'll be most happy, as they cause me the most grief.

And one word to the newbies out there...look in an accompanying article for
what exactly the LSM is.  It'll save alot of reiterative email replies.

Thanks for your help and support.  I hope to see you again in about a month!
-Jeff.  :)

--
Jeff Kopmanis       (Ann Arbor, Michigan)   |  email:  [email-masked]
Organizer of the Linux Software Map (LSM)   |  phone: (313) 393-4784 (work)
"So shines a good deed in a weary world."  -Willy Wonka

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