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					<div class="head">
						<b>mdocml</b> &#8211; mdoc macro compiler
					</div>
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					<h1>
					DESCRIPTION
					</h1>

					<p>
					<span class="nm">mdocml</span> is a suite of tools compiling &#8220;-mdoc&#8221;, the roff macro package
					of choice for BSD manual pages, and &#8220;-man&#8221;, the predominant historical package for UNIX
					manuals.  The mission of <span class="nm">mdocml</span> is to deprecate <a
					href="http://www.gnu.org/software/groff/" class="external">groff</a>, the GNU roff implementation, for
					displaying <a href="mdoc.7.txt" class="man">mdoc(7)</a> pages whilst providing token support for <a
					href="man.7.txt" class="man">man(7)</a>.
					</p>

					<p>
					What are UNIX manuals?  Read <a href="manuals.7.txt" class="man">manuals(7)</a> for an introduction.
					</p>

					<p>
					Why?  groff amounts to over 5 MB of source code, most of which is C++ and all of which is GPL.  It runs
					slowly, produces uncertain output, and varies in operation from system to system.  mdocml strives to fix
					this (respectively small, C, ISC-licensed, fast and regular).
					</p>

					<p>
					The core of <span class="nm">mdocml</span> are the <a href="man.3.txt" class="man">man(3)</a> and <a
					href="mdoc.3.txt" class="man">mdoc(3)</a> libraries, validating compilers producing intermediate-form
					output from -man or -mdoc input.  Both are simple, fast libraries operating on memory buffers, so they
					may be used for a variety of front-ends (terminal-based, CGI and so on).  
					</p>
					
					<p>
					The primary front-end is <a href="mandoc.1.txt" class="man">mandoc(1)</a>, which formats manuals for
					display on the terminal.  Its purpose is to deprecate usage of groff for displaying -mdoc and, to a
					limited extent, -man manuals on the terminal.
					</p>

					<p>
					<span class="attn">Please submit patches, bug reports and suggestions!</span> Although a significant
					implementation exists, work remains for the backend library and especially the front-end utilities.  See
					the <a href="#contact">contact</a> information below for submissions.
					</p>
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					<h1>
					INSTALLING SOURCES
					</h1>

					<p>
					Sources correctly build and install on FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD and Linux operating systems, tested
					variously on i386, AMD64, alpha and others. 
					</p>

					<p>
					The most current version is <span class="attn">@VERSION@</span>, dated 
					<span class="attn">@VDATE@</span>.  
					</p>

					<h2>
					Snapshot source
					</h2>

					<p>
					CVS sources are checkedout and snapshotted with version updates.  These may be found in the <a
					href="/snapshots/">/snapshots/</a> directory.  A full <a href="/snapshots/ChangeLog">ChangeLog</a> is
					written with each new snapshot.
					</p>

					<p class="boxed">
					% cd /tmp<br>
					% ftp -V -o- <a href="http://mdocml.bsd.lv/snapshots/mdocml.tar.gz">
					http://mdocml.bsd.lv/snapshots/mdocml.tar.gz</a> | tar -zvxf -<br>
					% cd mdocml<br>
					% make all<br>
					# make install
					</p>

					<h2>
					Snapshot port/pkgsrc
					</h2>

					<p>
					The source snapshot is automatically converted into OpenBSD, NetBSD and FreeBSD ports at <a
					href="/ports-openbsd/">/ports-openbsd/</a>, <a href="/ports-netbsd/">/ports-netbsd/</a> and <a
					href="/ports-freebsd/">/ports-freebsd/</a>, respectively.  Please read the <a class="external"
					href="http://www.openbsd.org/faq/faq15.html">OpenBSD Ports FAQ</a>, the <a class="external"
					href="http://www.netbsd.org/docs/software/packages.html">NetBSD pkgsrc guide</a> or the <a
					class="external"
					href="http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/ports-using.html">FreeBSD ports
					guide</a>, first.
					</p>

					<h3>
					OpenBSD port
					</h3>

					<p class="boxed">
					# pkg_delete mdocml<br>
					# cd /usr/ports/textproc/<br>
					# rm -rf mdocml<br>
					# ftp -V -o- <a href="http://mdocml.bsd.lv/ports-openbsd/mdocml.tar.gz">
					http://mdocml.bsd.lv/ports-openbsd/mdocml.tar.gz</a> | tar -zvxf -<br>
					# cd mdocml<br>
					# make build<br>
					# make install
					</p>

					<h3>
					NetBSD pkgsrc
					</h3>

					<p class="boxed">
					# pkg_delete mdocml<br>
					# cd /usr/pkgsrc/textproc/<br>
					# rm -rf mdocml<br>
					# ftp -V -o- <a href="http://mdocml.bsd.lv/ports-netbsd/mdocml.tar.gz">
					http://mdocml.bsd.lv/ports-netbsd/mdocml.tar.gz</a> | tar -zvxf -<br>
					# cd mdocml<br>
					# make build<br>
					# make install
					</p>

					<h3>
					FreeBSD port
					</h3>

					<p class="boxed">
					# pkg_delete -x mdocml<br>
					# cd /tmp<br>
					# ftp -V -o- <a href="http://mdocml.bsd.lv/ports-freebsd/mdocml.tar.gz">
					http://mdocml.bsd.lv/ports-freebsd/mdocml.tar.gz</a> | tar -zvxf -<br>
					# cd mdocml<br>
					# make<br>
					# make install
					</p>
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					<h1>
					CONTACT
					</h1>

					<p>
					Please contact Kristaps, kris<a class="external"
					href="http://mailhide.recaptcha.net/d?k=01jt88xIsFONwVjHZmGpc4AQ==&amp;c=sb5E6ulipc-eTnpTVqI-BQ=="
					onclick="window.open('http://mailhide.recaptcha.net/d?k=01jt88xIsFONwVjHZmGpc4AQ==&amp;c=sb5E6ulipc-eTnpTVqI-BQ==',
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					false;" title="Reveal this e-mail address">...</a>@kth.se, with questions, bug reports, patches, and so
					on.  
					</p>
					
					<p>
					If you'd like to submit patches, please contact us beforehand in case larger changes are pending but not
					checked in.  If making a bug report, please make sure it's repeatable on the most current snapshot.
					</p>
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					<div class="foot">
						Copyright &#169; 2008, 2009 Kristaps D&#382;onsons, $Date$
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