Re: [PATCH 1/6] docs: pretty up sysctl/kernel.rst

[Jonathan Corbet]

On Thu, 13 Feb 2020 18:46:56 +0100
Stephen Kitt <steve@xxxxxxx> wrote:

> This updates sysctl/kernel.rst to use ReStructured Text more fully:
> * the list of files is now the table of contents (old entries with no
>   corresponding sections are added as empty sections for now);
> * code references and commands are formatted as code, except for
>   function names which end up linked to the appropriate documentation;
> * links are used to point to other documentation and other sections;
> * tables are used to make lists of values more readable (as already
>   done for some sections);
> * in heavily-reworked paragraphs, sentences are wrapped individually,
>   to make future diffs easier to read.
> 
> Signed-off-by: Stephen Kitt <steve@xxxxxxx>
> ---
>  Documentation/admin-guide/sysctl/kernel.rst | 987 ++++++++++----------
>  1 file changed, 493 insertions(+), 494 deletions(-)

So this looks generally good, but...

> diff --git a/Documentation/admin-guide/sysctl/kernel.rst b/Documentation/admin-guide/sysctl/kernel.rst
> index def074807cee..1de8f0b199b1 100644
> --- a/Documentation/admin-guide/sysctl/kernel.rst
> +++ b/Documentation/admin-guide/sysctl/kernel.rst
> @@ -2,262 +2,188 @@
>  Documentation for /proc/sys/kernel/
>  ===================================
>  
> -kernel version 2.2.10
> +Kernel version 2.2.10

I honestly can't see the value of fixing up a line like that.  When I
encounter a kernel document that references something like 2.2.10, I assume
it's full of dust and cobwebs.  I'd just take that out.

>  Copyright (c) 1998, 1999,  Rik van Riel <riel@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
>  
> -Copyright (c) 2009,        Shen Feng<shen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> +Copyright (c) 2009,        Shen Feng <shen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>  
> -For general info and legal blurb, please look in index.rst.
> +For general info and legal blurb, please look in :doc:`index`.
>  
>  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>  
>  This file contains documentation for the sysctl files in
> -/proc/sys/kernel/ and is valid for Linux kernel version 2.2.
> +``/proc/sys/kernel/`` and is valid for Linux kernel version 2.2.

This could be tweaked as well.  If, after your work, you think it's still
not current, a warning to that effect should be put in instead.

There's some other dated stuff below that can go as well.  Probably this is
best done in a separate patch.

Thanks,

jon