From aa4f43e7c9750a57e15002db2bda3517d8dee682 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Jim Meyering Date: Tue, 6 Oct 2009 16:23:19 +0200 Subject: doc: update README * README (WARNING): Mention upcoming removal of FS-manipulation capabilities and that we'll retain FAT/HFS resize capabilities. Remove an obsolete URL. Do not encourage email to individuals. Update info-viewing instructions, provide the on-line doc URL. --- README | 43 +++++++++++++++++++++++++------------------ 1 file changed, 25 insertions(+), 18 deletions(-) (limited to 'README') diff --git a/README b/README index 1edacd5..af9d896 100644 --- a/README +++ b/README @@ -1,35 +1,43 @@ GNU Parted ---------- -GNU Parted is a program for creating, destroying, resizing, checking and -copying partitions, and the filesystems on them. This is useful for creating -space for new operating systems, reorganising disk usage, copying data between -hard disks, and disk imaging. +GNU Parted is a program for manipulating partition tables. + +WARNING: USING PARTED TO PERFORM FILE SYSTEM OPERATIONS IS DEPRECATED +--------------------------------------------------------------------- + +Parted retains (for now) the ability to create and modify a few types of +file systems, but that functionality is deprecated. Whenever possible, +we recommend that you use file-system-specific tools to create and +operate on file systems. For example, use the e2fsprogs programs +to operate on ext2, ext3 and ext4 file systems. Use programs from +the reiserfsprogs package if you want to manipulate reiserfs file +systems. Although Parted lets you do some of the same things, the +file-system-related code in parted is not as robust as the code in +more specialized, FS-specific packages. + +So far, we have good arguments for retaining the capability to resize +FAT and HFS file systems: as far as we know, no other free software +provides that functionality. However, all other FS-related functionality +will be removed from an upcoming release of Parted. Thus, you should +now avoid using the following commands: mkpartfs, mkfs, cp, move, check +since support for them will be removed. * documentation is in the doc/ directory. The User's documentation is in texinfo format, and is built into a format viewable by info/pinfo when -you run make. i.e. +you run make. To view the distributed texinfo documentation, run this: - $ ./configure - $ cd doc - $ make $ info -f parted.info -Yes, it sucks that you need to run ./configure before you can read the manual. -If you have problems with it, doc/parted.texi should be fairly easy to read, -just a bit less userfriendly. - If you prefer html format, you can run: +Or view it on-line at: - $ cd doc - $ makeinfo --html parted.texi + http://www.gnu.org/software/parted/manual/parted.html - * an online tutorial is available at http://www.luv.asn.au/overheads/parted * the GNU Parted home page is http://www.gnu.org/software/parted * the GNU Parted FAQ can be found at http://www.gnu.org/software/parted/faq.html * send bug reports, requests for help, feature requests, comments, etc. to -bug-parted@gnu.org. The authors can be contacted directly (see the AUTHORS -file). + bug-parted@gnu.org. NOTE TO DISTRIBUTIONS @@ -60,4 +68,3 @@ only interested in partition tables). Since it's readonly, --enable-debug gains you nothing wrt safety, so use --disable-debug ;) The "discover" program is about 35k (gzipped) when compiled this way (not counting libc and libuuid). - -- cgit v1.2.1