From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Sat Oct 17 00:04:46 2009 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 8235F106568B for ; Sat, 17 Oct 2009 00:04:46 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from rjhjr0@gmail.com) Received: from mail-ew0-f218.google.com (mail-ew0-f218.google.com [209.85.219.218]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 0DDED8FC0A for ; Sat, 17 Oct 2009 00:04:45 +0000 (UTC) Received: by ewy18 with SMTP id 18so2327384ewy.43 for ; Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:04:45 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=domainkey-signature:received:received:date:from:to:cc:subject :message-id:mail-followup-to:references:mime-version:content-type :content-disposition:in-reply-to:user-agent; bh=u2z6vuueVOkMsF7d4CU9IG+xt08P/2Xnhc/jZnqhd6c=; b=jl9E4tVc/jjEDKvONkY3ytz0oxEjC19w/Xz0T2LzwzRTTRMXTANy6BwCq1Y32Bbgk6 A93NMbH2dxjEGooMuWsLcCN41dpfXkhtNbL3nSwEiX8g1RceNFT9nqrzGzhzDHdXQBmO 4Z3OMtwOk+vICKmw9YJ6gH6+86zPR4CTuyXFI= DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; c=nofws; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=date:from:to:cc:subject:message-id:mail-followup-to:references :mime-version:content-type:content-disposition:in-reply-to :user-agent; b=sUdbiH8ds1JO6UT6erbogdPUIjv6eMiTxryYmMw1DRU6ubo/j5M0i5HB7ytCopJEYK k7fqXstNxTqH9Avk5JpvGylByDuFpFtmIXsZgoBj0TF7YCoZymNSYSOgI7LsN2vTZkIh ANu56OIHHOMqaTWQc9LCoZzhWCs8HHKZGrpz4= Received: by 10.211.147.2 with SMTP id z2mr1693397ebn.17.1255737885151; Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:04:45 -0700 (PDT) Received: from localhost (ip98-163-115-74.dc.dc.cox.net [98.163.115.74]) by mx.google.com with ESMTPS id 5sm1583566eyh.1.2009.10.16.17.04.42 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=RC4-MD5); Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:04:44 -0700 (PDT) Date: Fri, 16 Oct 2009 20:04:40 -0400 From: Bob Hall To: PJ Message-ID: <20091017000439.GA25910@stainmore> Mail-Followup-To: Bob Hall , PJ , Polytropon , "freebsd-questions@freebsd.org" References: <4AD8EB8F.9010900@videotron.ca> <20091017010758.088b8b8c.freebsd@edvax.de> <4AD9016E.20302@videotron.ca> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <4AD9016E.20302@videotron.ca> User-Agent: Mutt/1.4.2.3i Cc: Polytropon , "freebsd-questions@freebsd.org" Subject: Re: I hate to bitch but bitch I must X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sat, 17 Oct 2009 00:04:46 -0000 On Fri, Oct 16, 2009 at 07:27:42PM -0400, PJ wrote: > Polytropon wrote: > > On Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:54:23 -0400, PJ wrote: > >> but from man tunefs: > >> BUGS > >> This utility should work on active file systems. > >> What in hades does this mean--just above it says cannot be run on active > >> file systems. ??? > >> > > > > It "should". This means: Don't try that. :-) > > > > My printer isn't printing! > > But it should. > > No, it is not printing! > > Yes, but it should. > > :-) > > > > > Aha! Gotcha! Whoever wrote that has made an unintentionnal booboo. It is > a subtle difference and is indicative that whoever wrote it is not a > native english user... the meaning is clearly "should be executed, done, > carried out, performed" - should work means it can be carried out - I > think the author meant to say "should not be done" I'm a native English speaker, and the manual makes perfect sense to me. It's very clear to me that since the statement is in the BUGS section, it means that the utility should, but doesn't. Since it follows a statement that the utility doesn't, the meaning is unambiguous.