# How to install handbook?



## neilms (Mar 2, 2014)

Sorry if this is a silly question. I installed FreeBSD 10 and in the post install menu there is an option to install the FreeBSD handbook. I selected the option to install from FTP server and I have the message:



> FreeBSD Documentation Installation
> Attempting to update repository catalogue from selected media



The laptop has been stuck on this for over ten minutes now. What can be wrong with it?


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## ShelLuser (Mar 2, 2014)

It seems to be having some problem with the installation media. Fortunately this step isn't required because you can install the FreeBSD documentation afterwards as well. There are two ways you can do this. The easiest way is to use the Ports collection to install the already available binary release. If you want the English documentation then all you need to do is to install misc/freebsd-doc-en and that's it. There are more translations available, you could even opt to install them all by installing the meta-port misc/freebsd-doc-all.

And another way is to go straight for the source. I personally prefer this method myself because it provides you with more freedom. Also; if you want to make changes to the documentation then you can; and if those changes make sense you might even be able to send in patches this way. The only thing you need is the textproc/docproj port; this will install all the utilities required to compile / build the documentation. Do pay attention if you're configuring this one; you need some specific settings if you want to build PDF documentation, and if all you're after is HTML and text formats then you can skip those settings (which prevents quite a bit of extra libraries from being build).

After that you'll need to install the actual sourcecode, a common place to install that is in /usr/doc. You can use svnlite for that: `# svnlite co svn0.eu.freebsd.org/doc/head /usr/doc`. Then all you need is to determine which language you want to install, then go do that directory and issue: `# make install clean FORMATS=html-split txt`. Of course provided that you actually want the documentation like that; if you want the PDF format you'd need to specify that instead.


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## Chris_H (Mar 3, 2014)

Greetings, @neilms,
 Firstly, it's _not_ a silly question. That's what the forums are for. 
Secondly, it might help you to know what, or where the installation' stuck, or hung at. You might be able to discover this by switching to another terminal/tty by way of `[b]Ctrl[/b]+[b]Alt[/b]+[b]F2[/b]`, that is; holding the `Ctrl`, and `Alt` keys down, and pressing the `F2` function key. This will switch you to ptty()02. Where you should be presented with the standard FreeBSD logon screen. From there, simply logon, and issue `ps ax`. ps() reveals the *process status* of currently running processes, and commands. With any luck, and familiarity with the FreeBSD system, you will probably be able to figure out what's _stuck_. You could then, simply kill it, with the kill() command. By adding `-KILL`, or `-USR1`, and it's `pid`. killall() can also assist you in this area, and might be considered easier to use. Once the process(es) have been cleared. You can issue a make clean(), and either attempt the process again, tuning/tweaking it, to overcome the obstacle(s) it ran into the first time, or opt out all together.
I might add to @ShelLuser's comments above; that you can also easily pick, and choose the documentation you wish to have on your system, by simply firing up ftp(), and going to http://ftp.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD/doc/. From there, simply get the directories you want Recursively. The FreeBSD handbook, and related, are traditionally installed inside `/usr/local/share/doc/freebsd`. While you are not _required_ to put it there, it might save some space, and confusion. Should you ever decide to install from source, or by way of FreeBSD's pkg() system. So, issuing a `mkdir -p /usr/local/share/doc/freebsd` and `cd`ing into that directory prior to ftp()ing the documentation, is probably well advised.

Hope this helps, and best wishes.

--Chris


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## wblock@ (Mar 3, 2014)

Checking out the doc tree with Subversion makes it easy to update.

However, many people just read the HTML versions online.  No local copy needed, and they are always the latest version.  All the documents are at http://www.freebsd.org/docs/books.html.


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## blind0ne (Nov 4, 2021)

How to read installed handbook from the installed system?


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## SirDice (Nov 4, 2021)

It installs a bunch of PDFs by default. So you use a PDF reader to read it. Look at `pkg info -l freebsd-doc-en` to see where those files are installed.


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## a6h (Nov 4, 2021)

When you install misc/freebsd-doc-en or download them from download.freebsd.org/ftp/doc/en,
there are HTML and ASCII textfile copy of the documents too. I used to read and search HTML with www/lynx.
Another option which I use more frequently is to use editors/vim and grep(1) to read/search the text copies.


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## Erichans (Nov 4, 2021)

SirDice said:


> [...] Look at `pkg info -l freebsd-doc-en` to see where those files are installed.


Has that changed?

This only works for me:

```
pkg info -l en-freebsd-doc
```


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## SirDice (Nov 4, 2021)

Erichans said:


> Has that changed?


No, I wrongly assumed the package would have the same name as the port. But I see that's reversed and the package is called en-freebsd-doc. So you're correct.


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