GMT help help

Subject:
        GMT Mailing List Reminder
   Date:
        Sun, 01 Sep 2002 01:00:32 -1000
   From:
        Stephan Eickschen <eicksch@gfz-potsdam.de>
     To:
        GMT Help <gmt-help@hawaii.edu>

This is a small reminder on how to get help on problems with GMT.

At first, try to find an answer in:

the manual pages:

    from the command line (e.g. man psxy),
    at your local installation ($GMTHOME/www/gmt/gmt_services.html), or
    on the web at http://gmt.soest.hawaii.edu/gmt/gmt_services.html

the cookbook:

locally at $GMTHOME/www/gmt/gmt_services.html, or
on the web at http://gmt.soest.hawaii.edu/gmt/gmt_services.html

In addition, look at:

known bug reports:

http://gmt.soest.hawaii.edu/gmt/gmt_bugs.html

if you have changed your GMT version:

http://gmt.soest.hawaii.edu/gmt/gmt_arrrghh.html

The next step would be to search the mailing list archive:

http://op.gfz-potsdam.de/GMT-Help/

news://news2.sinica.edu.tw/gis.gmtlist

If all this fails, or (better) you have an idea about what is going on, but
it still fails, you are welcome to write an email to the GMTHELP list
(gmt-help@hawaii.edu), with emphasis on to the list. *Please* avoid writing
your inquiries directly to people you feel might know the answers - they
might be out of the office or can not answer for many reasons. Thus, your
questions might not be answered...

This also applies for any continued communication: please send it to the
list at least as CC. This ensures (1) that other people can monitor the
progress (and make their suggestions) and (2) that all the communication is
included in the archive.

If you write to the list, please be both detailed and generous. Inquiries
such as: "It does not work - please help me out!" are _very_ difficult to
answer! So, a suitable minimum level of information would be:

- a brief explanation of what you are trying to do;
- the relevant commands you are using;
- use "-V" option of GMT commands and include these information;
- also send error messages - GMT and system generated;
- what system are you working on (architecture like PC/Intel or Sun/Sparc, etc., OS like Windows, Linux, Solaris, MacOS, etc.);
- what shell you are using for the GMT commands (csh, sh, ksh, bash, etc.);
- and last but not least: especially if you are not working with the current version of GMT also report the version you are using.

Even though most up-to-date email programs are able to handle html encoded
messages, it is prefered to send emails in plain text format. This implies
e.g. that no back-ground images (or other "gimmicks") should be included.
Plain text messages require less space, less bandwidth, are easier to archive,
and are legible to those who use text-only email readers. Small attachments
- like shell scripts, source code, etc. - are OK, but please avoid sending
complete PostScript files or images, etc.

Finally: Ben Horner-Johnsons <ben@esci.rice.edu> unbeatable
'unsubscribe-howto':

To unsubscribe from gmt-help:

    send a message to listproc@hawaii.edu
    the "Subject:" field can have anything you want
    the body of the message must have these words: unsubscribe gmt-help

====begin example====
example% mail listproc@hawaii.edu
Subject: unsubscribe
unsubscribe gmt-help
.
=====end example=====

That's all there is to it.