On Tue, May 17, 2016 at 06:49:27PM -0500, Edgar Pettijohn wrote:
> The wording made it hard for me to understand at first.  The "unless"
> "non-zero" seem like double negatives.
> 

i agree your text is easier to read. actually reading things like this
seems clear until you try and think about what it means.

still, you are changing the emphasis of the text. it seems the
author chose that wording deliberately.  it reads like the author
wants to say that it would be unusual for nochdir and noclose to
be non-zero. if that's important it might be unwise to undo the
text so completely.

i have no idea whether it's an important point though. if not, i agree
it would make sense to go with the simpler text.

note there is also one more example of this text structure in CAVEATS.

jmc

> 
> Index: daemon.3
> ===================================================================
> RCS file: /cvs/src/lib/libc/gen/daemon.3,v
> retrieving revision 1.12
> diff -u -p -u -r1.12 daemon.3
> --- daemon.3    5 Jun 2013 03:39:22 -0000    1.12
> +++ daemon.3    17 May 2016 23:42:25 -0000
> @@ -43,16 +43,16 @@ The
>  function is for programs wishing to detach themselves from the
>  controlling terminal and run in the background as system daemons.
>  .Pp
> -Unless the argument
> +If the argument
>  .Fa nochdir
> -is non-zero,
> +is zero,
>  .Fn daemon
>  changes the current working directory to the root
>  .Pq Pa / .
>  .Pp
> -Unless the argument
> +If the argument
>  .Fa noclose
> -is non-zero,
> +is zero,
>  .Fn daemon
>  will redirect standard input, standard output and standard error to
>  .Pa /dev/null .
> 

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