From: lars.wirzenius@helsinki.fi (Lars Wirzenius)
Subject:  Linux Documentation Project status
Followup-To: comp.os.linux
Originator: mdw@theory.TC.Cornell.EDU
Keywords: documentation status
Organization: University of Helsinki
Date: Sun, 24 Jan 1993 01:06:27 GMT

Here is a short summary of the state of the Linux Documentation
Project.  Contact lars.wirzenius@helsinki.fi for more information.

About the time table: don't hold your breath.  People are working on
it, but it takes some time.  If you want more speed, you can help by
writing something.

* Short outline of Linux docs

** Getting Started

        The be-all and end-all of Linux installation instructions.
        Covers installation and has brief tutorials on using and
        administering Linux.  This book is all that a novice should
        have to read in order to get going.

** User's Guide

        The full story of how to use Linux, except for individual
        program usage.  (That is, the UG covers usage in general, not
        specific program in particular.  The Reference Manual is for
        that.)

** Administrator's Guide

        How to keep Linux up and running after it has been first
        installed.  Installing new software, doing backups, etc.

** Programmer's Guide

        How to write programs under Linux.  Not urgent.

** Local Guide

        This is mostly for systems with many users.  Similar to the
        LaTeX Local Guide.  Summarizes differences between the real
        system and the "generic" systems described in the rest of the
        documentation.  Things like lists of hardware, local hacks,
        installed software, etc.

** FAQ

        This one everybody is hopefully at least vaguely familiar
        with.

        Idea: In addition to the Linux FAQ, include other FAQs as
        well, like those for Unix, C, PC hardware, UUCP, news, etc.

** Reference Manual

        Manuals for programs and so on.  Man pages, texinfo documents,
        etc.

** Linux Kernel Hackers' Guide

        Kernel documentation.  Essentially tells how the kernel works
        so that hackers can hack it easier.

** Linux Readings

        Miscellaneous other Linux related documents that don't fit
        into other books.  Things like my interview with Linus in
        Linux News #3, a history of Linux (everybody urge Linus to
        write it, my urgings aren't working :), Who's Who of Linux, a
        Linux bibliography.

** Glossary

	Definitions of Unix/Linux related words.

** Global Index

        An index that covers all other manuals, to make it easier to
        find things that are covered by many manuals.

* Format of documents

        It seems that LaTeX is what most people favor.  However, each
        writer should use whatever format he finds comfortable,
        although using the same thing everybody else uses creates less
        confusion.  The important thing is not to flame about the
        format, but to get things done.  Once we have good text in
        some format, we can convert it.

        Michael Johnson has a set of typesetting guidelines that
        writers are encouraged to follow.

* Slaves (a.k.a. volunteers)

        The e-mail address and full name are followed by a list of the
        tasks the person has done, is doing, is committed to do,
        and/or has expressed an interest in doing.

        If somebody is mentioned as a coordinator for a document, that
        usually means they will probably write much of it as well.
        Except that I'm not going to write most the doc project as a
        whole :).  For those parts that do not have their own
        coordinator, I will serve as one, but this probably means only
        that I'm looking for volunteers to take over that part of the
        job.

	Note: this version only has the coordinators.  I left out
        people volunteering to do proof reading and such.

** lars.wirzenius@helsinki.fi (Lars Wirzenius)

        Coordinator of the doc project in whole.
        Intro to sysadmin in Getting Started
        Administrator's Guide

** mdw@tc.cornell.edu (Matt Welsh)

        Coordinator of Getting Started
        INFO-SHEET

** greenfie@gauss.rutgers.edu (Larry Greenfield)

        Coordinator of User's Guide.
        Tutorial on using Linux in Getting Started.

** johnsonm@stolaf.edu (Michael K Johnson)

        Editor and co-author of the Kernel Hackers' Guide
        Style guide and LaTeX .sty file for typesetting the docs

** dminer@cs.umr.edu (Dan Miner)

        Co-ordinator of the Kernel Hackers' Guide

** nick@nsis.cl.nec.co.jp (Gavin Thomas Nicol)

        Coordinator of the Reference Manual.
        Man page to Texinfo conversion program.

--
Lars.Wirzenius@helsinki.fi  (finger wirzeniu@klaava.helsinki.fi)
   MS-DOS, you can't live with it, you can live without it.

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