Re: wish list -> My personal Debian User Manual Generator
I'd just like to pledge my support for this, and if you need any help then please
do get in touch!
On Mon, Jan 29, 2001 at 12:45:35AM +1100, hogan wrote:
> > the boot floppy disk)). Most documents found do not suite debian to
> > 100%, that would not be the case in that generator.
> ...
> > and as you said is you said, the scripts searching for valid information
> > is pretty easy, but the structure of the database will have the most
> > importance for the whole thing to work.
>
> Agreed! The database structure is the most important thing of all.
<snips> technologies or operating systems etc. are introduced (for example, biometric
> devices) one won't have to rewrite the system from scratch or hack it to bits.
> I mean if the data is put into such a system correctly, the output document
> format can be just about anything! :)
Yes, the database structure must be very very extensible and must be able to
cope with anything the future will hurl at it!
>
> If for example someone is trying to find a solution for working with Foobar
> Corp's new Model X device under environment A.. and someone has a solution for
> working with Foobar Corp's older Model T device under environment B - the
> database should be able to try and find the closest similarities and show the
> instructions for the Model T - flagging that it may not be the solution.
That may well involve an almost electronic-level understanding of the peripheral
in question, which is not always possible. I think that the greatest problem is
that people coming from windows no almost nothing about the hardware they have -
if their motherboard has a sound set built on to it then they will not know the
chipset (I didn't for a long time ;-). This may become the hampering factor - if
you have to specify everything (down to design of motherboard, IDE controllers
etc) then it may become a little too complex.
>
> Also your point about "most documents found do not suite (sic) debian to 100%"
> is true - however to discard this information is not good - having the
> facility to describe it as "not 100% suitable for debian but worth reading" in
> the event that someone hasn't yet written a debian solution would be great.
> Indeed writing the system from the word go to be "Debian" specific could be
> damaging to the system's popularity - if you could keep it general and
> generate enough interest in it, you could have vendors entering information
> directly into the system..
That's very true. But as different dists have things set up differently (eg FSH)
it may be a little hard for them to enter info directly into the system. Plus,
many of the other dists provide a great deal of documentation. Additionally,
some of the maufacturers have very poor installation guides and the guides will
need re-writing to make them useful in anyway (eg NVidia).
This could be an excellant resource, but it needs a lot of sitting down, and
thinking and designing to make it as good as it could be.
> Anyway - just my ramblings :)
To which I've added!
Matthew
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