Re: Is there a need for a hard copy OpenBSD documentation project?

[Luke Seubert <lseubert@radix.net>]

Alfred Breull on 09/05/2000 3:02 AM scribbled:

>> At 09:09 03.09.00 -0400, Luke Seubert <lseubert@radix.net> wrote:
>> Ahhh.  I think I made a mistake that led to misunderstandings.  The
>> paragraph above was intended to be entirely humorous, and not to be taken
>> seriously. 
> 
> No. That's not the problem, you made yourself clear enough. Different,
> I didn't. -
> 
Ah, OK.  All's well that ends well.

> Sys admins or advanced unix users will write a small awk scipt and print
> all man pages - if they'd ever want to do (which I doubt). So, from my
> view, an openbsd specific book could be directed at new users ... a 'low
> level newbie guide', i.e for people coming from ms windows [1]. This book
> would rather contain the necessary information to become familar with
> openbsd [2] and 'get unix logic into the brain' than a detailed background
> on unix history or man pages.
> 
OK, now let me ask you this:  To what degree should the manual be a general
Unix primer, if it even can be that?  Handholding newbies from Windows or
Mac means teaching them Unix basics.  There are already plenty of O'Reilly
books for that.

This is a tough issue.  I accept your reasoning that this manual might well
be best suited to the newbies, but how does one NOT turn it into something
that has already been done elsewhere and done well?

Maybe it could be a manual for intermediate newbies, with a recommended book
reading list for the utter raw newbies?


> [1] also, there are enough linux people who are unable to install or
> configure a system without the help of 'yast' etc.; and, there may be
> even one or other mac user who's not exactly familiar with command
> mode;
> 
True.  The knowledgable Linux crowd will have a lot of basic knowhow
already. The overwhelming number of Mac users do not get the CLI.  However,
some of us, a few, did hack their systems a bit with ResEdit.  Not ALL Mac
folk are clueless :-)

> [2] from 'what do I need or what are the (logical) steps to built a
> running workstation' to example config files with detailed explanations
> and how_to's.
> 
Well, one thing I definitely see in this manual is detailed install
instructions.  Actually, the material included with the CD is pretty good,
and doesn't need much additional explanation.  But for the convenience of
users, it would be really nice to include the afterboot man page in the
installation section and things like that.

-- 

Luke Seubert


"One World, one Web, one Program" - Microsoft promotional ad
"Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Fuhrer" - Adolf Hitler

Choose freedom instead:
http://openbsd.org/
http://www.debian.org/intro/about