Ubuntu Documenation Team Plans for the DapperDrake Release

Whist there are many help related issues that can be discussed, ultimately the DocumentationTeam need to make and finalise plans for the DapperDrake release. This is more aimed at discussing our existing documentation, other topics should be placed on UbuntuBelowZero/BOFs.

• Comment - since only one ubuntu-doc member will be at UBZ, these issues are best discussed at docteam meetings or on the mailing list (MatthewEast)

Existing Documents

The following documents are already existing within the Documentation Project. We should discuss the future direction we want to take with these documents and any problems we faced during the last development cycle.

QuickTour

Once called the QuickGuide, it was decided a Quick Tour of Ubuntu for prospective users would be more helpful. For more information see QuickGuide.

• Comment - Wasn't this to be turned over to the Marketing Team's discretion? -- MattKirchhoff2

FAQGuide and UserGuide

The FAQGuide is new document included in the BreezyBadger release, also known as the Ubuntu 5.10 Starter Guide and created from ubuntuguide.org, the wiki and other places. For more information see FAQGuide, http://ubuntu-doc.ath.cx/gnome/status/faq-report.html and FAQGuideReSpec.

The documentation team has decided to split the FAQGuide into a Desktop Starter Guide and a Server Starter Guide. This work will also include using the existing but not yet finished UserGuide, and possibly fazing out the old UserGuide. For more information see DesktopGuide and ServerGuide, also see DocteamProjects. (Note: Kubuntu Docs will follow this as well, for more information please see KubuntuDocs)

New Document Suggestions?

Feel free to add any new document suggestions here.

Ubuntu <version> Updates page

The creation of an Ubuntu Updates page similar to the Fedora Core Updates page could help Ubuntu sysadmins keep abreast of the latest updates and why they are needed. Sun Microsystems also runs a "Patch Club" mailing list for Solaris sysadmins.

Following the Fedora Core Updates page model would be the easiest way to setup an Ubuntu Updates page. A central page, perhaps located within the Ubuntu Wiki, which points to mailing list threads which outline the latest changes to a given Ubuntu version.

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Duffman25 suggestions: - I've been using diferent linux distros in the last 5 years for my academic years, and one thing I miss in ubuntu is the kind of documentation found in mandriva (formerly mandrake) or suse: http://frontal2.mandriva.com/community/users/documentation http://www.opensuse.org/Documentation This documents include sys. administration, desktop & command line references. I particulary found that last one quite interesting since it helped me understand linux basics & I think it helps power users migrating from other o.s. learn the command line easily. Also, it helped me learn basic unix/linux commands which was important for my academic life (computer students will like it). My point really is that some kind of advanced documentation/general linux reference manual could be added to ubuntu documentation, maybe covering things like: the filesystem, command line :software installation: apt, dpkg; Using the basics: bash, ls, cp, cron, etc. Dealing with processes, basic shell scripting, etc. A good point of reference could be the mandrake command line guide I've mentioned before: http://doc.mandrivalinux.com/MandrakeLinux/101/en/Command-Line.html/

• Comment - There are a couple of skeletal Ubuntu CLI references on the wiki: BasicCommands & CommandlineHowto - Perhaps these could be revised/expanded into something more formal. I could see a very focused guide being useful, such as one that shows side-by-side comparisons of performing tasks. For example, showing how an application is installed with GAI/Synaptic, and then showing the equivalent method with apt-get/aptitude. Or how a new folder is created with Nautilus and how the corresponding "mkdir" cli command works. I do *not* think a general CLI reference is a good idea...there's already way too many out there; should be tied directly to Ubuntu tasks. -- MattKirchhoff2

• Reply to the comment: Ok, then maybe a general guide could be tossed out to be read with yelp & possibly adding some links to the corresponding manual pages of bash & other items? Or links to well-known sources or this type of documents? I still think it's something valuable to the documentation, it's true that there are many cli tutorials out there, but many of them are outdated or not related to debian/ubuntu. And the cli will never die in linux, so it's not bad to include some kind of tutorial to let people understand the GNU/linux system they have just installed. This will not be very usefull for mom, but people migrating from osx or windows could find it valuable. My 0.02€

• Addditional Reply - We plan on using the command line only in the Server Guide where we can, and discussion is taking place on how we can include the use of it in the Desktop Guide effectively too.

- I would also like to suggest some links I've found about ubuntu Documentation. Maybe the doc team could talk to the owners & ask them to collaborate and/or ask for the possibility of including it on the distro, here are the links:

http://www.elyps.de/ubuntu.html: This is a ubuntu general guide. It covers basics & more advanced topics. It's in german.

http://www.marblestation.com/publicaciones/: This is ubuntu guide for newbies. The author seems to be an advocate of Open Source software so I think he will be willing to help. It's in spanish.

Specifications

Directly Responsible For

We should be involved in

Informational and superceded specs

Links

• DocteamProjects

• DocumentationTeam