From owner-freebsd-doc@FreeBSD.ORG Tue Jul 20 10:45:01 2004 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-doc@freebsd.org Received: by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix, from userid 815) id 32B4916A4CF; Tue, 20 Jul 2004 10:45:01 +0000 (GMT) Date: Tue, 20 Jul 2004 10:45:01 +0000 From: Murray Stokely To: Nik Clayton Message-ID: <20040720104501.GB5405@hub.freebsd.org> References: <20040719100354.GA90972@hub.freebsd.org> <20040720103432.GA64597@clan.nothing-going-on.org> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <20040720103432.GA64597@clan.nothing-going-on.org> User-Agent: Mutt/1.4.1i X-GPG-Key-ID: 1024D/0E451F7D X-GPG-Key-Fingerprint: E2CA 411D DD44 53FD BB4B 3CB5 B4D7 10A2 0E45 1F7D cc: doc@FreeBSD.org Subject: Re: Creating an Admin Handbook X-BeenThere: freebsd-doc@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list List-Id: Documentation project List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Tue, 20 Jul 2004 10:45:01 -0000 On Tue, Jul 20, 2004 at 11:34:33AM +0100, Nik Clayton wrote: > &deja.vu; Yea, I was here for many earlier conversations about this. > Yes, with a reservation. Specifically, is there a description > anywhere of what constitutes a user task and what's an admin task? > > Looking over the existing Handbook, all of the following (notionally in > the 'user' section) strike me as being admin tasks: > > Chapter 4 - Installing Applications > Chapter 8 - Configuring the FreeBSD Kernel > Chapter 10 - Linux Binary Compatability I think I'd prefer to work on a definition of user vs admin task. It's true that these are admin tasks, but these are really some of the first things that people need to know about FreeBSD. > Last time this sort of thing came up, we discussed making the split > along task-oriented lines, potentially leading to several smaller > handbooks, rather than the two books that you're suggesting. Yea I remember discussing this with you many times, but I also know that you prefer smaller divisions than I do. > So consider this one last stab at getting someone to implement that > idea. Failing that, your willingness to do the work you've outlined > trumps my kvetching from the sidelines :-) I can't reach that sight right now (in China and not using a proxy -- maybe someone recently posted something about Falung Gong on groups.google.com), but I'm sure I've read it in previous years. I didn't agree with your vision for a series of much smaller handbooks (some the size of a single chapter we have now, less than 100 pages printed) then and I haven't come around to it after several more years of the Handbook growing. Regardless, even if others agree with your vision, then you can look at this as a first step and still get support and do the work for your own further split at some later date. I have done the work in Perforce and am talking about moving us CLOSER to your goal (and all the way to my goal) right now. - Murray