From owner-freebsd-doc@FreeBSD.ORG Tue Jul 20 12:43:39 2004 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-doc@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 3C81516A4CF; Tue, 20 Jul 2004 12:43:39 +0000 (GMT) Received: from electra.cse.Buffalo.EDU (electra.cse.Buffalo.EDU [128.205.32.2]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id E572243D1D; Tue, 20 Jul 2004 12:43:38 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from kensmith@cse.Buffalo.EDU) Received: from electra.cse.Buffalo.EDU (kensmith@localhost [127.0.0.1]) i6KChcTH008674; Tue, 20 Jul 2004 08:43:38 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from kensmith@localhost) by electra.cse.Buffalo.EDU (8.12.10/8.12.9/Submit) id i6KChcDO008673; Tue, 20 Jul 2004 08:43:38 -0400 (EDT) Date: Tue, 20 Jul 2004 08:43:38 -0400 From: Ken Smith To: Murray Stokely Message-ID: <20040720124337.GA8096@electra.cse.Buffalo.EDU> References: <20040719100354.GA90972@hub.freebsd.org> <20040720103432.GA64597@clan.nothing-going-on.org> <20040720104501.GB5405@hub.freebsd.org> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <20040720104501.GB5405@hub.freebsd.org> User-Agent: Mutt/1.4.1i cc: doc@freebsd.org cc: Nik Clayton 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 12:43:39 -0000 On Tue, Jul 20, 2004 at 10:45:01AM +0000, Murray Stokely wrote: > > 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. One last wimper, then I'll shut up - it's really not worth an argument. :-) IMHO then you're not really interested in a definition of user vs admin task (which is fine). You're interested in clumping things more people are likely to need in the first volume (which is fine). I think what we really need to answer is who we expect Joe Average Handbook Reader to be. If it's a typical-ish home user then your approach definitely makes sense - clump "the first things that people need to know" together and this sort of person is by definition both user and admin so this isn't horrible. If it's a more corporate or otherwise large-site audience this isn't necessarily the best split. If I received a box with media and two books in it for a new OS we were thinking about using I'd grab the admin guide on the way out the door for the day planning to do a little evening reading and I'd be annoyed if it didn't include the Install docs. I'd also be scared that "they" expect normal users to install the OS and applications, one of my reasons for considering this OS is getting away from an environment where users can easily dammage the system... :-) Sounds like you expect Joe Average Handbook Reader to be the home user type, correct? -- Ken Smith - From there to here, from here to | kensmith@cse.buffalo.edu there, funny things are everywhere. | - Theodore Geisel |