From owner-freebsd-doc@FreeBSD.ORG Thu Nov 20 14:26:45 2008 Return-Path: Delivered-To: doc@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id AACA01065673 for ; Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:26:45 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from sonic2000gr@gmail.com) Received: from ug-out-1314.google.com (ug-out-1314.google.com [66.249.92.174]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 2BE618FC17 for ; Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:26:44 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from sonic2000gr@gmail.com) Received: by ug-out-1314.google.com with SMTP id 30so285383ugs.39 for ; Thu, 20 Nov 2008 06:26:43 -0800 (PST) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=domainkey-signature:received:received:message-id:date:from :user-agent:mime-version:to:cc:subject:references:in-reply-to :content-type:content-transfer-encoding; bh=+SwBMAK3WnfyPZ2n1YnQaAqa4sjOuC/p1u2iwBaCA+g=; b=AJgGqI7MbrVANuZeyDb8fBuqOlSGOL/4AGC3fjavhfzEJkWiVuSpXP6iekYQYENlRE 7bdqsv8JscO9KGlUvqnQyW8HOlUPH+95YuqjCm3vnMvJx/bh0HDSQ5SDm/oUNoCx/dIe sVwT0r/6MXnL8venFh0Ok7o7LKvaNAM3qm334= DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; c=nofws; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=message-id:date:from:user-agent:mime-version:to:cc:subject :references:in-reply-to:content-type:content-transfer-encoding; b=kzwgiuEd4GIr+FgcCHIU1Me4fAYo8zIvcsaUlz7NsEIRANFX8IXUdrDrQGDPUbt4rQ Ez4CZ2IFwwnG0LlPfio+Ih00dzyFR1/Bk6mCgRbNx5gxuOsmVdXg26w/JiirnZL1mZOS NvtTM7NgN3tnMr5B0knSac950I01yotaa3wJE= Received: by 10.66.255.1 with SMTP id c1mr312106ugi.44.1227191203608; Thu, 20 Nov 2008 06:26:43 -0800 (PST) Received: from atlantis.dyndns.org (athedsl-4362332.home.otenet.gr [79.130.0.76]) by mx.google.com with ESMTPS id k30sm1457970ugc.25.2008.11.20.06.26.41 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=RC4-MD5); Thu, 20 Nov 2008 06:26:42 -0800 (PST) Message-ID: <4925739E.4060208@gmail.com> Date: Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:26:38 +0200 From: Manolis Kiagias User-Agent: Thunderbird 2.0.0.17 (X11/20081011) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Gabor PALI References: <491E9A3E.2070201@a1poweruser.com> <492544FC.9090504@FreeBSD.org> In-Reply-To: <492544FC.9090504@FreeBSD.org> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Cc: doc@FreeBSD.org Subject: Re: Add a Splash Screen Section to the Handbook? X-BeenThere: freebsd-doc@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Documentation project List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:26:45 -0000 Gabor PALI wrote: > Dear members, > > > A few days ago we received a generous contribution from Joseph J. > Barbish on using splash screens in FreeBSD [1]. Initially, it started > as a fix for the FAQ, but after I suggested Joe to insert the > descriptive part of his work into the Handbook, he offered an entire > section for referencing from the FAQ. > > He recommended to put this section into Chapter 3 ("UNIX Basics"), but I > would like to receive some comments on this before I start to integrate > it into that chapter. (Do you think it is needed, if yes, it is a good > place for that and so on.) Of course, after it has been moved to the > Handbook, it would shorten the corresponding FAQ entry to contain only > the necessary references and to avoid unnecessary duplication of the > content. > > > Thank you for your comments in advance. > > > Cheers, > :g > > [1] http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-doc/2008-November/014989.html > I followed the discussion and I think this is useful info that should be part of the documentation. The submitted text looks ok more or less (and I am quite sure you will it touch it up anyway ;) ). I am more concerned about the placement of this info though. Supposedly the first part of the Handbook is more or less introductory and designed to teach fundamental UNIX concepts. Granted, this rule is violated a few times, some parts are way more advanced and refer to later sections. However I believe we should keep chapter 3 focused on exactly the title: UNIX basics. Imagine yourself being a beginner and trying to find some useful info on basic UNIX commands. Would you rather find the discussion of a splash screen useful? I doubt it. What's more, you would not be able to fully understand what is going on. There is another possible section for this info: Chapter 12 (boot). If you come to think about it, the splash screen is more related to booting than actual system operation (the "basics"). In fact there is a section on loader.conf in chapter 12 and I think this info could be adjusted to fit the chapter nicely. There are could also be other places, but this is the only that comes to mind at the moment. One could also argue we need something of a "Misc settings" chapter, where all this useful but maybe hard to categorize stuff would go. But then again, this maybe the role of the FAQ. By the way, the above is just a suggestion, if the general consensus is to merge it into the Basics chapter, I won't object :) manolis@