[Techtalk] Re: [Grrltalk] Documentation (was: Mandrake/Linux newbie deep in confusion aboutapache/advx)

[Alvin Goats]

I guess one thing that would get it all started is: what software is
everyone trying to use? Start with a hit list of most needed and branch
out.

Next, which distributions? I run Slackware, I'm no guru, but I have been
through a lot of issues (most have been resolved). 

I've done the painful tasks of "upgrading" many times over (SLS,
Yggdrasil, Slackware  3.6, 4.0, 7.0, 7.1, 8.0, 8.1...) and there a few
things I do to make it easier and less down time. 

And I'll throw in another 2 cents of opinion, while man/info/FAQ's may
address a command, they don't thread the entire set together, and most
books gloss over the use of the sets in such a manner that the user is
still lost (remembering my issues to lock kids, wife and teens out of
things they do not need and can still function that was answered here).

I've been through some tech writing classes (a physcisit who has to
write shop processes and procedures for line operators to use for
assembly, some never finished school, some barely read, and some that
english is not their first language). The main thing is to use simple
words as much as possible, write at a third grade reading level (this is
the most understandable level by everyone, and not an insult to anyone).
Write in first person, active voice (you have to do this first...) not
third person passive (ideally, one should do some of the actions in a
serial fashion...). In essence, follow the KISS principle (Keep It
Simple, Stupid! ;) ).

Even if it is possible to do one task before doing another, state the
process in the most direct, unconfusing way possible:

groupadd xxxxx
useradd yyyy
chgrp zzzz
chown aaaaa
chmod bbbbb

Sure, you can do most of it in any order, but the above sets a logical
thinking pattern for the user: I need to decide what groups I have and
need, and I need to decide who needs to be in each group. Get them
added. Now, which dirctories do they need? Which group needs to own
what? Then chgrp, chown, chmod...

And while the gurus and wizards are found of vi and emacs, understand,
midnight commander (a Norton Commander clone), is actually easier to use
and navigate with for a non-techie or newbie. Once someone is more
skilled, teach them the other things...

Lastly, there are tools in each distribution that appears to only exist
in that distribution. Some of those tools are usefull for others and
those tools tyically turn out to be script files 

MAKEDEV from Slackware makes making devices much easier, is a bash
script and makes mknod really easy [how many can tell me off the top of
their head, no peeking..., what the mknod for SCSI tape is ... quit
peeking! ;)]. For Slackware, MAKEDEV st* takes care of the issue. 

If there are such utilities, tell what the name is, which distro it is,
and if at all possible, a link to the source. I've compiled a few from
Red Hat that work fine in Slackware, because it was an excellent utility
(now if I can remember which ones they were ...). 

I'll take a stab at "upgrading" in a less painful manner, or at least
how *I* do upgrades now... It should be fairly universal...

Alvin