Re: [Gnewsense-dev] Improving gNS "Help and Support"

[Luis Felipe Lopez Acevedo]

El mié, 24-06-2009 a las 15:37 +0300, Osama KM escribió:
> Hello, GNUers.
> 

(trimmed)

> Unfortunately, gNewSense current Help and Support Center (System ->
> Help and Support) doesn't really do what we aim to. In fact, it
> doesn't say _anything_ (as far as I could find) about the free
> software movement and why using gNewSense, although there are too much
> things to be said. (i.e. what's wrong with other distributions, why
> there is no "Firefox", how to get gNewSense working with more drivers,
> how can someone help, updated list of working drivers, especially
> wirelesses,  and many other important things).
> 
> These things need to be included in the distribution instead of being
> available only online or through IRC conversions.
> 

(trimmed)

> This documentation should be translatable, again, to reach as much
> people as we can.
> 

(trimmed)

Hello, Osama and all.

I'd like to help with this.

To start, I was thinking of creating a project in the list of projects
for the documentation team[1] to identify the set of documents that
could be included in the Help System. Once we have decided what
documents are needed, we could create a project per document.

I made the following list of the documents that I, as a user, would like
to find in the Help System. I think they should be DocBook documents to
be able to include them more easily in the operating system and in the
Web site. Plus, they would be easier to translate too.

***
=About gNewSense=

This should be a light documentation that gives users an overview of
gNewSense, including its practical and social benefits.


=Test-drive and Installation Manual=

This manual should have the minimum system requirements and detailed
steps to tryout and install the system.


=Hardware Compatibility Manual=

This document could explain why is not possible to use certain types of
hardware with gNewSense and free software in general. Also, it could
include information to help people find adequate hardware.


=User Manual=

This is the document that describes the main features of the system and
shows how to use them. It should start with basic concepts for people
new to the system and people new to computers. Then, it would introduce
intermediate to advance topics.


=Customizing Manual=

This manual could give a general view on how to customize the default
appearance and operation of the system. This would include information
about how to create themes, change the desktop to KDE, Xfce, etc. 

The User Manual gives basic instructions to change the appearance using
the system preferences. This customization manual would introduce more
advance topics to emphasize the freedom users have to adapt the software
to fit their needs.


=CookBook=

A list of guides or "recipes" on how to install and use other tools
that, for different reasons, can not be installed yet the easy way.

This would include, for example, the IceCat installation guide, How to
program Arduino boards, and other mini-guides already available in the
Web site.


=Problems and Solutions=

A list of common problems and solutions. They should be divided in
categories.
***


I'd like to hear your opinions on this. I'll create the project if you
think it's ok.

Thanks in advance.

1. http://wiki.gnewsense.org/DocumentationProjects/DocumentationProjects

--
Luis Felipe López Acevedo