[linux-audio-user] some thoughts about Linux audio software documentation

[Dave Phillips]

Greetings:

  Recently I received a letter from a fellow who civilly noted how 
atrocious is so much of the documentation for Linux audio software. 
While that may be generally true it is also easy to point out specific 
excellent docos, e.g., Snd, Csound, LilyPond, Rosegarden, etc., though 
too at the same time it must be admitted that even those docs are not 
necessarily the most well-organized. Perhaps this fellow's most damning 
statement was made re: the HOWTOs available from the Linux Documentation 
Project (LDP). I decided to check out the situation myself, and here's 
what I found (the doc is followed by its last revision date):

Linux Sound HOWTO   July 2001
ALSA Sound mini-HOWTO    November 1999
Linux MIDI HOWTO    May 2002
Linux MP3 HOWTO   December 2001

  Worse, the LDP's own documentation refers back to these out-of-date 
pieces, making sure that readers continue to be misinformed. I mean no 
critique of the excellent LPD, but it seems to me that as a community we 
have an obligation to correct this situation. For all the talk about 
improving documentation, here's a chance for anyone to get directly 
involved. The format for these HOWTOs is simple and already laid out: 
what's needed is currency, someone to correct and update the basic sound 
& music oriented HOWTOs. Otherwise it might be better if we asked the 
LDP to remove the docs in order to mitigate confusion.

  Any comments ? Any takers ? Does anyone care ?

Best regards,

dp