13 Aug
2004
13 Aug
'04
8:42 p.m.
On Thursday 12 August 2004 06:59 pm, Jan Depner wrote:
When I started using Linux for audio a few years back
(I started using
it for other things in 1993) I found Ardour to be the main application
that I wanted to use. Since I didn't think that I could spin up to help
with the software in a short period of time I decided to help in another
way - I wrote my own documentation on how to install it. I then started
writing what little bit of user documentation that I could (later Paul
asked that we all stop with the documentation). That was my first
contribution to Linux Audio. More recently I've been working on JAMin
and doing the install and user docs for that. I tend to agree with PJ
(Groklaw) - documentation should be written by newbies because the
authors are usually too close to the apps and are too familiar with them
(it should be intuitively obvious to the most casual observer...). So,
Everybody knows you gotta turn the mixer up *cough*ALSA*cough* ;)
There's a bit of chicken and egg there scope-wise with regard to newbs writing
doco. It's not a panacea, but it's an important part of a balanced set of
doco.
how about some of the users start in with documenting
how they use the
apps, what problems they had, or anything else that might help? If
you've got anything to add to the JAMin docs (that I missed because it
was intuitively obvious ;-) send it to me and I'll try to add it to the
web pages.
Jan
On Thu, 2004-08-12 at 09:58, Russell Hanaghan wrote:
> I care Dammit! :)
>
> I think this is a valid point {& click).
>
> As a relative greeny to most things linux, I have found the vortex of
> info out there on some apps to be a show stopper many times. And then on
> ones that do have documentation...does it tell me the things need to
> actually know to make the software work?
>
> It seems that most that can write code or develop applications aim at an
> audience that should "understand where to look for a problem" and while
> that's all okey dokey, especially since they ARE doing it for free in
> most cases, it does not speak to attracting the masses to what has
> become a formidable adversary to MS in more ways than just server
> application! {at least that's what my ignorant perception of Linux was}
>
> The forums and wikis are good...they help a lot. And folks in general
> are just so very cool about helping. {quote: Jack_fst for e.g....not to
> mention dozens of other things I got help with here for other stuff) but
> they don't cover everything by a long shot. Sometimes I wont ask on here
> because humble is not my best suite! :) And I can't figure it out in
> many cases so It don't get to work! Who knows if that piece of software
> wouldn't have changed the world!!! :) Or at the least, it might have
> changed my world! And frankly many of these linux audio apps have done
> just that...rock my freakin' world at a great rate of knots! And I get
> out and gig at least a couple of times a month and get a LOT of interest
> over the PC stuff...I have the best seat in the house to push this out
> there...but we can make their journey easier today...
>
> {quote: "ah grasshopper, when you have crossed the rice paper without
> tearing it you will have learned" unquote}
>
> On Thu, 2004-08-12 at 06:13, Dave Phillips wrote:
> > 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