Mark wrote:
>Hi John,
>do you know this one?
>
http://www.puppylinux.org/manual
>
>The problem that I see with printed books, is, that they are quickly out >of date.
>
>We think of bundling a printed booklet based on Olis handbook for >Muppy, in case we have success in finding a partner to sell computers >with Muppy pre-installed.
>Of course we have contact with Oli concerning these plans.
>This however is different as a standalone book, as it is valid only for the >system, it is sold with.
>
>But I am curious to see the results of this poll (Smile)
>
>Mark
Your point about being quickly obsolete is valid - but could be overcome with a POD setup (Print On Demand). As new revisions are made, the POD master is updated, so the reader can always get the latest/greatest.
Also, in installing Puppy to older computers, very little would change, as it is likely one would use an older version of Puppy, for compatibility with the older hardware.
I was aware of the v3 manual, and am delighted to see the v4. But I have objections to how it is written, that in no way are meant to denigrate the good work that has gone into it.
Given that the manual is Web-based, there should be MUCH better links to information in it. I will quote a short section of it, and insert the comments I want to make in the original text. Where I want to change something <I will put my comment in carets> so it will be easy to distinguish what I write from the original text.
From the Puppy v4 manual:
How to run Puppy the very first time
First you must set up the boot sequence in the BIOS. If you do not know how to get into the BIOS-setup, consult the computers manual. <or Google for the make/model computer you have - most people don't have the manual> Usually you press one of the following keys immediately after switching on the PC: ESC, one of the function keys F1 to F12 or the delete key. <there are lists on the Web of the correct key sequence for almost every computer maker in the world - a link should go here> At the BIOS-setup you change the boot sequence so that the CD-ROM drive is first and the harddrive is second. Close the BIOS-setup and store the settings.
The v4 manual is not bad - but still presupposes a level of knowledge that may/may not exist in the person reading it. So the manual glosses over key steps, assuming that the EU (end user) knows how to do an operation.
Another example is that the EU is told to consult his CD burning software manual about how to burn iso files. But not all CD burning software permits this - and again the manual may not exist. Instead, a link should be placed, pointing to CDBurnerXP <
http://cdburnerxp.se/> or one of the other freeware software packages available.
It's very hard to spell out every step in documentation - but it's the key to having docs that will work for the greenest newbie, as well as the veteran 'nix head...
Other comments?
More screen shots are needed
Screen shots for the English manual should be in English (grin)