> On 5/14/2009 4:36 PM, Alysson Troffer wrote:
> I've posted two wiki articles giving users a step by step guide to using 
> OpenSolaris on VMware Fusion 2 and VMware Workstation (5+). Please note, I am 
> not with Sun, and am asking for help with formatting and flow if you can 
> please review the two documents. 
> http://wikis.sun.com/display/OpenSolarisInfo/How+to+Ru 
> n+OpenSolaris+in+VMware+Fusion+for+Mac 
> http://wikis.sun.com/display/OpenSolarisInfo/How+to+Ru 
> n+OpenSolaris+in+VMware+Workstation - James
> <!----> 

> Hi James, Thanks for posting these two procedures/articles. You are very 
> thorough, and I bet it took a lot of time to put these together. One general 
> comment I have is that 72 steps is very long for a procedure. Could you 
> possibly break each procedure into multiple, shorter procedures? One idea 
> would be to break them up based on how you grouped the tasks. Here are the 
> tasks you include in your list at the beginning of each procedure: 

* How to setup a virtual machine guest 
* How to install OpenSolaris as a guest 
* How to update OpenSolaris 
* How to install OpenOffice.org on OpenSolaris 
* How to find further information about using OpenSolaris 

Also, if you're interested in some nitty-gritty tips on writing procedures, 
check out the Editorial Cheat Sheet for OpenSolaris Documentation 
(specifically, the section "Procedure Writing Tips"): 
http://opensolaris.org/os/community/documentation/doc_collab/style_guide/editorial_guidelines/
 Cheers, Alysson
> Not really... to break it up would be pointless.  There's documentation from 
> each vendor describing how to create a virtual machine, but nothing specific 
> at least graphically to OpenSolaris.  Installing OpenSolaris is the main 
> goal, but to achieve it using either product requires explictly showing the 
> user the process of installing OpenSolaris.
>
> To make them follow an offsite link or another article explaining how to use 
> OpenSolaris is fine in theory  but can you prove they are willing to retrain 
> their minds or sift through a potentially alien organization/workflow to find 
> their track again.  A user needs to know off the bat how to maintain their 
> system to ensure proper operation and a incurs small time increase over not 
> having it.  Perhaps removing the OpenOffice bit would be fine though.
>
> Since it seems that it doesn't meet the editorial guidelines, let's just 
> throw it away since there's a time crunch and Sun wants it slapped up into a 
> fixed product documentation bundle.
>
> - James

Hey James,

I'm not trying to impose Sun editorial style on your work. I was just trying to 
help by making a suggestion in response to your request for feedback. The 
guidelines I pointed you to were requested by the docs community last year. I 
put them together as guidelines, not rules that must be followed. In my mind, 
it's always the writer's discretion whether to take or leave any suggestions I 
make.

Certainly, I think you should carry on with your plans for this content.

Alysson
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