On Thu, 14 Feb 2002, rabnud wrote: > The thread is rambling around and generally running away from my initial > idea.
To comment on your proposals: You desire a single, integrated documentation system for "Linux". While a valiant goal, it faces two major obstacles. The first is that someone has to write *and* *maintain* said documentation. It appears there is a shortage of people willing to do so for free. (There are some; see http://www.linuxdoc.org for something that has striking similarities to your requirements.) Those who do write the documentation you seek often do so for profit. The only practical way to do that in today's world is to write a book. This explains the frequent recommendations that you should investigate a bookstore or library. The larger obstacle, however, is that this thing we call "Linux" is not a cohesive whole. It is a community of autonomous projects working independently. There is no single source for anything; there is no governing body. You cannot say this or that will be the same everywhere. (This can be a weakness, but it also adds strength. Ask any ecologist about diversity vs. uniformity in biological communities. But I digress.) In theory, it is the job of the distribution vendor to assemble everything, integrate it, and document it. It is their job to take the parts and turn them into a whole. I would certainly agree that they could do a better job. Most of them are trying and improving. If you want to help, I am sure the Debian project (http://www.debian.org) could use you. Finally, you keep commenting on the shock of moving from MS-Windows to Linux. I make my living doing systems integration and support, and I can say with absolute assurance that most computer users have little knowledge of how MS-Windows works internally. Many of them cannot navigate the dialogs required to add a new email account. Installing an operating system is something which is simply beyond their reach. This is not a negative reflection on their knowledge or intelligence; it simply means their interests lie elsewhere. I do not know how to repair the engine in my car, nor do I know how to fly a plane. When my car breaks down, I bring it to the garage, where a specialist repairs it; I trust my life to the hands of pilots trained to fly the vehicle I am traveling in. Computers tell a similar tale. This is something to keep in mind as you champion the cause of "newbies". -- Ben Scott <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> | The opinions expressed in this message are those of the author and do not | | necessarily represent the views or policy of any other person, entity or | | organization. All information is provided without warranty of any kind. | -- Ben Scott <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> | The opinions expressed in this message are those of the author and do not | | necessarily represent the views or policy of any other person, entity or | | organization. All information is provided without warranty of any kind. | ***************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the text 'unsubscribe gnhlug' in the message body. *****************************************************************
