Date: Wed, 15 Jul 1998 10:50:56 -0400 (EDT) From: brownicm@netunlimited.net To: freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: RE: Don't log onto current.freebsd.org... Message-ID: <XFMail.980715105056.brownicm@netunlimited.net> In-Reply-To: <XFMail.980715014609.dburr@POBoxes.com>
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You can always start learning... Take a class. You gotta start somewhere. On 15-Jul-98 Donald Burr wrote: > My secret spy satellite informs me that on 15-Jul-98, Tim > Gerchmez wrote: >> I wish I was a C/Perl programmer and could help in the >> development of >> FreeBSD... alas, I'm only a newbie dying for the hottest >> new FreeBSD >> improvements and banging my head against the wall... I >> need a carpenter >> to >> fix that hole... > > This goes to EVERYONE, not just Tim. > > You don't have to be a hotshot programmer to help out > with FreeBSD. There > are plenty of things that DON'T require programming > abilities that FreeBSD > still needs a lot of help on. These include: > > * DOCUMENTATION. We need documentation! Just take a > look at the FAQ or > the Handbook (*especially* the Handbook) and you'll see a > lot of sections > that are not the easiest/clearest to read, are missing > some parts, or are > just plain missing entirely. Plus, IMHO, FreeBSD needs a > lot of smaller > "HOW-TO" type documents, similar to what the Linux people > have, that guide > the user through setting up ONE specific thing (e.g. PPP, > DNS, et al). > If you know how to do the task (ex. setting up PPP), and > you know English, > that's all you need. (Even if you don't know English, > FreeBSD *NEEDS* > documentation in other languages too!) > > Some people say "wow, the documentation is written in TeX > or SGML > (or some other weirdo format) that I don't know. But, > you don't need > to nkow how to use SGML, *roff, postscript, or any of the > other > documentation writing languages out there. You can > always write your > stuff in plain ASCII text, Microsoft Word, or whatever, > and someone else > [for example, myself] would be happy to convert it into > the appropriate > format. > > * PORTS. FreeBSD could always use more applications in > the Ports tree. > If ou found a cool program out there, that you managed to > install > yourself, write a port for it!! It's really not that > hard, and the > Handbook has an excellent section on how to do one, that > basically holds > your hand right through the whole process. > > * ADVOCACY. Plain and simple, FreeBSD is not a household > word yet. Linux > is much more in that direction than FreeBSD is -- ask a > corporation's IS > department if they've heard of Linux, they will probably > say "yes." We > need the word out -- if the company where you work needs > a quick Internet > solution (e.g. a webserver, mailserver, whatever), go to > the IS department > and preach FreeBSD. Give them a copy of your CD (this is > a GREAT use for > older FreeBSD CD's -- if you bought 2.2.6 and you still > have 2.2.5 sitting > around, hand it over! They don't necessarily need to see > the latest and > greatest, just for a demo. > > * QUESTION ANSWERERS. We always need folks that read the > mailing lists > and can respond to people's questions. This is a great > way to show off > your knowledge -- if you, after 130 hours of sweating > over man pages and > config files, FINALLY got ppp working, then show off!! -- > find a message > like "Help! Can't get ppp set up!" and respond to it! > > These are just a few ideas right off the top of my head. > But it just > proves the point that you don't need to be a pointy head > in order to help > out with The Project. > --- > Donald Burr <dburr@POBoxes.com> - Ask me for my PGP key | > PGP: Your > WWW HomePage: http://DonaldBurr.base.org/ ICQ #1347455 | > right to > Address: P.O. Box 91212, Santa Barbara, CA 93190-1212 | > 'Net privacy. > Phone: (805) 957-9666 FAX: (800) 492-5954 | > USE IT. > ---------------------------------------------------------- > ------------- > FreeBSD - Turning PCs into Workstations - > http://www.freebsd.org/ > (NOTE: POBoxes.com appears to be working again -- fire > away!) > > To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org > with "unsubscribe freebsd-newbies" in the body of the > message Chris Browning brownicm@netunlimited.net "If you believe in Nothing... Honey, It believes in you." To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message
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