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Date:      Fri, 30 Jun 2000 12:54:32 -0700
From:      Jim Mock <jim@FreeBSD.ORG>
To:        Rasmus Kaj <kaj@raditex.se>
Cc:        doc@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   Re: New User's Handbook
Message-ID:  <20000630125432.A6144@luna.osd.bsdi.com>
In-Reply-To: <84d7kz55if.fsf@frodo.sickla.raditex.se>; from kaj@raditex.se on Fri, Jun 30, 2000 at 09:32:40PM %2B0200
References:  <20000630120608.A5841@luna.osd.bsdi.com> <84d7kz55if.fsf@frodo.sickla.raditex.se>

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On Fri, 30 Jun 2000 at 21:32:40 +0200, Rasmus Kaj wrote:
> >>>>> "JM" == Jim Mock <jim@FreeBSD.ORG> writes:
> 
>  JM> Howdy folks,
>  JM> Since sending the last message on the New User's Handbook, I
>  JM> haven't gotten *any* replies.. has anyone looked at it?  It's
>  JM> available at http://soupnazi.org/~jim/FreeBSD/newuser-handbook/
> 
> Ok, here come's a little comment ...  I don't really see who the
> intended reader is here. Anoyone interested in the history and goals
> of the project probably already know so much that he don't need the
> "Unix basics" chapter.
> 
> So, you should either focus on the "Unix basics" part and make a
> one-page introduction of chapters one to four, or assume the reader
> knows some unix, but is new to FreeBSD. I would make an appendix of
> chapter six, and assume most readers know it anyway ...

It's intended for people new to FreeBSD and who want to learn a bit
about it -- it's been pulled directly from the existing handbook.  I
sort of get the feeling you haven't read any of the other messages about
splitting the handbook up.

> So, what would a new user, knowing some Unix, need? Here's a few items 
> 
>  * An introduction to the ports and packages system.

That will be put into the ``Installation Handbook'' along with
installing FreeBSD and the ports tree.

>  * Some words about /etc/rc.conf, other startup scripts etc, and about 
>    /stand/sysinstall.

You're missing the point.

>  * A firm voice telling them not to run -current, and probably some
>    introduction to the mailing lists.

You're missing the point here too.  Please go back and read Nik's
``Splitting up the Handbook'' post and the rest of the thread.  *sigh*

> And one other thing; Do every document _have_ _to_ start with a full
> page of copyright information? Why not have a paragraph of
> introducing text, supposed to make people want to read the document,
> not scare them away (the handbook has such a paragraph, but it's
> squeezed in between the copyright line and the page of legal terms).

Yes, it does.  Why?  Because the handbook is being split up into
separate books.  Each book can then be read (or published) separately
and won't have the copyright that's in the handbook now.

- jim

-- 
/* jim mock - berkeley software design, inc - open source division */
/* documentation manager - jim@FreeBSD.org - jim@luna.osd.bsdi.com */


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