Date: Tue, 15 May 2001 21:27:43 -0400 From: Randy Pratt <rpratt@ezwv.com> To: Sue Blake <sue@welearn.com.au> Cc: Nik Clayton <nik@FreeBSD.ORG>, freebsd-docs@FreeBSD.ORG, Jim Mock <jim@FreeBSD.ORG> Subject: Re: Install Preview (was Re: (was) I'm leaving, now something like "anti official docs rant" :) ) Message-ID: <01051521274307.00373@k6-2.weeble.com> In-Reply-To: <20010516093113.G26123@welearn.com.au> References: <01051513051703.00373@k6-2.weeble.com> <01051515135804.00373@k6-2.weeble.com> <20010516093113.G26123@welearn.com.au>
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On Tuesday 15 May 2001 19:31, you wrote: > On Tue, May 15, 2001 at 03:13:58PM -0400, Randy Pratt wrote: > > The versions prior to 4.3 used html tables as "screenshots" with a lot of > > formatting to produce views that were very close to that seen during > > installation. > > > > I used XV to capture the html table views and convert them to 8 bit png > > images. These were used instead of the html tables to ease the conversion > > to sgml. If you take a look at the source of the 4.2 previews, the tables > > would be difficult (if not impossible) to convert to sgml and a problem > > to maintain. > > One of the things I've always loved about this doc is that people using > text browsers like lynx get the "picture" too. Most people who use lynx > do so because they have no alternative (low memory machine or broken X > config or security restriction on the spare machine, or blind user) and > it is often so easy to include support for them if only a little > forethought is given to the task. > > In that respect you've done very well, Randy. It would be a shame if > those people lost their text "pictures" due to the demands of progress, > but I guess that's gotta happen one day. If it does, please hang on to > the old documents because they will still be more valuable than "[IMAGE]" > even if they refer to a different version of FreeBSD. There are benefits in getting these documents more mainstream. They are subject to more review for correctness and easier for people to contribute improvements through normal channels. Never fear, the old versions won't disappear, at least not any way soon. The way I'm producing the images is to capture the html renderings. They'll have to be kept alive as the "image" source. I don't have a digital camera so its the only avenue open to me. Granted, this is extra work on my part but its a task I've enjoyed since I booted my first FreeBSD system (Friday, February 27, 1998, at 2:04 PM MST)! By the way, thanks for the encouragement you gave me as a newbie and continue to give others on -newbies. Best regards, Randy To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-doc" in the body of the message
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