discuss: Linux documentation wiki
Subject:
Re: Linux documentation wiki
From:
David Merrill ####@####.####
Date:
13 Jan 2002 18:10:52 -0000
Message-Id: <20020113190222.GA32274@lupercalia.net>
On Sun, Jan 13, 2002 at 05:47:10PM +0000, Martin WHEELER wrote:
> NO-ONE is suggesting that *all* LDP documents should suddenly and
> autocratically be edited this way -- only that we examine the
> alternatives, and experiment to see if it suits a certain type of
> document, and what the potential benefits and advantages might be.
> To *everyone*. (Reader as well as writer.)
We really are talking about several very different and potentially
independent changes. It might help to talk about them separately.
First, adding the capability to edit a document using a web interface.
That's simple as pie in the database, in fact already done.
The question there is what security to provide. Right now you need no
database password. I could set up whatever we want, though. The level
of accountability, version maintenance, and such that is required will
depend on how promiscuously we allow edits. If it's only us, let the
cvs do it, and use ####@####.#### to say "pull from the db". Let
the db account give you access, or not.
If we want wider access, we need to keep a change log. I'm in favor of
*requiring* a database account, but making it easy to get one
immediately online (not equivalent to one of ours, it would only allow
"wiki" changes).
Second, making editing even easier, by providing some special text
format so you don't have to learn docbook. Dave likes linuxdoc, which
is also fine with me but I'm not going to write the code for it. But
Dave always likes linuxdoc. :-)
We could do either one without the other. Since the original proposal
was to use a Wiki, we kind of are assuming they come together (they
*do* in a Wiki), but they don't have to.
> Then we can get on with the twin aims of finding a short-term means of
> carrying out on-the-spot 'quick-edits'; whilst examining in more depth
> longer-term possibilities for fully-integrated editing software.
> [I want to play extensively with Churchill Rhumba.]
See db.linuxdoc.org, login using guest/guest, edit a document right
there, right now! ;-)
> (Still haven't looked at your txt2db -- like others, I find using CVS a
> royal PITA. I used to have a CVS account; but let it die through a
> mixture of pure apathy and never being able to remember my password; how
> to login, logout, checkin, checkout; or even find the damn' document in
> which I wanted to correct a simple mis-punctuation of "it's".
> Vivat wiki.)
Again, see the db. It will show you the output of the utility for the
text you enter in the textbox.
--
David C. Merrill http://www.lupercalia.net
Linux Documentation Project ####@####.####
Collection Editor & Coordinator http://www.linuxdoc.org
In one piece of email people were suggesting that Office had to work equally
well with all browsers and that we shouldn't force Office users to use our
browser. This is wrong and I wanted to correct this.
--Bill Gates, January 1997.
