[mythtv-users] MythTV - Complete How-TO build on Fedora Core 2 docs

Kevin D. Snodgrass kds.mythtv at cox.net
Tue May 25 17:49:45 EDT 2004


Kevin Kuphal wrote:
> knight at pogmech.net wrote:
>> I agree what others have said about creating too many how-to docs, and 
>> it could cause more confusion as more unofficial how-to's flood the 
>> lists.  I've read through dozens upon dozens of them in different 
>> languages (thanks google translator!) just to get my setup working.
>> The offical doc maintainers are welcome to merge parts of my doc to 
>> the offical one if they find it useful enough.
>>
>>
>> -Rod  
>>
> One thing some people here are trying to do is use the wiki at 
> http://www.mythtv.info as a staging ground for documents headed for the 
> official documentation.  If you would like, I'm sure the contribution of 
> the FC2 how-to would be welcome at that site (you can submit it yourself 
> by creating/editing a page on the wiki) and then if there are any tweaks 
> to be found, others can contribute those edits and once it is considered 
> complete it can be submitted to the developers for inclusion in the 
> mythtv.org documentation.
> 
> Kevin
> 

A suggestion from someone that has read too much 
documentation lately (and not slept in 30+ hours):

Write up an "executive summary", maybe a paragraph, telling 
everyone what this piece of documentation is, who should 
read it, what they can expect to learn and what they can 
expect to do to accomplish the docs goals.  Example, for 
Jarod's HOWTO it might say:

Full install guide for MythTV, with extra info on NForce2 
chipsets and video out on PVR-350 cards.  For users familiar 
with Red Hat linux, RPM usage and/or apt-get.  Guides you 
through basic hardware selection, Fedora Core 1 install 
guideline (NOT an FC1 install doc!!), setup and usage of 
apt-get, install of NForce video and network drivers, ivtv 
drivers and the MythTV Suite.


If something like this was at the beginning of each piece of 
documentation the reader wouldn't needlessly waste time 
reading lots of information that doesn't address their 
needs.  Someone that wants a HOWTO for compiling from CVS 
doesn't need to read Jarod's HOWTO, and conversely someone 
wanting to install stable (or mostly stable) prepackaged, 
somewhat preconfigured software to painlessly achieve the 
end of a working MythTV system won't want to read the 
recently posted link to compiling from CVS for FC2.  A 
central repository of links (and the executive summaries) 
would also help, since this *is* going to happen, freedom 
being what it is and all.  Who ever does this should be 
dilligent about broken/dead links.  Users don't need to see 
Verisign's Sitefinder when looking for something informative 
and userful.

I'm not a big fan of HOWTOs and other docs, on websites 
everywhere, of various qualities, all attacking the problem 
from slightly different angles.  Things can get quite 
overwhelming for a new user after a couple years of that. 
Not to mention the confusion that may happen if different 
people register mythtv.$EVERY_FSCKING_TLD_THERE_IS and put 
up some website that may or may not be updated after 6 months...



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