[RFC] Documentation of videolan

[Bill Eldridge]

How about just make documentation a
separate area in CVS and then combine
everything, and allow permissions to
those who want to take part, whether
vls, vlc, etc.

Alexis de Lattre wrote:
> These are my ideas on how the documentation of videolan should evolve in
> the coming months. I would like to have your comments on my ideas.
> 
> First, the problems with the actual documentation :
> 
> - we only build it in HTML,
> 
> - there are redundancies between the 4 user documentations
> (Introduction, explaination on how to install the softs and a satellite
> card for example...)
> 
> - some documentations are out of date...
> 
> 
> My idea is to transform all the documentations in DocBook format and
> segment the sections in separate files so that we can include the files
> in more that one documentation.
> 
> 
> For example, the description of the installation of vlc could be in one
> Docbook file and included in :
> 
> - VideoLAN Quickstart
> 
> - VideoLAN HOWTO
> 
> and used to generate :
> 
> - the text file "INSTALL" in the CVS and tarballs
> 
> 
> Another example is the FAQ for vlc (same for vls) which could in included in :
> 
> - VLC HOWTO
> 
> - the text file "FAQ" in the CVS and tarballs
> 
> - a separate HTML page on the Web site.
> 
> 
> My other idea is for the options of the command line of vlc and their
> description. It could be in Docbook format and then transformed in other
> formats so that it could be included in :
> 
> - vlc --help (I don't have a precise idea on how to to that)
> 
> - man vlc (with the docbook-to-man package, not tested)
> 
> - VLC HOWTO
> 
> Concerning the explaination of the global videolan solution, I think we
> should put everything concerning the VLAN solution in a separate page
> with separte documentation, and not include it in the VideoLAN HOWTO,
> because it gives the impression that VideoLAN is a very complex solution.
> It could be a page http://www.videolan.org/network/vlan/ with links
> to a specific doc and a download page with VLAN server, VLAN bridge,
> mini-VLANserver, etc...
> 
> Then we will have to setup the Web site so that the docs are
> automatically built in HTML, PS and PDF (we can do that easily on the
> server now that it is in Debian Woody...) every time there is a new
> commit concerning the documentation.
> 
> The problem with this solution is that we will need the 3 branchs and
> the CVS (vlc, network, vls) to build the user documentations. This
> shouldn't be a problem for the Website, but a little bit more complex
> for the guys who want to build it themselves.
> 
> I am waiting for your comments and ideas...
> 



-- 
Bill Eldridge
Radio Free Asia
bill at rfa.org

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