Xubuntu guide outline

[Tristan_Williams]

I have installed Xubuntu 14.04 on a few family and friends computers, and I am currently teaching ALL of them how to use their great new OS.
So I decided to show them the basics, and then write a beginners guide for Xubuntu, so that I can just print out a guide and give it to people when I
install Xubuntu on their computers for them.

So my problem is, I don't know where to start. Being an experienced user of multiple distros, I can't quite think of what a "beginner" would need to be
taught.



So far, here is my guide outline:

Chapter 1 - Basic Operation
- What is Linux?
- Xubuntu and Xfce
- Parts of the Desktop
- Your home folder



That's definitely not much to write about. It would be wonderful if you guys could help me create an outline. Once I have a general outline, I will write the manual, post it online, and come back here with it to seek improvements.

[Elfy]

Is it actually going to be much different than the Xubuntu docs? http://docs.xubuntu.org/1404/

You could even get in touch with us and help with the doc team http://xubuntu.org/contribute/support_documentation/

[motang]

In my opinion you don't really need to tell them it is xfce, and what is linux, etc. I don't really think they would gain much from it. What I would rather concentrate on is showing them what they can do with Xubuntu, and if needed compare to their prior OS. I am assuming they are coming from Windows, and Xubuntu 14.04 (more than previous versions because of the Whisker Menu) works and to some extent looks similar to Windows XP. I would start there and show them how it works compared to Windows.

[amanchesterman]

For several years I taught 'computing for beginners' to old folk -- i.e. to my own generation. :p Many of them really were beginners, and from that experience I would advise:

- Avoid jargon and technical terms as much as possible. If you say to a beginner 'move the cursor on your desktop' they will look at you blankly: (a) they don't know what a 'cursor' is and (b) 'the desktop', in everyday language, means the surface of the table or desk on which the computer is sitting. But if you say 'move the pointer on your screen' they get your meaning at once -- and, more importantly, they don't have that inner voice saying to them 'you can't do this, it's too difficult for you'.

- Use images, diagrams and screen dumps as much as you can. There is no substitute for sitting in front of a computer, moving the mouse and pressing the keys. A printed guide, however well written, will be useless unless the reader can instantly recognise the screen and keys in front of them from the page they are reading. Think of writing a visitor's guide to your local town: would you write 'the town hall is a large stone building ... blah blah ... (long complicated description) ... and the public library is 30 meters in a north west direction from the east doorway' or would you simply include a picture and write 'this is what the town hall looks like and you can see the public library next to it'?

[slickymaster]

Is it actually going to be much different than the Xubuntu docs? http://docs.xubuntu.org/1404/

You could even get in touch with us and help with the doc team http://xubuntu.org/contribute/support_documentation/

+1.
This documentation is also shipped with every release of Xubuntu.