The Ubuntu Manual Project needs your help!

[ianto`]

Questions:

1. If you could choose one Ubuntu-specific thing to be included in an Ubuntu Manual, what would it be?
A guide to effectively using apt-get and synaptic, especially the predefined sections in the menu on the left-hand side which can be helpful when searching for an application/package which does a specific task. (Not a fan of the Software Centre!)

2. Do you believe a manual like this should be included in Lucid Lynx by default?
Certainly

3. If it was to be included by default, do you think it should be on the desktop?On the Desktop only when it is being used as a LiveCD however after installation it should be placed in the Examples folder or even better in the System drop-down menu in GNOME.

4. Would you be interested in printing such a manual?
I prefer not to print documents (economic on ink).

5. Do you think PDF is a good format, or would you prefer HTML or another format?For the main objective PDF is excellent however having a mirror site online is also useful for those who wish to use it as a quick reference.

6. We are including a section on using the default applications. Which do you think should have the most detail?
Open Office

7. Out of the following hardware categories, which one should have the most detail?
Printing/Scanning

[fromthehill]

1. If you could choose one Ubuntu-specific thing to be included in an Ubuntu Manual, what would it be?
restricted-extras, flash, jre, and other proprietary software everyone needs but isn't included

2. Do you believe a manual like this should be included in Lucid Lynx by default?
yes

3. If it was to be included by default, do you think it should be on the desktop?
yes, otherwise new users can't find it

5. Do you think PDF is a good format, or would you prefer HTML or another format?
every format is fine as long as it can be opened with a double-click

6. We are including a section on using the default applications. Which do you think should have the most detail?

those applications are pretty straightforward.
maybe a manual howto install software with software-center and a manual for synaptic-package manager.

another thing to include would be something about security. telling users ubuntu isn't invulnerable for malware and a list of commands that break your system (something like this)

7. Out of the following hardware categories, which one should have the most detail?

Sound can be a real headache
internet access (especially wireless)

[jlh68]

No. 7: SOUND, next printers/scanners
No. 6: Emphathy. Note on OpenOffice, there is a lot of info about it in other places, to include much on OO.o is loading up the manual.
No. 5: PDF is good.
No. 4: Printing could be done by Lulu.com
No. 3: Yes include it on desktop
No. 2: Yes
No. 1: JRE, Restricted Extras, Ubuntu Netbook Remix differences from the regular desktop and how to install it with out an optical drive.

[ianto`]

No. 4: Printing could be done by Lulu.com

I really really highly recommend not using lulu.com because they are well known as a scam-site. Just Google "lulu.com scam" without the punctuation marks and a whole list of bad things about the site will appear such as trying to sell people ISBNs which are already in use as well as a lot more. Instead if you are serious about getting published use Lightning Source or a similar company.

[enz1m3]

While I do believe PDF is a good format for support documentation (easier to print while maintaining formatting, etc.), I agree HTML has a better way to display information such as videos. But ultimately, I think PDF is easier to maintain, and maintaining two versions of the same manual would be very hard to accomplish.

As for the topics in the manual, one I find people having lots of trouble is video/audio codecs (installing medibuntu usually fixs most of them), so an explanation why these aren't included by default (I believe there's an explanation at medibuntu's website) and how to install them would be of much value, imo.

I'm already helping in translating it to Portuguese, and I don't believe I'll have any problems continuing that (at least until Lucid), but something more would be too much time-consuming for someone like me (who doesn't have free time at all)

[humphreybc]

I'd just like to thank everyone for their feedback so far, it's much appreciated.

[llamaSniper]

Questions:

3. If it was to be included by default, do you think it should be on the desktop?

Yes.

4. Would you be interested in printing such a manual?

Nothing more than 10 pages for printing (a quick-reference chart perhaps?)

5. Do you think PDF is a good format, or would you prefer HTML or another format?

PDF is good, Adobe provides Adobe Reader for Linux, but PDF isn't open-source. In the interest of allowing Windows users to read the manual, however, I would use PDF. Perhaps make multiple formats available?

6. We are including a section on using the default applications. Which do you think should have the most detail?

Rhythmbox/Totem plugins, Open Office transitioning from MS office, Evolution transitioning from MS outlook

7. Out of the following hardware categories, which one should have the most detail?

Sound/Printing/Scanning, these are essential to beginning users, and fixes must be readily available.

[Dayofswords]

1. If you could choose one Ubuntu-specific thing to be included in an Ubuntu Manual, what would it be?
installing from source code

2. Do you believe a manual like this should be included in Lucid Lynx by default?
sure

3. If it was to be included by default, do you think it should be on the desktop?
link to it, actually file in /home

4. Would you be interested in printing such a manual?
depends on the final length, i've got only so much ink and paper

5. Do you think PDF is a good format, or would you prefer HTML or another format?
pdf is nice, but if you end up with html, go html5



6. We are including a section on using the default applications. Which do you think should have the most detail?

the big 3!
Open Office
Firefox
Evolution(though Thunderbird is better =p)


7. Out of the following hardware categories, which one should have the most detail?

Printing/Scanning
External devices



i could help some, somehow

[k3lt01]

Ok here are my thoughts.


1. If you could choose one Ubuntu-specific thing to be included in an Ubuntu Manual, what would it be?How to use Ubuntu Software Center, provided that is the devs get it working by Lucid because atm it is broken.

2. Do you believe a manual like this should be included in Lucid Lynx by default?Yes, but then again the LiveCD is can only be so big, what would you have them remove so it could be included?

3. If it was to be included by default, do you think it should be on the desktop?No, not on the desktop but within an Ubuntu specific folder in Documents.

4. Would you be interested in printing such a manual? Yes I would.

5. Do you think PDF is a good format, or would you prefer HTML or another format?HTML would be my preference with a link to a "printable" text version of th HTML page.

6. We are including a section on using the default applications. Which do you think should have the most detail?

Rhythmbox - No, Banshee is better
F-Spot - No
Open Office - Yes because most people use "office" applications but then again OOo has so much documentation already easily available.
Tomboy - No because I never use it.
Empathy - Nooooooooo, Pidgin is better and Empathy has some serious security issues.
Firefox - No, seriously if someone cannot use FF they aren't going to be able to access a HTML version of this book are they.
Evolution - Maybe.
Totem - What's there to learn?
Ubuntu One - No, I think it's pretty much only serious "geeks" who use Ubuntu One anyway

7. Out of the following hardware categories, which one should have the most detail?

Printing/Scanning - Yes
Display - Yes especially how to select and configure the different hardware eg. ATI, Intel etc.
External devices - Such as?
Webcams - Yes
Sound - Maybe
Disk Drives - What type of Disk Drives? CDs, DVDs, Bluerays, HDDs, Flash?

[bronxbomberz41]

1) Using Synaptic, Using apt-get, getting flash working (rarely works 'out of the box')
2)Yes
3)No
4)No
5)PDF is good and preferred to other formats
6)UbuntuOne because people probably still are a little unfamiliar with Cloud Computing and don't know how to backup their computers, and F-Spot because photo management has become such an integral part of a normal user's experience (picasa, facebook, etc)
7)External Devices- everybody has an ipod and there isn't great or consistent documentation on how to use it properly with ubuntu without dualbooting windows especially for the ipod touch or the iphone.