Re: [RFC] Documentation dir is a mess

[Matthew Frost <artusemrys@sbcglobal.net>]

--- Marc Koschewski <marc@osknowledge.org> wrote:

> * Steven Rostedt <rostedt@goodmis.org> [2005-11-20 20:56:59 -0500]:
> 
> > On Sun, 2005-11-20 at 16:30 -0800, Greg KH wrote:
> > > On Sun, Nov 20, 2005 at 01:19:09PM +0100, Xose Vazquez Perez wrote:
> > > > hi,
> > > > 
> > > > _today_ Documentation/* is a mess of files. It would be good
> > > > to have the _same_ tree as the code has:
> > > 
> > > Do you have a proposal as to what specific files in that directory
> > > should go where?  Just basing it on the source tree will not get
> > > you very far...
> > 
> > Actually I think it's a good start.  When I'm looking for
> > documentation, I usually just do a grep -r on the Documentation
> > directory hoping I get a correct hit and then manually look 
> > through all the results I get. 
> > It does get tedious, and I miss things all the time.
> 
> As you're just about to maybe make a decision on reorganisation: how
> about a separation of user- and developer-relevant documentation? 
> I mean, kernel boot parameters are relevant to a user whereas 
> mm/* stuff is not.

There's a problem in the general conception that user/developer is a
mutex.  The whole idea is that anyone may become a developer at will.  A
division of Documentation/ to make an artificial distinction that the
community doesn't necessarily believe in doesn't seem too useful.

Now, I don't mean to suggest that you're wrong; I'm sure you have a valid
point.  If I may rephrase, it sounds more like you're looking for
"fingertip reference" versus "in-depth documentation".  The documents
that exist may not conform themselves well to that sort of division,
necessarily.  However, I'm sure that there exist fingertip references
outside of Documentation/ and the kernel tree; many of them are for
'newbies'.

Is this a useful interpretation?  Would an incorporation of this sort of
functional division meet your request?  Does anyone have the time to
devote to it?  Am I just reading out of the bit bucket?

Matt

> 
> Marc
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