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The Linux Documentation Project Turns 10

Posted by Cliff on from the happy-anniversary dept.

hta writes: "The Linux Documentation Project is happy to announce its 10-year anniversary! Once upon a time, there was a general consensus that Unix in general, and Linux in particular, lacked good documentation. Matt Welsh decided to do something about this, and wrote the first Linux HOWTO - the 'Installation HOWTO' - the first of what is now a huge collection of focused, solution-oriented documents. It became a movement just like Linux itself. More and more people joined in on the effort, tools were created, and documents were written, translated and published. Ten years later, it is no exaggeration to say this issue has been dealt with thoroughly."

"Today, TLDP is one of the largest Internet projects, where a few hundred people have written several hundred documents, ranging from small manual pages to in-depth guides that span over a hundred pages. The documentation covers nearly all aspects of Linux and is freely distributed, like Open Source software itself. In fact, many Linux distributions include the complete TLDP collection with the installation, helping both newcomers and more experienced users.

TLDP is fully multi-lingual. People volunteer their time to help with tools, reviews, translation, publishing and updates. This all requires work, and a core group of a few dozen aid the authors through a series of mailing lists. In addition, TLDP is pleased to acknowledge support from numerous companies over the years, including Red Hat and IBM.

TLDP continues to grow, in numbers of documents, supported languages and also new services, to better help an ever-increasing audience. To achieve this, TLDP is always looking for new volunteers to join, ranging from authors to programmers, to reviewers.

For more information, please visit http://www.tldp.org and read the LDP FAQ."

9 of 232 comments (clear)

  1. In other news... by borgdows · · Score: 4, Funny

    The RTFM expression turns 10 too!

  2. finally... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    now maybe it will stop wetting the bed.

  3. People wonder... by Chris_Stankowitz · · Score: 5, Funny
    why linux can still be a great alternative for windows user. There TDLP equivelnt in the M$ world consist of Clippy!

    Of course one must be willing to RTF-how-to.

    So on this the 10th anniversary of the How-to, here is a little "up-yours-clippy" :)~

    1. Re:People wonder... by Shakrai · · Score: 5, Insightful

      However, since it's "M$", you refuse to even look and discover that, hey, their documentation is actually pretty damn good.

      The documentation might be. But the community support (in my experience -- mod me down if you want) sucks. In my time, I've posted several questions to the MS newsgroups (mainly about Terminal Services). Similar questions for Linux would have received several replies (ranging from RTFM to a step by step instruction of what I needed to do) within a few minutes. Days later, I had no answer from anyone (MS or otherwise) as to if what I needed to do was even possible or not! And my question was hardly all that complicated... "Is there a way to log the IP address of PCs connecting to the Terminal Server without using third-party software?" Even google couldn't find the answer for me.

      Given the choice, I'd take Linux and it's community anyday over MS's community or "paid" support. Unfortunately, I don't have that choice, because of MSs monopoly.

      --
      I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
      We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
  4. I remember... by Shakrai · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I remember using the early HOWTOs to compile my first Linux kernel (back in the days when your distro didn't come with a one-size-fits-all), setup my first PPP connection for my 14.4 Internet connection.

    Many thanks to all those who have contributed over the years. The community is in your debt.

    --
    I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
    We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
  5. Thanks, Matt! by theonetruekeebler · · Score: 4, Funny
    If it weren't for the LDP, I never would have got that first machine running Slackware (kernel version 1.0.8) back in nineteen ninety mumble, on my Big Bad 486/50 with its Big Bad 20MB and Big Bad 1.08GB hard drive.

    Now I'm proud to run a machine that's over twice as fast, with three times the memory! And I still use Matt Walsh's writings to get by. Three Cheers and a virtual beer!

    --
    This is not my sandwich.
  6. 10 Years of putting the F in RTFM! by stratjakt · · Score: 5, Funny

    Now blow out your candles and update your howtos damnit!

    --
    I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
  7. Ten years of adolescence... by swordgeek · · Score: 4, Insightful

    First of all, I'd like to debunk the idea that, "there was a general consensus that Unix in general, and Linux in particular, lacked good documentation." That's BS--Unix has had good and even definitive documentation for decades. Four feet of manuals (man pages, install guides, networking config, X programming, etc., etc., etc.) were considered absolutely essential material back in the day, and they were generally really good! Today we have docs.(vendor).com, as a pretty damned fine replacement. At no point in recent history has the Unix community suffered from a general shortage of good documentation.

    Now the LDP has come a long way in the last ten years, and let me join with everyone here in saying, "Congratulations! Linux wouldn't have gotten anywhere near where it is without you."

    That said, there are two fundamental weaknesses that stem from the nature of the LDP, and I'd like to see some way of modifying the project to address them as much as possible.

    First of all is the lack of a formal review process. As I understand it, anyone can submit a doc, and it will by accepted if it meets basic criteria. (mostly proper SGML/Docbook formatting.)
    There really needs to be a review process, similar to code review for proper software projects. (of course, a project should also have a documentation writer/maintainer, which would invalidate much of the LDP, but I digress...) I have seen HOWTOs which were unintelligible, incomplete, unmaintained, and wildly inaccurate. Without grammar and technical review, stuff like this just keeps popping up at random.

    The second problem is something that the LDP cannot (and shouldn't have to) correct on its own. It's incomplete--it is not a complete repository of Linux documentation, by any stretch of the imagination. To be fair, it shouldn't have to be--software should come with documentation! Howtos and guides should be supplements to that documentation, not the only source for it. Unfortunately, freelance developers don't always see things that way.

    Anyways, enough sour grapes. Happy Birthday LDP! Keep on going, and keep on gettting better.

    --

    "People who do stupid things with hazardous materials often die." -- Jim Davidson on alt.folklore.urban
  8. You haven't understood how to ask for help by mijok · · Score: 4, Funny

    The Linux Newbie Ask Question HowTo
    Wrong way:
    - How do I do <what you have a problem with> in Linux?
    Answer:
    - RTFM!!!
    Right way:
    - Linux sucks! Doing <what you have a problem with> is so easy in Windows, I'll switch back soon...
    Answer:
    - Don't switch! The solution to <what you have a problem with> is simple, just do this: <an elaborate, newbie-friendly answer>

    --
    Karma. Moderation. Is my .sig good now?