Attention all Gutsy testers! Handbook help needed!

[Scott Balneaves]

Hello all!

Rapidly approaching on September 13th is what's affectionately known as
the "String Freeze".  No, it does not have anything to do with cold balls
of twine, or as yet unproven quantum mechanical explanations of the universe,
but rather, it's when all the text has to be finalized, to give anyone
interested in Translation a nice, non moving target to translate.

I'm once again working with the Documentation Team on the Edubuntu handbook,
which is supposed to ultimately your guide to setting up a classroom server
using Edubuntu.

Time is tight, and I've spent a lot of time doing development work, and now
we've got to try and get in all the doco you need to have an easy time with
Edubuntu.

Every single day, we get people who, either on the mailing list, or in the
IRC channels #edubuntu, or #ltsp, say they want some way to contribute, but
they can't code.  "Is there any way," They say, "that I can help?"

Why, yes!  Yes there is!

I need proofreaders, and contributors to the handbook.  This is YOUR handbook:
I don't need any doco on Edubuntu or LTSP: I wrote big chunks of it, so I
know how it works :)  YOU, on the other hand, have you use the stuff we write.
So, here's your chance to step forward, and make your voice heard.

Thanks to the launchpad boffins, we now have this neat feature called the PPA:
The Poltergeist Punishment Area.  No, wait, sorry, Personal Package Archive,
I mean.  It means that mere mortals such as I can host packages for you
to load.  What packages, you ask?  Geez, quit interrupting and let me finish,
says I.  The package I'll be pushing is edubuntu-docs.  This is the package
that contains the handbook.

Here's how to get zippy new versions:

On your edubuntu box, add the following lines to your /etc/apt/sources.list
file:
-----snip here----
#
# Scott's doco repo
#

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/sbalneav/ubuntu gutsy main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/sbalneav/ubuntu gutsy main
-----snip here----

Then, do a standard package update/upgrade cycle.  Voila, new doco!

My plan is to get a new doco package out the door once every one or two days,
for people to look at.  Click on your little red "?" on the taskbar, click
on "Other Documentation" on the right, then select "edubuntu handbook".

Here's what I really need.  I *NEED* content.  I'm typing as fast as time and
my fingers will allow, but we need raw goods to go in.  If you're willing
to type up some stuff and send it to me, I'm happy to format.  Also, proof
reading's a hlep to us mye spelings nut to gud.

Your reward for all this hard work: Same as mine.  A job well done, and
as an added bonus, anyone who contributes automatically gets their name
added to the authors.  Wouldn't it be cool to look at your spiffy new
gutsy shipit cd and say to your friends, "Hey!  My name's on there!  I did this
part here, see?  No, wait, come back, this really is interesting!... Wait..".

Err, well, that's how *my* Linux conversations go with my friends, anyway.

So, c'mon.  Here's your chance!  You can make your mark!  You can stand your
ground! You can make. A. DIFFERENCE!!!!

You know, it's for the kids!

Post contributions/corrections to this thread, so It's easy to track.

Cheers,
Scott

-- 
Scott L. Balneaves | "Eternity is a very long time,
Systems Department |  especially towards the end."
Legal Aid Manitoba |    -- Woody Allen