[ubuntu-studio-devel] Audio Handbook

[Ross Gammon]

On 2/18/19 4:23 PM, Erich Eickmeyer wrote:
> Hi Ross,
> 
> On 2/18/2019 6:12 AM, Ross Gammon wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> I finally got my Ubuntu Studio test machine up an running two weekends
>> ago (there was a problem with my plugin video card which I haven't
>> solved yet). With a fresh install of US 18.10, I started following the
>> Audio Handbook. Naturally, I jotted down some TODO items.
>>
>> Where is the source stored? I see we have wiki format, and PDF & EPUB
>> versions (and I remember the original was in Writer format).
>> https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UbuntuStudio/AudioHandbook
>>
>> Would it be an idea to package the handbook so it can be put uploaded to
>> our new ppa? Then there could be a version for each release (e.g. we
>> should start explaining -controls & how to install on other flavours for
>> Disco).
>> The dominant form for documentation in packages is html, but I suppose
>> we could package it in any form with an appropriate launcher.
> The only source he ever gave us was in HTML, which was copied verbatim
> to the wiki with a few edits.
> 
> As for the source of the PDF & EPUB, that pretty much is the wiki, which
> is why I recommend copying & pasting from the wiki to any new document.
> The problem with going from any other format to the wiki is the special
> flavor of markdown used, and I haven't found any way to autoformat from
> any other format to that special markdown.
> 
> That special markdown format is very much why I didn't consider
> uploading the original files he gave me since it required hours of
> painstaking manual conversion to the markdown. I figured any edits would
> be done on the wiki and then could be copy/pasted into a writer document
> for conversion to EPUB or PDF. Essentially, the way I see it, the wiki
> is now the source.

OK - thanks. It is probably the best way to get user (flyby) edits to
improve things.

> 
> As far as packaging goes, wouldn't it be better just to make a link to
> the wiki in our menu? That way it's kept up-to-date.

Yes - but things will (could) change markedly between 18.04 and say
19.10 when it happens. Whilst the backports ppa will reduce this, it
would at least be nice to be working on having the handbook covering the
latest (e.g. what is in the autobuilders) whilst the published version
reflects what has previously been released.