Linking to information contained in not yet installed files

Tue Mar 11 20:31:09 UTC 2008

Below is a log snip from an IRC conversation trying to come up with an 
idea to get information to users who do not yet have an installed system.

20080311:14:58:32 <EvilBob>     Current Book, install-guide - Current 
File, adminoptions.xml - Gobby --> hamshack.bobjensen.com (until we get 
our ducks in a row) the second added tip "Kernel Boot Options"
20080311:14:59:24 <EvilBob>     what is the best way to deal with this 
file, the reader will not yet have a running system to have this file
20080311:15:02:43 *     tombolinux has quit ("Ciaoo")
20080311:15:03:34 *     Southern_Gentlem 
(n=notfred at unaffiliated/southerngentlem/x-2894754) has joined #fedora-docs
20080311:15:03:56 <EvilBob>       <tip>
20080311:15:03:56 <EvilBob>         <title>Kernel Boot Options</title>
20080311:15:03:56 <EvilBob>         <para>
20080311:15:03:56 <EvilBob>           The full list of kernel options is 
in the file
20080311:15:03:56 <EvilBob> 
/usr/share/doc/kernel-doc-<replaceable>version</replaceable>/Documentation/kernel-parameters.txt,
20080311:15:03:56 <EvilBob>           which is installed with the 
kernel-doc package.
20080311:15:03:56 <EvilBob>         </para>
20080311:15:03:56 <EvilBob>       </tip>
20080311:15:04:49 <quaid>       they won't yet have that file at this 
point in the guide?
20080311:15:04:55 <EvilBob>     right
20080311:15:05:40 <EvilBob>     1.) should we publish this with the 
guide, 2.) publish it externally to the guide?
20080311:15:05:56 <quaid>       ok, the challenge is ... if we link out 
to it, we have something new to maintain
20080311:15:06:12 <quaid>       at least if it's in the guide, we can 
update it for each release
20080311:15:06:18 <EvilBob>         <para>
20080311:15:06:18 <EvilBob>           The anaconda installer has many 
boot options, most are listed on
20080311:15:06:18 <EvilBob>           the wiki <ulink 
url="http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Anaconda/Options"/>.
20080311:15:06:18 <EvilBob>         </para>
20080311:15:06:21 <quaid>       (specifying where it came from leaves us 
a clue to follow)
20080311:15:06:27 <quaid>       right, like that
20080311:15:06:33 <quaid>       is someone maintaining Anaconda/Options?
20080311:15:06:36 <quaid>       we hope so ...
20080311:15:06:40 <EvilBob>     that is owned by anaconda
20080311:15:06:48 <Southern_Gentlem>    you have to assume that they are 
reading the guide to install so no have the file
20080311:15:06:52 <quaid>       Anaconda/Options (last edited 2008-02-14 
06:11:21 by JoelGranados)
20080311:15:06:54 <EvilBob>     I got the link from jeremy so I hope so
20080311:15:06:55 <quaid>       ok, that's good
20080311:15:07:26 <EvilBob> 
http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/KernelCommonProblems#head-5880fcaae620309a0c00f6778726b632819bab1a
20080311:15:07:41 <EvilBob>     that is where I grabbed the kernel 
options info
20080311:15:08:09 <quaid>       ok, hmm
20080311:15:08:30 <quaid>       let's copy and paste the list from 
kernel-parameters.txt into a CDATA block
20080311:15:08:34 <quaid>       makes it easy to maintain, etc.
20080311:15:08:38 <quaid>       and publish that
20080311:15:08:39 <quaid>       ?
20080311:15:09:50 <quaid>       heh, kernel-doc isn't installed by 
default anyway
20080311:15:09:50 <EvilBob>     it is ~100 pages
20080311:15:09:53 *     jmtaylor is now known as jmtaylor_afk
20080311:15:09:55 <quaid>       wow
20080311:15:10:12 <quaid>       appendix?  heh heh
20080311:15:10:15 <EvilBob>     LOL
20080311:15:10:42 <quaid>       could we link to the cvsview?
20080311:15:10:53 <EvilBob>     only 63K
20080311:15:11:20 <EvilBob>     We should be able to but that is new to me
20080311:15:12:36 <EvilBob>     Or do we craft a "common" kernel options 
page that links to the installed kernel-doc file?
20080311:15:12:58 <quaid>       the problem is the versioning
20080311:15:12:58 <EvilBob>     that is something we should really have 
anyhow IMO
20080311:15:13:06 <Southern_Gentlem>    quaid, it seems it is not i just 
had to install it
20080311:15:13:20 <quaid>       the doc might be different for each 
version of the kernel
20080311:15:13:22 <EvilBob>     Southern_Gentlem: it is not installed by 
default
20080311:15:13:34 <Southern_Gentlem>    thats what i am saying
20080311:15:13:38 <quaid>       me too!
20080311:15:13:52 <quaid>       at 3.0 MiB I can understand why
20080311:15:14:14 *     daMaestro (n=jon at fedora/damaestro) has joined 
#fedora-docs
20080311:15:14:25 <EvilBob>     One way to find out, I will ask cebbert
20080311:15:14:35 <EvilBob>     if the doc changes
20080311:15:15:54 <stickster>   We don't want to put that doc in the 
Installation Guide, definitely a link.
20080311:15:16:15 <Southern_Gentlem>    +1 stickster
20080311:15:16:21 <stickster>   Unless someone wants to go through the 
whole "how do we put GPL-licensed stuff in an OPL doc" issue again.
20080311:15:16:24 *     daMaestro has quit (Client Quit)
20080311:15:16:33 <stickster>   Speaking for myself, no thanks.
20080311:15:16:39 <quaid>       oh, right
20080311:15:17:21 <EvilBob>     yeah +1 from me
20080311:15:18:35 <EvilBob>     well I will let this rest for now the 
way we have it, broken as it is IMO, I have pinged cebbert and will ping 
Dave Jones next time i see him until I get an answer of some sort.
20080311:15:19:09 <Southern_Gentlem>    ping linville as well
20080311:15:19:10 <quaid>       right
20080311:15:19:21 <quaid>       next best would be if they would agree 
to maintain a page such as Kernel/Parameters
20080311:15:19:33 <quaid>       that can link out to some kernel.org 
page or something
20080311:15:19:36 <EvilBob>     Yeah
20080311:15:20:02 <EvilBob>     for the record
20080311:15:20:03 <EvilBob>     <EvilBob> cebbert: working on the 
install guide, looking at 
/usr/share/doc/kernel-doc-2.6.24/Documentation/kernel-parameters.txt we 
are wondering if that list is static enough to create a "common options" 
page to go along with the anaconda page 
http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Anaconda/Options
20080311:15:20:28 <EvilBob>     that should get the ball rolling
20080311:15:21:16 <EvilBob>     Southern_Gentlem: I will ask John if I 
do not get anything from jones and cebbert in the next day
20080311:15:21:23 *     daMaestro (n=jon at fedora/damaestro) has joined 
#fedora-docs
20080311:15:22:07 <EvilBob>     linville is in the Amateur Radio SIG... 
brownie points I hope
20080311:15:22:54 *     EvilBob grabs all of this for an email

-- 

Robert 'Bob' Jensen
http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/BobJensen