CentOS docs - Jun 2011 - Very first contact with docs may confuse

Hi,

This is my very first time using CentOS and I find documentation a little bit
confusing.

For example, I don't know which iso image suits my needs, isn't adding
big, shining red link "READ THIS IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHICH ISO SHOULD YOU
CHOOSE" a good idea? 'README' file on mirrors with instructions
would also be nice. If there already is one, I wasn't able to find it,
shouldn't it be bigger?

I would also expect something like "begginer guide" or "start
here" on the main page of wiki (and on main page of centos). I think
ArchLinux wiki, and it's "Begginer Guide" and "Official
Installation Guide" are good examples, how it can be done. Both leads user
through process of getting, installing and configuring system.

Regards
BlessJah

On 06/29/2011 02:50 PM, BlessJah wrote:
> Hi,
>
> This is my very first time using CentOS and I find documentation a little
bit confusing.
>
> For example, I don't know which iso image suits my needs, isn't
adding big, shining red link "READ THIS IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHICH ISO
SHOULD YOU CHOOSE" a good idea?
Hello

If you go to wiki.centos.org => Download ( the top link in the middle of 
the page ) you will notice in the lower part of the page a paragraph 
named "Variety of ISO images".

> 'README' file on mirrors with instructions would also be nice. If
there already is one, I wasn't able to find it, shouldn't it be bigger?
>
> I would also expect something like "begginer guide" or
"start here" on the main page of wiki (and on main page of centos).
Well, thing is that due to the very nature of the goal of existence of 
CentOS,  all the documentation for RedHat applies almost unmodified to 
CentOS. Hence the large number of references to their documentation that 
you have undoubtedly found  in our wiki. And the reason that the 
documentation is mainly at 
http://docs.redhat.com/docs/en-US/Red_Hat_Enterprise_Linux/
>   I think ArchLinux wiki, and it's "Begginer Guide" and
"Official Installation Guide" are good examples, how it can be done.
Both leads user through process of getting, installing and configuring system.
Thank you for your suggestions. I'll take a look and discuss with the 
other members of the doc team what can be done to improve our users' 
experience.

     Manuel

----- BlessJah <blessjah at jacekowski.org> wrote:
> ----- Manuel Wolfshant <wolfy at nobugconsulting.ro> wrote:
> > On 06/29/2011 02:50 PM, BlessJah wrote:
> > > For example, I don't know which iso image suits my needs,
isn't adding
> > > big, shining red link "READ THIS IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHICH
ISO SHOULD YOU
> > > CHOOSE" a good idea?
> >  
> > If you go to wiki.centos.org => Download ( the top link in the
middle of
> > the page ) you will notice in the lower part of the page a paragraph 
> > named "Variety of ISO images".
> 
> I've noticed this, but after downloading. I cannot find link to
mirrorlist on wiki page, mirrorlist isn't accesible via wiki. I cannot find
link to wiki on mirrorlist page.
> 
> On mirror I can see images like netinstall, LiveCD and bin (8 parts). Wiki
doesn't say about 'bin' but says about ServerCD, and doesn't say
which one is suitable for installing (actually it says - netinstall and
ServerCD) and which is not.
> 
> ----- Manuel Wolfshant <wolfy at nobugconsulting.ro> wrote:
> > On 06/29/2011 02:50 PM, BlessJah wrote:
> > > 'README' file on mirrors with instructions would also be
nice.
> > > If there already is one, I wasn't able to find it,
shouldn't it be bigger?
> > >
> > > I would also expect something like "begginer guide" or
"start here"
> > > on the main page of wiki (and on main page of centos).
> >
> > Well, thing is that due to the very nature of the goal of existence of
> > CentOS,  all the documentation for RedHat applies almost unmodified to
> > CentOS. Hence the large number of references to their documentation
that
> > you have undoubtedly found  in our wiki. And the reason that the 
> > documentation is mainly at 
> > http://docs.redhat.com/docs/en-US/Red_Hat_Enterprise_Linux/
> 
> Then links to redhat documentation should be easy accesible ("Begginer
Guide" can OFC link to RHELs "Begginer Guide" ).
> 
> 
> ----- Scott Robbins <scottro at nyc.rr.com> wrote:
> > ArchLinux rivals the BSDs for good documentation.  
> > It really is pretty much the best I've seen, though, admitting my
own
> > prejudice, the CentOS wiki is another very good piece of work.
> 
> Rivals and wins :> (but I still find FreeBSD handbook best piece of
operating system documentation)
> 
> Regards,
> BlessJah