Gary,
Very many thanks for taking the effort to reply to my petition for help.
The current effort to update the documentation has the sole intent to
reduce the need for time consuming and thus personally costly repetitious
replies to people on this list.
I have been active on this list for over 7 seven years. To be fair to the
many advanced users who frequent this forum, the over-all technical level
of many questions has rising sharply. Even so, the litany of begginner
questions is constant, their problems the same, their learning curve
unchanged.
Samba-3 will soon be released. That marks an opportunity to update our
documentation - a project that has collectively taken many man months of
effort. So it makes sense to seize hold of the occasion and to create a
useful problem solving resource.
When one has delivered professional instruction and training for a few
years. and assisted on lists like this one, the one characteristic that
shines through repeatedly is that we all approach life with our own set of
assumptions and presupositions.
In preparing informational resources we are struck with having to make a
decision: Do we make the material so comprehensive and so simple that it
can answer any and everyone's question or do we make certain that advanced
useres can get their issues resolved.
>From sad experience, if the documentation is too lengthy and too simple
there is total loss of appeal to read it - even from the beginner.
What I am looking for is some golden nuggets that will make the new HOWTO
PDF file and all documentation that comes from it a more approapriate and
useful resource to many.
Thanks for commenting. The examples, diagrams and pictures will come - if
not on the first cut, certainly thereafter.
Cheers,
John T.
On Thu, 24 Apr 2003, Gary Heitman wrote:
> Greetings.
>
> When I found this list, I realized again why open source means so much
> to me, personally, I watched all of these questions -- likely quite
> redundant for yourself (and many others), and unlike other lists, I saw
> very few rude, 'RTFM' replies -- although I suspect the temptation
is
> great, sometimes :)
>
> In any case -- now that you are thoroughly 'waxed' -- I do have
> something, even if only an observation, concerning the documentation for
> Samba.
>
> My issues with Samba ALWAYS seem to flit just around the edges of
"known
> problems" or the various 'HOWTOs'. I read what I can, I watch
the list,
> I break everything twice to make sure I've got my facts as straight as
I
> can...
>
> I think the one thing that is missing from the docs, in general, is
> perhaps a list of "assumptions" ? The doc is VERY good -- in
fact, I
> suspect the list would have a much larger volume if the docs didn't get
> people where they needed to go.
>
> However, what I find in what I read, is that due to the various levels
> of technical competencies of the authors -- and then the readers --
> there always seem to be precursors or knowledge that the reader is
> assumed to have (?)
>
> The "best" way I have learned from the docs surrounding Samba is
through
> examples -- configs, etc., but even with this, there are assumed items.
>
> So ... After much rambling -- if you can see my point, is there
> something one could do to help with your work, to perhaps bring about
> some kind of "assumptions" list (?) For myself, one thing I keep
looking
> for is some high level "picture" (and unfortunately, I do mean a
> graphic...) of how Samba pieces fit together; what is mandatory, what is
> optional -- and maybe even some "testimonials"/examples of
rollouts that
> have made a difference ... (I know in my shop, Samba has saved tons of
> headaches, not to mention money ... and it is only a rudimentary
> implementation ... )
>
> I'm sure you have little time for rambling emails, and I apologize --
> but at worst, consider this some "feedback". I wouldn't want
you to
> think that no one is listening :)
>
> Thanks for what you do,
> gary
>
> John H Terpstra wrote:
> > On Wed, 23 Apr 2003, John Broadhead wrote:
> >
> >
> >>Make sure to post any solutions back to the group please.
> >
> >
> > I will of course do this, but my main mission is to update the
> > Samba-HOWTO-Collection.pdf file so that everyone will have a viable
> > reference to fall back to long after I get hit by a bus, and long
after
> > all references to my reply to the list evaporate off all search
engines.
> >
> > I need input from everyone and am so far a little disappointed with
the
> > lack of feedback. You may find the most recent copy of the
> > Samba-HOWTO at:
> >
> > http://samba.org/~jht/NT4migration/Samba-HOWTO-Collection.pdf
> >
> > Your feedback is most welcome too.
> >
> > - John T.
>
>
--
John H Terpstra
Email: jht@samba.org