Contributing

I'd be glad to help with documentation -- how can I start being useful?

Hi Barbara, :slight_smile:

You could try telling us briefly about your degree of experience in
documentation-writing? We might be able to better advise you in that
case... :wink:

You could also take a look at [1], where you will see a list of
documentation still needing to be drafted....

Some people like to work on LibreOffice documentation via the
oooauthors site [2]...

What are you interested in doing?

[1] http://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Documentation#Documentation_Still_To_Be_Drafted
[2] http://oooauthors.org

David Nelson

I was a computer programmer with IBM's Federal Systems Division for 28 years (1966-94), working on things like the Apollo program, air traffic control, and satellite command and control. During that time, I did a very large amount of technical writing, for the last ten years or so in BookMaster (IBM's tagged markup language), including design specifications, course material, user's guides, proposals, and so on. After IBM sold FSD, I (along with about 2000 others!) was declared "surplus to their requirements" (i.e., laid off); I'm now officially an IBM retiree. After that I did some contract work; one job was document conversion of about 15 volumes of IBM technical documentation from HTML to two other documentation languages using Perl on Unix, another was writing some of the built-in help for a couple of IBM products, another was writing PowerPoint courseware for a couple of Tivoli products.

Since then, I've done a lot of "odds and ends" for personal/home business use -- mostly using Writer, with the largest project being user's guides for some games my son wrote. I've also used Base, designing a system for a volunteer activity tracking deed restriction violations, Calc for a few quick-and-dirty spreadsheets, and a very small amount of work in Impress.

I'd be interested in writing, editing, proofreading -- whatever is most needed. At the moment I have OOo 3.1.1 on several Windows systems, with my primary computer Win7. I typically don't install betas and wait a while after release to start using products, but obviously I'd be willing to get LibO. My primary focus is on helping users, especially new users, and I've been pretty active on the OOo help and discuss mailing lists, and lately the LibO versions of those. I'll check out that wiki reference, thanks! (Surprised to see the reference to the oooauthors site, thought there'd be a separate one!)

Space at the OOoAuthors website was offered, but AFAIK no one from
LibreOffice is using it.

The LibreOffice docs team are currently evaluating Alfresco; if you're
interested in participating in that evaluation, ask for a login.

Related info: OOoAuthors will soon be changing its name to ODFAuthors
and moving to a server run by the German organisation that is hosting
The Document Foundation. ODFAuthors will be available as a resource to
OpenOffice.org, LibreOffice, or other community groups producing
documentation for open source programs.

--Jean

Some people like to work on LibreOffice documentation via the
oooauthors site [2]...

(Surprised to see the reference to the oooauthors site, thought there'd be a separate one!)

Space at the OOoAuthors website was offered, but AFAIK no one from
LibreOffice is using it.

The LibreOffice docs team are currently evaluating Alfresco; if you're
interested in participating in that evaluation, ask for a login.

I don't know if I'd have any real contribution to make there -- I haven't been involved in the process to this point to have a good basis for evaluation.

Related info: OOoAuthors will soon be changing its name to ODFAuthors
and moving to a server run by the German organisation that is hosting
The Document Foundation. ODFAuthors will be available as a resource to
OpenOffice.org, LibreOffice, or other community groups producing
documentation for open source programs.

--Jean

Great move! Sounds like a very strong measure in support of ODF, and much better than splitting the communities entirely apart.

Hi Barbara, :slight_smile:

Well, that's quite a resume you have, and you'd certainly be a
valuable asset for the docs team.

At the present time, there's not yet a great deal of hard organization
within the LibreOffice documentation project. This is something that
will hopefully change. I'm about the closest thing there is to a docs
team lead at present, batting for LibO.

I'm interested in working up an internal flow and organization for
LibO documentation, and I recently set up an Alfresco server for that
at https://documentation.traduction.biz. There are currently about 8
docs team members with accounts there. If you're interested, let me
know and I'll give you an account there, too.

There's not much happening on Alfresco yet. This is certainly because
it's new and I haven't had time to lead the way and start a tangible
work project there yet. I'm busy with other work until the 10th, so it
will happen shortly after that.

After that, it depends on whether docs contributors start taking it up
as a tool. If they do, then either that Alfresco system will get
integrated into the TDF Web infrastructure, or another Alfresco will
be set up and there will be a migration of workflow and data.

Jean has been posting about oooauthors/odfauthors.

It's pretty much up to you to decide how, what and where you want to
contribute. You're welcome to give me a buzz if I can be of any help
to you. :wink:

David Nelson

Hi Barbara, :slight_smile:

Well, that's quite a resume you have, and you'd certainly be a
valuable asset for the docs team.

Thanks!

At the present time, there's not yet a great deal of hard organization
within the LibreOffice documentation project. This is something that
will hopefully change. I'm about the closest thing there is to a docs
team lead at present, batting for LibO.

I'm interested in working up an internal flow and organization for
LibO documentation, and I recently set up an Alfresco server for that
at https://documentation.traduction.biz. There are currently about 8
docs team members with accounts there. If you're interested, let me
know and I'll give you an account there, too.

If you think I'd be useful there, count me in! Along the way, I've also done quite a lot of process work (process documentation, coordinating departmental processes, doing evaluations relative to the Capability Maturity Model, etc.) and if that's applicable at all (given the fact that I really know very little about the existing process!) I'd be glad to help.

There's not much happening on Alfresco yet. This is certainly because
it's new and I haven't had time to lead the way and start a tangible
work project there yet. I'm busy with other work until the 10th, so it
will happen shortly after that.

After that, it depends on whether docs contributors start taking it up
as a tool. If they do, then either that Alfresco system will get
integrated into the TDF Web infrastructure, or another Alfresco will
be set up and there will be a migration of workflow and data.

Jean has been posting about oooauthors/odfauthors.

It's pretty much up to you to decide how, what and where you want to
contribute. You're welcome to give me a buzz if I can be of any help
to you. :wink:

David Nelson

I guess I'll start by looking at what is on the wiki to-do list from your earlier post (and installing LibO, of course). And feel free to point me in any direction you'd like.

Ok just finished the "Installation on Linux" face lift to the wiki ...
http://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Installing_LibreOffice_on_Linux

Can anyone tell if there is a "magic" way to import my Chapter configuration
to a .odt ?

Please proof read the instructions, I am a Debian / Ubuntu user, but have
*very* limited experience with Mandriva and none at all with Fedora ou
OpenSuse

(although I did test the instructions on a Live CD for every distro I could
find and it seems to work :wink:

Rogerio Luz Coelho

Barbara,
Ron Faile has been taking the lead on the user guides, and I've been
contributing a bit, along with at least one other person. The Getting
Started book is pretty much done (except for making corrections and filling
in a few blanks as we learn the answers), so IMO the next step is to work on
the Writer Guide.

What we are doing is rebranding the OOo Writer Guide chapters and adapting
them to LibO: adding info on features that are in LibO but not OOo, deleting
or revising references to older versions of OOo, changing screenshots as
necessary, that sort of thing. Major revisions are being deferred until
later; at this point we just want to get books ready as quickly as possible.

Ron has done the first step (applying the LibO template) and possibly the
second (changing refs from OOo to LibO). Now we all need to pick chapters
and do more detailed work. You'll find links to the files in the lower part
of the table on this page,
http://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Documentation/Development and below that,
the template. The workflow description at the top --at least the bits about
putting things into different folders-- does not correspond to the way we're
doing things at the moment; we're just replacing the files with updated
ones. All the old files stay on the wiki and can be recovered at any time.

So basically what you do is: pick a chapter, put your name in the checkout
column so others know the file is being worked on, do whatever is necessary
(with change tracking on), put the file back, change the feedback column to
BACK (so Ron knows it's ready for him to check), and remove your name from
the checkout column. If you're not sure how to replace a file on the wiki,
just ask. I hope I described that process correctly; if not, I'm sure David
or Ron will correct me.

Hal

Hi guys, :slight_smile:

*If* you feel up to trying to use Alfresco as a platform for your
work, please don't feel shy... Although that is obviously entirely up
to you. :wink:

David Nelson

Hi Barbara, all.

Been busy today or would have gotten back sooner. Hal is right, the best place to start is on the Writer Guide chapters. The basic rebranding is done, but they need to be reviewed, have formatting for the tables and tips boxes updated and replace any screenshots that need it. I'd have a look at one of the Getting Started chapters to see what we're aiming for. Then install the chapter template on the development page (in resources) and checkout a chapter. There is a zip file next to the template with all the screenshots I've done. That should make it easier to update them as you go. And feel free to ask any questions you may have.

When you install the template and open one of the chapters for the first time, it will ask you about updating the links, say yes (there were some minor updates to the template after the Writer guide files were uploaded). Also I realize that all the style names have OOo instead of LibO. Seems like changing the names causes some hicups with custom styles are applied, so I have left that for a later time. Welcome to the team!

Ron

We talked a bit on this list a few days ago about setting up the "spaces"
for docs work, but I'm not sure whether we agreed on what to do. I'm happy
to set up a working space for the Writer Guide, if that's okay with you. I
have read that much of the Alfresco manual.

Hal

Hi, :slight_smile:

We talked a bit on this list a few days ago about setting up the "spaces"
for docs work, but I'm not sure whether we agreed on what to do. I'm happy
to set up a working space for the Writer Guide, if that's okay with you. I
have read that much of the Alfresco manual.

Hal, that's fine with me. Do feel free to go ahead. After Jan 10, I
will begin contributing to you guys' work.

David Nelson

Yes, there is a "magic" way to export from wiki format to .odt, but I don't
know if that module has been installed on our wiki. I don't see anything in
the navigation that looks familiar to me.

Hal

Hi Jean

Related info: OOoAuthors will soon be changing its name to ODFAuthors
and moving to a server run by the German organisation that is hosting
The Document Foundation. ODFAuthors will be available as a resource to
OpenOffice.org, LibreOffice, or other community groups producing
documentation for open source programs.

--Jean

All of the very best of wishes on your move and congrats on the new name. I hope this does not mean that we will be seeing less of you. Your help is most appreciated.

Cheers

Marc

OK, I'd like to work on Chapter 9, Working with Tables. I see that I should put my wiki ID (Dupreyb) in the Checkout column. The existing file already is using the template, so would there still be a need for me to install that anywhere? Where am I supposed to work on the chapter? It would seem that there's a resources development page, but I don't know where or whether that is what is meant to be used as a workspace -- or maybe there's now or soon to be an Alfresco location where I can work in Writer.

Once the chapter .odt file is in the right place, I can turn on change tracking (and versioning?) and make the changes; I've gotten the Getting Started with Writer chapter for reference, and I'm assuming that any screenshots used there that are relevant in the Tables chapter are in the zip file. Might I need any others, and if so, how should I go about acquiring them? (Presumably using Paint on a print-screen image is not sufficient!) Is there some definitive list of the differences between the currently-described features and operation, and new ones LibO has, or is this a matter of trying the capabilities in LibO?

Eventually, I'll also need to know how to put the file where it can be reviewed (if it doesn't just stay where it is, with the appropriate control table update to show it's ready). And if something is supposed to be done in the control table's Document Development column, and the associated file (which is apparently a kind of note holder for communication with the team), who sets that up, where, and how is it updated?

Sorry if all this is really obvious -- but the first time is always the hardest, right?

OK, I'd like to work on Chapter 9, Working with Tables. I see that I should put my wiki ID (Dupreyb) in the Checkout column. The existing file already is using the template, so would there still be a need for me to install that anywhere? Where am I supposed to work on the chapter? It would seem that there's a resources development page, but I don't know where or whether that is what is meant to be used as a workspace -- or maybe there's now or soon to be an Alfresco location where I can work in Writer.

Yes. It is already using a version of the LibO template, just not the latest one. Installing the new template will just make sure that all the styles in each document you work on will be consistent and have the latest revisions. If you want to install it, just download the file, open it in LibO and click File, Templates, Save. Type the name of the template file (LibO3_3_chapter_template) in the name box and click ok. Whenever you open a file that uses an older version of that template, you'll be prompted to update it to the latest version. Just click yes when prompted and save the doc.

We're doing the work on our PCs at the moment. Don't know if that will change or not with a CMS. You're workspace is actually the chapter itself. The change tracking feature helps others to see what you've done on it. For the moment, if you have comments about a specific part of the chapter, I would insert comments in the chapter itself unless there is something that you want to discuss on the mailing list. The Getting Started Guide files have a link to a development page for each chapter. This can be for anything you want others to know about what you've done or what needs to be done on the chapter. The dev pages for the Writer Guide haven't been created yet.

Once the chapter .odt file is in the right place, I can turn on change tracking (and versioning?) and make the changes; I've gotten the Getting Started with Writer chapter for reference, and I'm assuming that any screenshots used there that are relevant in the Tables chapter are in the zip file. Might I need any others, and if so, how should I go about acquiring them? (Presumably using Paint on a print-screen image is not sufficient!) Is there some definitive list of the differences between the currently-described features and operation, and new ones LibO has, or is this a matter of trying the capabilities in LibO?

Yes I'd use change tracking, but versioning is not needed. Right now none of the screenshots in chapter 9 are in the zip file. I've been creating them as I went along. There are some in there that can be used for ch. 1 and 2 of the Writer Guide as some of the material in the Getting Started Guide is repeated in those chapters. So for the ones you want to update, you'll have to create them. Keep in mind that you are free to just edit the text if that's all you want to do. I use Greenshot [1] and Gadwin PrintScreen [2] on Windows (don't know if there is a Linux version of those) to take the screenshots and GIMP [3] (there is a Linux version) to do editing if needed. You're right, lol, Paint would not be the best choice. :slight_smile: As for keeping up with new features and changes, the developers have been creating a list of changes and post it weekly on the development mailing list [4].

Eventually, I'll also need to know how to put the file where it can be reviewed (if it doesn't just stay where it is, with the appropriate control table update to show it's ready). And if something is supposed to be done in the control table's Document Development column, and the associated file (which is apparently a kind of note holder for communication with the team), who sets that up, where, and how is it updated?

Sorry if all this is really obvious -- but the first time is always the hardest, right?

Yes it is. It took me a while to get the hang of it too, so learning is allowed :slight_smile:

Once you've made changes to a chapter and want to upload it to the wiki, go to the docs dev page [5], sign in to the wiki and click the upload file link on the left of the page. Click the Browse button and select the file you've been working on. I usually select Documentation and EN for categories and CC, LGPL and MPL for the license. Then click Upload file. You'll see it at the top of the revision list once the upload is complete. :slight_smile:

When you download a file and edit it, be sure to leave the filename as is. That way when it's uploaded again the file history can be tracked and reverted if necessary. Other pages link to the filenames as well so it prevents having to update the links every time a new version is uploaded.

hth,
Ron

[1] http://sourceforge.net/projects/greenshot/
[2] http://www.gadwin.com/printscreen/ (version 4.5 is freeware)
[3] http://www.gimp.org/
[4] http://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/libreoffice
[5] http://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Documentation/Development

Thanks, Ron! Great info, I should be able to get this going now.

Well I hoped there was, can some one tell me if this is accepted as a
Install guide so I can work on the wiki->odt transfer ?

Rogerio

Hi Rogerio, :slight_smile:

Today, I looked at your work on the Linux install instructions, in
view of using your version to replace the existing instructions on the
libreoffice.org site.

In the end, I put your version on hold because the work is not yet
*entirely* finished: the English needs proofreading for grammar,
punctuation and spelling. Also, you mentioned that the instructions
need validating with regard to the Mandriva (and certain other)
distributions.

The existing instructions are indeed more verbose, but they have been
validated in detail by various people (including by a couple of the
devs), plus they have been proofread language-wise.

If someone has time to do a thorough proofreading and technical
validation on Rogerio's work, I'll be happy to post it on
libreoffice.org.

At the moment, I don't have time. But if no-one has picked up the task
by the time my schedule is easier then I'll surely re-visit. I still
have this thread bookmarked.

Thanks for the work you've put in so far, Rogerio. I hope you
understand the POV and don't feel too mad with me...

David Nelson