[Patch] add-applications

[Matthew East]

Hi,

On 23/08/07, Phil Bull <philbull at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi Matt,
>
> On Wed, 2007-08-22 at 20:35 +0100, Matthew East wrote:
> > I have to say that I'm not convinced by the structure change. I think
> > it's problematic to include so many different methods of installing a
> > file immediately, so I think it's better to include those in a
> > separate Advanced section as before. Also, I think it makes sense to
> > have the explanation of what packages and repositories are *before*
> > talking about how to use them, as before.
>
> All of the other installation methods should be folded away as
> sub-topics, so they wouldn't all be displayed at once (just the
> Add/Remove topic).

Well, it didn't do that when I tried the patch :)

> I suppose it would be reasonable to split the other
> installation methods out into an 'Advanced installation methods' sect1
> though.

I think that's the best way. Personally, I think you should work on
the existing structure, but work on making the titles clearer and the
material more focused, as you explain below.

> I agree on putting the explanation section before the others.
>
> > Having said that, I think it's an improvement to switch the focus from
> > "package managers" to "installing and removing packages", but I wonder
> > if that can't be done with some simpler and less intrusive changes.
>
> Probably, yes... but I purposefully altered some of the topics to try to
> be more focused and less verbose, which I expect accounts for a lot of
> the changes.

Well, I'm all in favour of that.

> > > and it moves the 'Update your computer' docs
> > > from keeping-safe (I'm unsure about this).
> >
> > I think this should be put back :)
>
> As Duncan said, I think that it would be at home in either
> add-applications or keeping-safe. I think that leaving it in
> keeping-safe and then linking to it would probably be best though.

To be honest, I don't see upgrading as that closely related to adding
or removing packages. I suspect we see it as such just because we know
how package managers work; but for a new user, adding or removing
software will be a different task to applying security upgrades. But,
there's no harm in a link, I don't think.

-- 
Matthew East
http://www.mdke.org
gnupg pub 1024D/0E6B06FF