The Linux Documentation Project Weekly News

Issue Number : 31
Publication Date : 2003-11-25

Table of Contents
1. New documents
1.1. Fresh@LDP
1.2. Proposed new documents
1.3. Submitted for review
2. Updates
2.1. HOWTOs
3. Happenings in the LDP world
3.1. LDP Documentation License
4. Feedback and Contributions

1. New documents

1.1. Fresh@LDP

  • Lars Strand's Linux Mobile IPv6 HOWTO, describing the software and procedures to set up and use mobile IPv6 for Linux.
  • Manoj Warrier, Shishir Deshpande and V. S. Ashoka's Scientific Computing with Free GNU/Linux Software HOWTO. The document aims to show how a PC running GNU/Linux can be used for scientific computing. It lists the various available free software and also links on the world wide web to tutorials on getting started with the tools.

1.2. Proposed new documents

From the feedback mailinglist: how about a Windows-Linux Analogy HOWTO? This would be a HOWTO describing what to do in order to run your favorite Microsoft Windows tasks and programs on a Linux machine. If you ever had trouble migrating and you found solutions, then your input might be of great value! There is a resource at http://www.ndeepak.info/stuff/linux/linapps.php that attempts at helping the users of MS Windows to make an easy transition from their OS to GNU/Linux.


1.3. Submitted for review

It seems there is some confusion about this section. So, in order to make it extra clear for the reader:

The purpose of this section is to help authors gather feedback. Your constructive criticism is very welcome!

  • Alex Weeks has taken it on him to update the Linux System Administrator's Guide. He's started cleaning out, and already added a new part about NTP, the Network Time Protocol. The SAG was originally authored by some quite famous people, so we would like to wish Alex strength, patience and courage so as to be a worthy successor. He might need your help, however, so please check out the current version and let Alex know what else you think is missing.
  • Werner Heuser submitted a new edition of the Laptop HOWTO. Since this one, apart from laptops, also covers PDA and mobile telephone configuration topics - which presumably made it a lot longer, Werner would like to rename his document to be the "Linux Mobile Guide". Since these are big changes and since we are, after all, on the high of a re-styling wave, Tabatha subsequently suggested to give this new addition to our Guides collection a thorough review. Werner agreed, so Tabatha is looking for a volunteer now. *hint* ;-)
  • And this post proves that we can never have enough volunteers. Imagine that you, like Lars Strand, ask for comments on your work. You've actively participated in other discussions, you are enthusiastic about being a first time author and all, but after some days it proves that you get no reaction whatsoever. So we'd like to address a request to our dear readers: our authors do wish to to hear comments on their documents! Even if it's just a spelling correction, they appreciate that, and will most likely personally tell you so. And then you will have an authentic E-mail, personally directed to you, from one of our authors! And you will be able to honestly brag about your participation in an Open Source project ;-)
  • Artemiy Pavlov submitted the first version of his SquashFS HOWTO. SquashFS is a file system for small Linux implementations, which is for instance needed for embedded systems (on a computer chip) or on flash memory. SquashFS uses a strong compression mechanism that squeezes the last drop out of every available bit. It is a read-only file system, so it's ideal for archiving purposes. If you want SquashFS support, you need a kernel patch and maybe the mksquashfs command to create these "squashed" file systems.
  • Niko Sauer submitted the USB Flash Memory HOWTO, a new document.

2. Updates

2.1. HOWTOs

  • Ian Ward found a small error having to do with the lpadmin command (to administer printers), which he corrected in v1.3 of the Debian and Windows Shared Printing mini-HOWTO.
  • David S.Lawyer's Modem-HOWTO has been updated to v0.31 with the sections on Mgetty dial-in and setserial re-written.
  • Ari Mäkelä submitted the v2.0.21 of his Finnish HOWTO with a lang="fi" attribute to the book element and a few language corrections.
  • The Serial HOWTO written originally by Greg Hankins and now being maintained by David S.Lawyer has been updated to v2.21 with the Kernel compile USB options for serial ports and a revised setserial section.
  • David S. Lawyer sent in v1.33 of his Text-Terminal-HOWTO with a revised setserial section.

3. Happenings in the LDP world

3.1. LDP Documentation License

Rahul Sundaram was looking into GNU FDL issues in Debian and asked if OPL (Open Publication License http://www.opencontent.org/opl.shtml) without any restrictions had any issues and what people think in general about documentation licenses. David Lawyer said that that LDP needs to create it's own license and prevent documentation abuse. Andy Oram suggested that the LDP should contact the Creative Commons for help. Somewhere in the discussion, Colin Watson explained why Rodolfo J. Paiz's ideas of protection of documentation were not in the spirit of freedom and how freedom applied to documentation just like it would apply to software.


4. Feedback and Contributions

The Linux Documentation Project (TLDP) is working on developing free, high quality documentation for the GNU/Linux operating system. Announcements about TLDP are made via . If you want to help TLDP, take a look at the tasks page, and consider joining .

Help us create this newsletter. We need volunteers who follow the community (mailing lists, newsgroups, web channels) and report events related to free software documentation. Write to us at .

LDP Weekly News is compiled and edited by Machtelt Garrels and Y Giridhar Appaji Nag with help from several other people.