open source writers group


OSWG Documentation Wish List

    Have you tried to use an open-source application but been frustrated by the lack or poor quality of the documentation? Have you ever wanted to do something with your Linux machine but haven't been able to figure out how? If so, send a note.

    The OSWG Documentation Wish List is a chance for you to tell open-source writers and editors what applications or tasks you think need better documentation. As you send in your notes about what documentation is needed or needs fixing, I'll add those applications & tasks to this list. If writers and/or editors are looking for projects to work on, they can come here to find out what they should be/could be doing. In the end, if all goes well, your suggestions/complaints will make everyone's life a little easier as we strive to improve the quality and quantity of free open-source documentation.

The Wish List

HOWTO needed for "mon"
Programming Etiquette HOWTO
    Jauder Ho suggests: It would be nice to have a HOWTO that show both experienced and novice programmers some "best practices" regarding program documentation. This would be a set of simple guidelines that programmers could follow to produce relatively uniform documentation, which will help make mid- or large-sized projects a lot easier to comprehend in the long term.

    For example:

    1. Always comment your code.
    2. Use subroutines/functions/modules to logically break up your code.
    3. Keep a detailed changelog.
    4. Agree on an indentation style and stick to it.
    5. ... ... ...


Creating a Linux Distribution HOWTO
    Bart Olszewski says: I'd like to see documentation on how to build your own linux distribution (which won't necessarily be distributed).


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