The perfect user manual .... ?

[Myriad]

I've been road-testing Linux MX-16 recently and I saw this in their user manual :-



It has kind of stuck in my head since I first saw it .
It's a lovely concept ( maybe a little idealistic ) , but that graphic sums it up very well .

Incidentally , MX-16 is well worth a spin , in my opinion .
It sounds like some high-tech weapon system ( which is maybe unfortunate )
If memory serves it's a fork from AntiX , which had quite a following of it's own , back in the day .

It is super-light , lean and mean , and yet very user friendly ,with pretty much everything you need
to get started , already bundled in .
The iso is ~ 1.2 GB and there's a clean download here .

It runs as smooth as silk on old hardware , in VMs , and live off a USB stick .

Post back if you try it , or post back even if you don't ......

 

[DracusNarcrym]

Proper documentation is one of the prime challenges of software development - and a rather arduous task at times.

A developer always has first-hand access to the source code and can at any time read through it to test the function of his software.

The end-users of the software however, do not. Documentation is the gateway to the proper understanding of the software.

A major example are the often overlooked MSDN and Technet. Microsoft has put a lot of effort into those, and it is no coincidence that they did so. They are the primary resource for developers, about the Windows ecosystem.

In any case, I do believe that the lack of a manual is far better than the presence of a badly written one, as it only breeds more problems, questions and confusion.


As for the distro itself, I may install it on a USB drive (full installation). Seems light enough to make a good bootable flash drive.

 

[Handsome Recluse]

In any case, I do believe that the lack of a manual is far better than the presence of a badly written one, as it only breeds more problems, questions and confusion.

Yeah and you're tempted to read them.

 

[Myriad]

Proper documentation is one of the prime challenges of software development - and a rather arduous task at times.

A developer always has first-hand access to the source code and can at any time read through it to test the function of his software.

The end-users of the software however, do not. Documentation is the gateway to the proper understanding of the software .....
.....

Oh , I agree most strongly .

I have done some technical writing myself in the past , and it is a thankless task IMO .

It is not well paid , and there will always be somebody who isn't satisfied with your work .
It's one of those things that is so easy to specify and define , yet almost impossible to achieve in the real world :-

" Write clear , concise , unambiguous text that ' the majority of readers ' will understand ."

I have also done a fair bit of technical translation , and if you are looking for satisfaction and appreciation in your work ,
and wealth , and joy .... then look elsewhere !

That came out sounding a bit cynical .... sorry

And that's why the screenie from the MX-16 manual made me smile .

Just my 2 piasters worth ....