View Full Version : XBMC Official Online Manual (Wiki)
Hullebulle
2004-05-13, 00:58
i would like to ask for your help on writing an online manual for xbmc, (english only). :)
it is based on a wikki, but you will have to register (l don't believe a freeforall wikki will work for xbmc). :p
if you have any questions/suggestions then please post them in this thread.
as you can see i have already written a few parts (still lots of work to do though) and it would be nice if you can keep the layout, but if you don't like to care about the layout just write away and i will edit it. :)
xbmc online manual (http://manual.xboxmediacenter.de)
oh and don't forget to help us to collect all files related to xbmc on our xbmc file database (http://dwl.xboxmediacenter.de) too. :)
Gamester17
2004-05-13, 17:01
a good start to build this user-editable online manual would be for someone to port the existing xbmc beta manual (http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/xbmc/xbmc-manual-beta0.6.03.zip) to this wikki format
well i have started just that... (only one small section ported though :))
hopefully iīll get some time in the coming days to continue.
jmarshall
2004-05-14, 01:43
great initiative - hopefully it'll see xbmc fully documented soon!
can you guys add the xbmc screenshots that are in the beta word manual to the screenshots section of xboxmediacenter.com?
(the grabs in the screenshots section are a little outdated it seems, or at least there are no with the default xbmc skin)
then i can link to them in the wiki area.
gamester17, any chance of getting the screenshots from the beta manual on the xboxmediacenter.com website? (and thus the ability to include them in the online docs?)
Gamester17
2004-05-18, 13:13
gamester17, any chance of getting the screenshots from the beta manual on the xboxmediacenter.com website? (and thus the ability to include them in the online docs?)great if someone could do that to, (with new xme skin at 720x576 and latest cvs) both to replace those in the .doc beta manual (http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/xbmc/xbmc-manual-beta0.6.03.zip) and to create a complete new set for our screenshot webpage (http://www.xboxmediacenter.com/info_screens.htm). if anyone is up for that task please go ahead, upload zipped here (link) (http://www.xboxmediacenter.com/upload)
just created an account to see if i could change the toc on the faq page. but as it is auto generated (and i am supposed to be working right now. http://www.xboxmediaplayer.de/forums/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif *) i can't figure out how to change it.
maybe later when i have more time...
but i will try to help out where i can.
Hullebulle
2004-05-18, 14:33
i think i can chnage the layout of tocs in the template. what do you think should it look like?
well a faq should be an easy read. so people will actually read it and not ask in the forums.
the current layout makes it hard to read or even scan.
i would decrease font size, maybe increase line spacing
(or an empty one between each questions, but then you would get a long list)
and change font color.
or maybe even ditch the toc altogether?
--
now that i have an account can i just change anything i want? is that a safe option, do you really trust just anybody ie. me? http://www.xboxmediaplayer.de/forums/non-cgi/emoticons/cool.gif
Hullebulle
2004-05-19, 01:58
now that i have an account can i just change anything i want? is that a safe option, do you really trust just anybody ie. me? * *http://www.xboxmediaplayer.de/forums/non-cgi/emoticons/cool.gif
well... yes. thats the point of a wikki. i wonder if this will work myself hehe. but there are many wikkis out there you don't even have to register to change everything and which are so big that it is quite impossible to keep track of all changes (like www.wikipedia.org). for minor changes you can use the pagehistory to revert a stupid/wrong edit and i do regular backups of the sql database to be able to restore it if someone messes up all pages.
ps: btw server will be down for 5hrs from now on (moving to another machine)
can someone in the know please look at:
http://manual.xboxmediacenter.de/wakka.php?wakka=subtitles&v=nll
this passage on subtitles is lifted from the 0.06 beta manual, but it looks to me suspiciously like a copy/paste job from xbmp and perhaps not all of it is actually applicable to xbmc. (especially regarding the subtitle font and size stuff)
Hullebulle
2004-05-22, 00:23
can someone in the know please look at:
http://manual.xboxmediacenter.de/wakka.php?wakka=subtitles&v=nll
this passage on subtitles is lifted from the 0.06 beta manual, but it looks to me suspiciously like a copy/paste job from xbmp and perhaps not all of it is actually applicable to xbmc. (especially regarding the subtitle font and size stuff)
well i don't use subsa lot, but i know that most of the infos are wrooong http://www.xboxmediaplayer.de/forums/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif.
i have taken the liberty and just deleted some imho wrong info for the subtitles.
a link should be made to "settings-my videos" to complement this subtitle section. but that is for another day
good, but this needs to be covered somehow:
http://www.xboxmediaplayer.de/cgi-bin....t=2548; (http://www.xboxmediaplayer.de/cgi-bin/forums/ikonboard.pl?act=st;f=4;t=2548;)
i also *think* this implies you can use localized fonts, which you incidentally removed from the section :)
hum, i was a little to brass with my "del" button. sorry about that.
don't know much about localised fonts, i know truetype is not yet supported so i mixed them up.
i can't seem to undo my changes. maybe somebody else can, or even better maybe somebody else can finish\complement this section.
edit:
ah i know how to undo changes however:
the subtitle section previously read;
to use localized font, place a subtitle-font.ttf file inside the media folder in your xbmc , and uncheck the "use mplayer subs" option in general settings.
is not right imho, anybody got suggestions?
@hullebulle
should we use this thread to discuss manual content?
Hullebulle
2004-05-27, 02:40
@hullebulle
should we use this thread to discuss manual content?
sure we can use this forum thread, use comments in the manual or we create a todo page in the wiki to keep track of the things that need to be done or corrections.
but we should decide for one. http://www.xboxmediaplayer.de/forums/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif
so what do you think?
- this thread
- using comments
- own page in the wiki for things like this
ps: if you couldn't reach the online manual the last few hours, one table crashed but it is fixed now.
i don't mind using this thread, as everybody can read what's going on.
using your own wiki page is a good idea as well.
how do you create new wiki pages?. i want to make a page on how to use a videolan streaming service like strawp described.
where should i or anybody else put that.
troubleshooting or a new section tips & tricks or a how-to section
(i vote for troubleshooting)
you just edit the parent page to include another link to your linking, simple as that. (the home toc for instance, if you edit it you see the format for links)
wikki is really easy. even i understand it (now).
creating new content is a breeze.
i finished the videolan guide btw
i guess hullebulle doesn't really care for my vote *http://www.xboxmediaplayer.de/forums/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif
about todo page:
not really useful now as you can just fill in the blanks. you don't really need the extra work of creating a todo page for this.
Hullebulle
2004-05-28, 00:39
how do you create new wiki pages?. i want to make a page on how to use a videolan streaming service like strawp described.
where should i or anybody else put that.
troubleshooting or a new section tips & tricks or a how-to section
(i vote for troubleshooting)
you just enter a wikiword (a word build from two or more words like videolanstreamingstrap) to a page. after you did that the wiki will show it with a red questionmark. click this questionmark and the wiki will create the page (called like your wikiword).
well it seems that there is not so much activity going on with the wiki manual these past few days.
i tricked bobbin *:shifty: into helping me finish a page as well.
maybe a dew developers could just dump some relevant info in there as well.
i, or somebody else can always edit it. they are already frequenting the forum quite a lot. maybe they can spend less time on answering questions once everything is done (as far as a work in progress can be done)
cheers
Hullebulle
2004-06-02, 19:08
well it seems that there is not so much activity going on with the wiki manual these past few days.
i tricked bobbin *:shifty: into helping me finish a page as well.
maybe a dew developers could just dump some relevant info in there as well.
i, or somebody else can always edit it. they are already frequenting the forum quite a lot. maybe they can spend less time on answering questions once everything is done (as far as a work in progress can be done)
cheers
i tried to get the the devs to help on the manual too. :p
but it looks like they are not very interested in writing docs.. well.. they are devs.
to be honest i didn't have much time the last week to work on it either.
with all the time we have i can do two things. that is writing documentation or fixing bugs.
for me the last one is more important and thus i don't have the time for writing any documentation. (besides documenting python stuff :)).
Hullebulle
2004-06-03, 00:01
with all the time we have i can do two things. that is writing documentation or fixing bugs.
for me the last one is more important and thus i don't have the time for writing any documentation. (besides documenting python stuff :)).
thts what i tried to say :d
of course i understand, i wouldn't be (trying) to write a manual either if i could code just a little bit.
but i already have trouble with the english language let alone any coding language.
i just see many devs answering questions on the boards. that takes away from coding time as well i guess.
and who can better write a manual than a dev, he coded it after all.
afterwards it should just be edited a little bit (so everybody can understand it)
but i won't hold my breath. honestly i am happier with a bug fix than a more complete manual.
i wrote a few how-to guides. can somebody please check them and if necessary please give some feedback or even correct them.
thanks, nogood
jmarshall
2004-07-17, 13:23
nogood: just want to offer a public thanks for the work that you are doing - you're doing a great service for xbmc.
hopefully we'll be able to convince everyone to use it now!
bitplane
2004-07-24, 00:43
is the wikki manual a printable pdf guide like a dvd/vcr manual, or an online help like a html help? (or both?)
i was thinking if it's going to be a printed style manual, we can't go silly with encyclopedic info like the scripting docs and tutorial, skinning guides, compiling info, translating info, and complete info on each codec.
do printing restrictions apply, or can we go crazy adding content to the appendicies and glossary?
Hullebulle
2004-07-30, 03:24
is the wikki manual a printable pdf guide like a dvd/vcr manual, or an online help like a html help? (or both?)
i was thinking if it's going to be a printed style manual, we can't go silly with encyclopedic info like the scripting docs and tutorial, skinning guides, compiling info, translating info, and complete info on each codec.
do printing restrictions apply, or can we go crazy adding content to the appendicies and glossary?
go crazy!!!
we still can splitt the content into a simple and an advanced section if we gonna copy paste the infos for a printable manual. :)
i've added a my files walkthrough- please check and edit if you see anything missed or wrong
i've been slowly putting together some stuff for a proper manual-but i got a thesis to submit at the end of september so its had to take a bit of back seat at the moment. i will get it done as soon as possible after that (starting work almost straight afterwards so that may cause further delays)- though i will need help on certain features that i never use (like ccx etc.- i don't want the manual to have a biased slant to it- so would appreciate help on this)
i was gona submit about the osd but seems someone already has one sorta. mine includes pictures and such check it here http://www.xboxmediaplayer.de/cgi-bin....;t=7422 (http://www.xboxmediaplayer.de/cgi-bin/forums/ikonboard.pl?act=st;f=8;t=7422)
i didnt wana copy over the other guys without asking first :p
4NiC8tOR
2004-12-09, 22:23
is there a downloadable pdf or something somewhere? i don't like the wacco stuff. i need one that i can print out for people.
not uptodate. feel free to make one
4NiC8tOR
2004-12-10, 02:47
the manual is nice, thanks to everyone who has contributed to it. i just wanted a way to print it for my buddy who doesn't have the internet. he can just learn through trial and error or get with the times.
hi there,
i think this is directed to hullebulle. jmarshall suggested that the solution to this thread topic: always starts in "my music" (http://www.xboxmediaplayer.de/cgi-bin/forums/ikonboard.pl?act=st;f=2;t=9180;hl=start+and+music) be added to the "actual faq". i was hoping you could help me get it entered. i did a little looking around and found mention of this in the online manual under "general usage/settings/lcd". i think the problem is some people wouldn't realize this is even a feature. anyway, here's my submittal. please feel free to edit, rewrite, or remove anything unimportant. i would just appreciate the help getting it into the manual.
thanks! you guys are impressive!
why does xbmc always boot to the "my music" menu?
check your lcd settings in xbmc's "general settings" screen. lcd should be disabled if you don't have one installed. if you have one installed then you have two modes you can operate it in.
"normal" mode allows xbmc to boot to its usual "home" screen. it also displays some system information on the lcd.
"no tv" mode is used if you tend to keep your tv turned off when using the xbmc. it then assumes you will want to boot directly to "my music". it displays the screen you're on and the folder or file you have navigated to. this is all done to make it easier to navigate xbmc using only the lcd screen.
Mental Block
2005-03-16, 21:20
is anyone working on the new settings layout?
if not i will try and get the directory layout setup and then move any info already in the manual.
if anyone knows and easier way than me going through each screen and typing it out, then please shout! :d
Mental Block
2005-03-20, 16:51
right, well as no one replied to my previous post i have gone a head and put in the structure of the new settings menus. so in theory every option should be listed! :)
now all we need is some people to start filling in the necessary information about each option. some of it can come form the old settings info, and i will try to do this. however the new features will need to be added.
so please help me in getting this upto date so we actually know what all the features do ;)
elongase
2005-03-22, 01:20
i am using the xbmc of mar.4-2005 release.
i have a question now. in the beginning, i played video with xbox and everything was great. however, some day when i tried to play video again, there is no sound. http://www.xboxmediaplayer.de/forums/non-cgi/emoticons/cry.gif
i tried to adjust the parameters in audio setup. howver, the sound became clipping and was not as high as before.
thanks.
i am "back" for the time being and have already started moving some stuff around according to the "new manual" layout.
http://manual.xboxmediacenter.de/wakka.php?wakka=newmanual&v=wcg
i just wanted to kow how "official it is? is just a rougue memberīs l(ike me :) ) idea on how this should be, or is it something more official?
anyways, i think adding screenshots and images to the documentation is a pretty important next step, and i will be able to see later this week what i can do there.
if anyone knows and easier way than me going through each screen and typing it out, then please shout! :d
i am not quite sure i follow you... things can easily be copy/ pasted.
jmarshall
2005-04-05, 18:34
looks fine to me. note that i've done a bit on the old "new settings" stuff that can be transferred over.
i think the "actual frequently asked questions" page should remain as prominent as possible. these are actual questions i have copied and pasted from here and from the xs forums. this should be the number 1 port of call for more noobs. perhaps cleaning it up a little so they are listed nicer.
also, a table of contents up the top of the new layout page so that there's not heaps + heaps of stuff to scroll through to get to where you want.
otherwise, looks fine. let me know any particular areas that you know absolutely nothing about and i'll see if i have some time to fill some stuff in.
cheers,
jonathan
is it the will of the powers that be, that these sections should be on the front page under " xbmc installation and configuration"?
# mymusic settings
-clean database
http://manual.xboxmediacenter.de/wakka.p....&v=16b6 (http://manual.xboxmediacenter.de/wakka.php?wakka=mymusicsettings&v=16b6)
(what is that anyways? same as clean music library?)
# screen calibration (i also linked this to the ui settings /settings page where it belongs)
jmarshall
2005-04-05, 20:11
yes - i renamed it to clean music library when i redid the settings before christmas. we're trying to get away from calling it a database as much as possible - music library is nicer to the computer illiterate.
cheers,
jonathan
ok, but should these entries be where they currently are?
jmarshall
2005-04-05, 20:35
the music settings don't need to be there.
the screen calibration thing is somewhat useful being there, but is more advanced than what the casual user needs.
perhaps have a final step in the install/configuration process (after all shares are setup etc.):
what to do next...
which takes you to a screen covering the most important settings to look at (screen calibration and the hardware settings (audio settings in both music + videos) are imo the most important)
cheers,
jonathan
where can i upload a zip with pics for use in the manual?
http://www.xboxmediacenter.com/upload
doesnīt seem to work anymore, and
http://manual.xboxmediacenter.de/imgs/index.php?dir=
fails uploading
hi folks,
xbmc is a great development initiative; i also enjoy seeing all of the new features that come about in each new build.
however, the user manual is falling behind at a rapid rate. i was tempted to offer some of my time to help bring it up to date but with the volley of new features that come about, it looks too overwhelming ... and frustrating.
is there any value in putting the perverbial "stake in the sand" ;-) and focusing on stabilising efforts only? i feel it would go a long ways in moving towards an xbmc 1.2.0 initiative.
anyway, my 2c worth,
kz
jmarshall
2005-07-07, 17:50
yes, i agree the manual is falling behind.
i suggest getting in contact with lossol93 who has also suggested he may be available to help work on the manual in the near future.
the main thing imo is getting it organised so that others can join in and write notes on specifics. once it's organised in a logical manner, with pages created (not filled with content) for what is needed, then it becomes much easier for people to contribute, as all they need to do is edit the one page.
there was some work a while back into reorganising the manual which might be a place to start - there's a link down the bottom of the main page to the new organisation. not sure if this is better or not - there is also a thread on these forums regarding it.
the main thing we need is a couple of people who are good at organisation to sit down and plan it out, then create page stubs for each needed section. once that is done, we then can appeal for people to help submit/cleanup/do page layout/add screenshots and so on.
ceasing new feature development while this occurs is imo not all that beneficial at this stage, although when the team decides that it's time for v1.2 or whatever comes next, there will be a period of a month or so for bugbashing only.
i'm more than happy to help with the manual project, but my time is ofcourse limited.
it is encouraging to see a post like this - i will do everything i can to support you if you decide to take a crack at the manual stuff.
cheers,
jonathan
los93sol
2005-07-07, 22:01
as jmarshall said i am planning on getting a start on this on tuesday. if i have some time before then i will go ahead and start planning the layout. anyone who is interested in getting involved and doing something for the good of the project and supporting the xbmc community please get in contact with me. if you can't write code, make graphics, skins, etc. and want to contribute to the project in a big way, this is an opportunity for you to get involved.
regards,
los93sol
los93sol
2005-07-08, 01:24
alright, i have received a bit of positive feedback from people wanting to contribute. *i have spent some time figuring out an outline, and figured out that in order to keep from intimidating new users and actually making the manual more effective at answering questions and helping people, we need a new system so i scrapped my work on the outline. *i have made a new page on the current online manual wiki for us to work from here:
http://manual.xboxmediacenter.de/wakka.p....&v=16j7 (http://manual.xboxmediacenter.de/wakka.php?wakka=manualscratch&v=16j7)
on that page i have explained in more detail the plan for the re-write/update. feel free to start planning an outline for the guides on the wiki. we don't want to start making pages until we have a good outline to follow as a template though.
regards,
los93sol
jmarshall
2005-07-08, 12:19
looking good. a couple of points.
1. i suggest in section 2 we have a single page entitled "so where do i get xbmc from" explaining the various avenues and pointing out the legalities of each one etc. let's not kid ourselves - most people come to xbmc via builds they download off the web. they need to be aware of the pros and cons of this, and that in particular that any build they download may contain extra 3rd party add-ons that may or may not work.
2. i suggest having a page (or section) in section 3 that just explains navigation and the common buttons (such as white for context menu, right thumbstick push for button menu, volume control etc.)
3. link from each of the main screens to their settings pages (and explain you can get there quickly with the context menu) - we'll look at adding context menu to kai, weather + programs before the next release i think.
other than that, it's looking good (though you forgot my music ;)
cheers,
jonathan
los93sol
2005-07-09, 19:57
updates: well, i have been talking with a few people about how to organize everything and listened to different opinions. it seems most agree with two manuals so that is the structure the outline is being built on.
i think the beginners manual is complete, need a few people to take a look and see if anything is missing that would be considered beginner information.
i started on the advanced manual, haven't gotten very far with it yet, but went ahead and posted the very beginning of it to give and idea how i plan on organizing it and the structure it will most likely follow. basically, i have made categories to fit the "advanced" features into. this will hopefully encapsulate many future advancements to xbmc very easily.
hopefully you guys like where this is going so far. i am hoping to have the outlines ready for tuesday so i can go ahead and layout what will be the official rewrite so it will be easy for people to contribute to and help out with the effort. i am planning on starting actually writing on wednesday. i hate setting a schedule for it because it is always subject to change, but that gets everyone up to date on the gameplan so if you want to get involved please get in contact with me.
regards,
los93sol
jmarshall
2005-07-09, 22:16
looking great :)
only thing really is that i'd move settings, kai + thumbstick panel down to the bottom - better to have the main categories first.
like the way individual settings are in each of the categories.
cheers,
jonathan
los93sol
2005-07-09, 23:30
just made several updates and changes to the outline. i made the change to xlink, i agree it makes more sense that way.
regards,
los93sol
XBLgamertag
2005-07-11, 11:17
hi,
looks great - i'll help where i can ;)
i don't think compiling a build should be in the beginners manual *:idea:
the outline is looking great; i had originally envisionned a more "retail" approach - kind of like when you buy a product off the store shelf.
because of the nature of xbmc, i would suggest incorporating a audio/video component guide structure along with a software application guide structure.
for example;
- user's guide
- customization guide
- compilation/programming guide
user's guide
=========
the user's guide would contain general "functionality" type information broken into sections for each feature on the home page.
1. welcome
* *product information & features
* *menu button
* *shut down button
* *joypad/keyboard/remote functionality on main screen
2. my programs
* *overview
* *joypad/keyboard/remote functionality
* *<breakdown of left side menu features into subsections>
* *<"how do i" tips in a subsection when possible>
*
3. my pictures
* *...
4. my videos
* *...
5. my files
* *...
6. weather
* *...
7. settings
* *overview
* *<subsections for each setting button>
* *<breakdown of left side menu features into subsections>
* *<"how do i" tips in a subsection when possible>
* *<"reason's" for using the feature>
8. advanced networking
* *- shoutcast
* *- xlink-kai
* *- itunes
* *- remote share connectivity
9. 3rd party "add-ons" for xbmc
10. troubleshooting
additionally, the user guide should cover the default xbmc build - i.e. not include additional "add-on's" or "subscription" type services. *these should be covered in separate product guides; this would help keep the xbmc guide in a manageable form.
customization guide
===============
the customization guide would contain information on how to customized the xbmc "default" build. *this guide would assist deployment/installers in configuring xbmc for their "customers" - i.e. tayloring xbmc for your environment.
for example,
1. welcome
* *purpose of the guide
* *overview of things that can be changed
* *best practices (i.e. making backups)
2. explanation of xbmc
* *- section on directory structure
* *- section on udata/tdata
* *- section on typical xbmc behavior
3. xbmc startup/shutdown
* - section on customizing startup
* - section on customizing shutdown
4. customizing .xml files
* *<subsection for each .xml file in question>
* *overview of .xml file in question
* *description of .xml entries & possible values for entry
5. screen savers
* *- adding/removing/editing screen savers
6. scripts
* *- adding/removing/editing scripts
7. skins
* *- adding/removing/editing screen savers
compilation/programming guide
=======================
the compilation/programming guide would assist users who wish to contribute to the xbmc project.
for example,
1. welcome
* *purpose of the guide
* *overview of things that can be changed
* *base development tools required
* *location of files
* *project team guidelines, etc.
* *best practices
4. using .xml files
* *- adding/changing/extending functionality
* *- additional development environment configurations/tools
5. screen savers
* *- additional development environment configurations/tools
6. scripts
* *- additional development environment configurations/tools
7. skins
* *- additional development environment configurations/tools
8. compiling xbmc
- procedure
- tools required
- configuration requirements
some of the sections/subsections - and points - need be properly organized from a "information flow" perspective.
anyway, my 2c worth.
kz
los93sol
2005-07-12, 05:30
hmm...i like your ideas...i just laid out a bunch of pages to start writing...but i would like to see what you have in mind a bit more in detail. register at the wiki and lay something out and i will try to work from it instead of what i laid out if its better, a few revisions on the layout before writing would be good anyway. :thumbsup:
regards,
los93sol
hi los93sol,
ok, will do ... i'll take a moment to register with wikki. i have a few documentation deadlines to finish this week so i may only get around to building an outline on the weekend.
cheers,
kz
hi los93sol,
let me know if you received the email i sent ... haven't had time to get acquainted with wikki as of yet but wanted to send you a revised ug outline for you to look at/post.
cheers,
kz
los93sol
2005-07-18, 07:08
just wanted to let you know that i got it and am going to go through it tomorrow. looks promising...i started writing a little and scrapped what i had because i felt like some of it was explaining things that are so elementary it would become overwhelmingly large. i guess since we are breaking the information down into seperate manuals for different things it will be alright, but i think it's best if we figure it all out and revise how pages are laid out while we are at it so it fits the new style we want in the manual. i agree with you that we should start with the user's guide and then outline the next manual and tackle it so we aren't overwhelming ourselves with too much and it will be easier to keep it all sorted.
by the way, do you write manuals for a living or something? just asking because of your comments about deadlines previously in this thread. :) i am good with organization, but don't have a whole lot of experience writing manuals so i am thinking we need a place to chat about this outside the threads here to devise a plan and set some standards for writing and adding to the manual for future expansion.
regards,
los93sol
ps. please forgive my poorly formed sentences tonight, got stabbed in the hand earlier today so typing is not so comfortable at the moment :shifty:
the user's guide content will feel elementary; the idea of the user guide is to review the product and "coach" the user on how to use the features that exist and what they are typically used for.
once the outline is up, we need to get some feedback on it before entering content. *once we get a general consensus, i'll put in a first pass at the introduction section. *that should help set the overall tone of the ug. *once the tone is established, contributors will find it easier to place content. *i figure the "team" will look at the content, make editing changes, and adjust it as necessary.
i agree with you that we need to establish some "standards"; we also need to involve the developers as they have to be aware that when they change the gui or functionality it impacts the documentation. *we can look to possibly create a "bucket" that developers can use to provide us information on the changes they made to a feature; we can then take that content and "massage" it into the guide.
initially, we need an overall consensus on:
- default xbmc settings
- default skin
- options offered/displayed *per feature
this will go also go a long way towards qa & debugging efforts.
you're doing fine as far the sentencing goes ... specially with a stabbed hand an all ;-) *i would think we want to be as professional as possible when putting the content and guides together but still have fun in the process of doing that.
there will be typos and grammar mistakes along the way ... kinda like debugging - ya know ...
oh, and yes, i work in all aspect of the it industry (documentation, qa, design, development, and deployment).
cheers,
kz
i can help to translate manual of xbmc software?
hi pike and loto,
i think we can get a user's guide and possibly a customization guide for xbmc 2.0. * on that note, i personally find the online web version difficult to navigate - guess i'm old fashioned ;-)
i love the idea that the wikki manual is online ... i most certainly am not suggesting we do away with it by any means.
to that end, what do you think about the following strategy:
- create an ms word document (chapter per/file); i can set up a standardized template to bring the final files together into a book
- convert the final product to web format (wikki - not quite sure how)
- convert the final product to .pdf
to proceed, we also need a "buy-in" from the xbmc team pertaining to the following:
- official skin (project mayem iii right?)
- official contents of the xbmc build (t3ch bare bones?)
- a source repository location to check-in/check-out the ms word document files (sourceforge cvs?)
lastly, i feel we need to break the documentation into three types of books:
- the user's guide (similar to manual that comes with a tv, vcr, etc.)
- the customization guide (for the more advanced folks)
- the compilation/programming guide (for the users that know how to build a cvs of xbmc, etc.)
cheers,
kz
i'd love to jump in the ring and give a hand with the printable version. i agree that there should be more than one guide as said above. it seems like a much more professional approach to documentation, and that is what xbmc needs. i also like the idea of having a simple manual for those that are less adventurous and just want to get it up and running.
for the record, there is a 'bucket' where the devs keep up to date on all changed to the functionality--the changelog.
has a solution been found as far as a cvs or similar solution for the word versions of the content? i agree that something of that nature is essential to this project being successful. i think that the best route would be to create a separate folder within the existing cvs and grant dev access to just that portion for those of us working on the documentation, for obvious reasons. have we gotten any feedback from the pm's regarding this possibility?
kzr1y2, it seems as though you've got a great plan of attack laid out for this project, and i'd love to chip in in any way i can. let me know what i can do.
on another note...don't want to seem as though i'm rambling here though...is there any reason that the new wikki seems to have come to a halt? it doesn't appear that there have been any substantial progress in the v2 manual for almost a month! i don't want to beat anyone up here, but if the devs went for a solid month without commiting any meaningful changes to cvs, the entire xbmc community would be demanding their heads!
i realize that i'm as guilty as the next guy...my first changes to the manual were today and i've been avidly using xbmc for two years, but we must appreciate the advantages of good documentation, and contribute to it. think of all of the 'stupid' questions that get answered daily in the support forum. if the program was properly documented, i'm sure that we'd have to field a hell of a lot less of them.
also, at present, kzr1y2 is trying to spearhead an effort to put together a print/pdf version of the manual. if we don't give him a solid online manual with a standardized format, what does he have to work with? are we expecting him to write half of the thing himself?
xbmc is nearing its first solid point release in over a year and a half. in order to be considered a viable product, it needs to be properly documented, open source or not.
the developers, pms, skinners, and everyone else involved in the project have made their contributions to the project. it's time we pull our weight and do the same.
on a side note, i understand that there's been an issue with the hosting for the images for the new manual. has that been resolved? have we been given space on xboxmediacenter.com to host them? if so, then what is the procedure for utilizing it? if not, do we need space? i would be more than happy to provide hosting for the project. i'll just need a ballpark on what sort of storage / bandwidth requirements that it'll require so that i know what to get.
ok, ok...i'm rambling, i know...
hi dankula,
haven't had any other responses as of yet; i'm willing to start but i was hoping for more "buy-in" from the project folks as to the value of what i'm proposing.
cheers,
kz
hi there. im sorry but i don't have much time to invest in manual myself, but i did inform loto of this thread, i was kinda hoping he was interrested. loto hasn't contacted you has he ?
may i suggest that we modify the main page of the wikki? as we all know, contributions to the new manual have been minimal, and i feel as though we need to draw more attention to it.
the new manual, although far from complete, has progressed from its infancy to its childhood. although it still has many incomplete sections, those that are complete are superior to the old one, with current screenshots and more up to date and better organized information.
i propose that from now until the new manual is complete, we list the table of contents for both manuals side by side. this will make it easier to choose between the two for information and hopefully garner more support for the rewrite.
this is how i envision it looking (http://manual.xboxmediacenter.de/wakka.php?wakka=testhomev2&v=kfm), albeit with a little more polish.
what do we think, yay or nay?
looks good dankula :)
this way we see easily what is already done and has to be done in the new manual!
jmarshall
2006-04-18, 23:39
go for it :)
lord marshall has spoken, and his faithful minions carried out the deed.
good kick-off ...
cheers,
kz
ok...many moons later...here it is. still needs a bit of work, but it's a step in the right direction.
the new new new online manual...live it, love it. (http://www.xbmc.xbox-scene.com/wiki/index.php?title=main_page)
Maybe itīs time to unsticky this thread, and create a new one for the Wiki manual?
Also I think it would be worth considering if we should have 2 versions of the manuals online.
One for the stable version (2.x?), where the documentation is also stable and according to that version, and then another for the daily builds, which evolve organicly and often look and behave nothing like the manual describes.
This thread for discussion of the "wiki" and User Manual at
http://www.xboxmediacenter.com/wiki/
(since, as of June 2007, the wiki is on lockdown, and is no longer a real wiki*)
Please focus comments on use of the wiki and "XBMC Manual", as opposed to questions about using XBMC itself.
---
Announcement (no author or posting date):
Editing and creating articles has been locked down indefinitely. All users who wish to continue providing a valid contribution to the XBox Media Center online manual, please contact one of the XBMC team members and ask for Ninja status on the wiki. Easiest way to get in touch is via #XBMC on freenode irc network. Thanks for understanding**.
For updates please see http://www.xboxmediacenter.com/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page
---
(newuser comments)
* A wiki is a community focused tool that allows community members to discuss and edit content, not a read-only website.
** Understanding what? For 'understanding', please note you should provide an explanation.
What is there to understand ? We we're forced by an external element to do this.
Alternative is to have Wiki vandalized with profanities all over, so we choose this route instead.
If you need edit rights, and you're not the person vandalizing the Wiki, getting those rights is quite easy
Hi,
Is there anyway to download the XBMC online manual onto my computer, maybe as a compiled HTML file? It would be useful to be able to access it directly on my computer rather than through the web.
Cheers.