Re: [DOCS] INSTALL file (was Re: [HACKERS] Re: HISTORY for 6.5.2)

> > I agree our INSTALL is very large. Is there some way we can simplify
> > the install process?
> On the one hand a database server is probably not your everyday
> ./configure && make && make install program you get from freshmeat and you
> do want to put some time into a proper installation. On the other hand the
> INSTALL file is really way too long and makes for unpleasant reading.
> Here are a couple of ideas.
> That should make the file somewhat smaller, then also it is really to
> verbose at times and is formatted really oddly, at least on my system.

Formatted oddly, eh? ;)

We actually generate this file from files in doc/src/sgml/. We
generate RTF from the sgml sources, and then format to ascii text
using ApplixWare or <insert your favorite word processor here>. The
formatting options at that point are fairly limited afaik.

> Okay, now I really went out of my way and redid the whole thing. You'll
> find the result attached. This is merely an idea of what I would consider
> simpler. I removed some inconsistencies, things that were unnecessary, too
> complicated, etc. Okay, I removed a lot of stuff, but most of the stuff
> people can really figure out themselves if they need them in the first
> place. And I shrunk the thing to 25%.

Sounds great, except for the "people can figure it out for themselves"
part. But as long as the info is available somewhere in the docs, and
as long as people can get to them somehow if they need, then there is
probably no need for them to be in the INSTALL file.

> Perhaps there should be a separate Install FAQ of the sort "My shell said
> 'export: Command not found.'" or "What's a shared library?" to move the
> really annoying stuff out of people's ways.

And afaik once people have gotten to that point, the *real* docs will
have already been installed, so we can have that info there. I haven't
had a chance to look at your specific suggestions/changes, but I'm
sure they are a step forward.

- Thomas

--
Thomas Lockhart lockhart(at)alumni(dot)caltech(dot)edu
South Pasadena, California