Re: [gentoo-doc] Improving organization during beta release

[Josh Saddler]

Jose Luis Rivero wrote:
> On Sat, Apr 26, 2008 at 09:42:38PM +0200, Xavier Neys wrote:
>> Jose Luis Rivero wrote:
>>>  1. Currently, there are no official maintained handbooks. We have the
>>>  networking handbooks (/doc/*/handbook/handbook-*) marked as draft and
>>> the networkless docs which refers to latest stable release (2007.0)
>>> marked as unmaintained.
>> /doc/en/handbook/ and /doc/en/handbook/2008.0/ are officially maintained.
>> Them being marked 'draft' does not make them any less official.
>
> "Disclaimer :  This document is a work in progress and should not be
> considered official yet."
>
> Probably people reading this is not going to consider them as official.
>
>>>  2. There are no docs covering a networking installation for the latest
>>>  stable release. Users who don't want to use the beta can't find the
>>>  docs to make a network based installation since they were overwriting
>>>  by 2008.0 (which is still a beta).
>> draft was moved up because anyone using the latest docs and a 2007.0 media
>> on a modern system (read about 1 year old or more recent) could not go very
>> far in the installation process. Besides, those completing a 2007.0 install
>> would then need to upgrade some many packages that it was deemed better to
>> move up the draft version.
>
> Maybe some kind of warning or note about this can help the people to
> understand the situation.
>
>>> One idea for next time could be keeping current and networkless
>>> handbooks maintained until the release reaches an stable status and
>> Networkless will always be under xxxx.y
>> 2007.0 is still there, 2008.0 is already there.
>
> "Disclaimer :  This handbook has been replaced by a newer version and
> is not maintained anymore." This warning in 2007.0 is not going to make the
> users go for this and if you try to find a newer version all you have is
> a beta. Same problem than above.
>
> I'm for keeping networkless under xxxx.y but keep the latest stable
> version out of 'unmantained' could help during beta phase.
>
>>> develop the new docs in /doc/*/handbook/beta/
>> That is done in /doc/en/handbook/draft/
>> We moved it up earlier than at official release time as already explained.
>
> ACK.
>
> Thanks Xavier.

As you know, the packages are still stable whether in 2007.0 or 
2008.0betaX. There's no practical difference between the two, though 
obviously you won't have so many updates if you use a beta tarball. The 
only difference is the LiveCDs/DVDs.

Assuming this trend of public betas continues through coming releases, 
we may want to add a note explaining this -- that the installed system 
and packages are identical to the latest versions in Portage; it's only 
the media that's "beta". Or we could even add one now, and make it 
conditional on something like an "is_beta" key or similar in the TOC.