MX Linux Forum

We have completed the final version of the Users Manual, making corrections, updating images and adding new content that has come up over the 2 weeks since release.

The html version is up (20160107), and you can see it using the tab at the top (refresh the page if necessary). That will come through for local installation in a couple of days, and the PDF will be posted by then as well.

Feel free to make corrections/suggestions in this thread, but understand that we do not intend to work on this again until March at the earliest.

A mention of lscpu alongside inxi -f might help slowpokes like me catch on to what sort of processor they have and thus, if 64-bit is an option? (2.1.1)

Fantastic work, looks slick as you scroll through images and pages

Absolutely primo work!! Like night and day compared to the MX-14 manual.

Fantastic work! Thanks team!

What's neat is to think of all the Community involvement:

--people posting good problems
--people solving problems, even the hard ones
--people taking screen captures (there are a lot!)
--people editing well
--people working on the Wiki articles
--people sending me "Manual fodder" at 3am
--people helping with all the formatting

That's why the citation reads:

MX Linux Community Documentation Project. 2015. Users Manual for MX Linux.

Jerry3904 wrote:What's neat is to think of all the Community involvement:

--people posting good problems
--people solving problems, even the hard ones
--people taking screen captures (there are a lot!)
--people editing well
--people working on the Wiki articles
--people sending me "Manual fodder" at 3am
--people helping with all the formatting

That's why the citation reads:

MX Linux Community Documentation Project. 2015. Users Manual for MX Linux.

It is also neat that someone pays attention to all this.

The PDF version (20160107) is now uploaded. This file has been reformatted for double side printing on either US Letter or A4 paper sizes.

Gordon Cooper wrote:The PDF version (20160107) is now uploaded. This file has been reformatted for double side printing on either US Letter or A4 paper sizes.

I was just doing that when I got notified of this posting. It is easier to write your notes on a hard copy than on a pdf.

Well done to all involved.

Is there an 'easy' way for people to contribute translated versions? I know we have a Russian translation of MX-14 manual. Wouldn't it be great if we could get the manual translated into other languages we support. I know it is a very time-consuming task, but I think we should set a goal to get the manual translated into as many languages as we can.

Linux Mint for example has all these.

http://www.linuxmint.com/documentation.php

I am sorry, but I am not going to translate that huge amount of text AND keep up with it as it gets edited. I simply don't have the time nor the desire; it is just too much work. The average Dutch person has a very good grasp of the English language, so that language will do fine for them.

Great Job by Everyone Involved !!
I'm off to grap the PDF. I think I'm going to print it. (Probably tomorrow. Double Sided).

Dutch was one of the last languages on my mind for translation :)

It is a *huge* task and I think best tackled by translators of each language working as part of a team - to reduce the burden.
That's why I asked if there is an 'easy' way for people to contribute to translating the manual already in place? i.e. not having to worry about formatting.

When I said 'set a goal', I mean a very long term goal. MX-15 jessie will be supported for I guess at least 5 years.

anticapitalista wrote:Well done to all involved.

Is there an 'easy' way for people to contribute translated versions? I know we have a Russian translation of MX-14 manual. Wouldn't it be great if we could get the manual translated into other languages we support. I know it is a very time-consuming task, but I think we should set a goal to get the manual translated into as many languages as we can.

Been thinking about this question. Here is one possibility that I see:

1) Start with a reasonable goal: I suggest Sections 1 and 3, with the introduction and all the configuration. Then Section 2 followed by the others can be added when ready.
2) Set up a Wiki-type page on "Manual Translation" with universal access (or just registered teams?) and dedicated child pages for each language
3) Set up a Manual Translation forum for communication
4) When someone (or preferably a small group) decides to work on this, we use the Google Translate button for the target language, then paste that code into the Wiki page.
5) We post a running list of translations in progress at the top of the Manual Translation forum
6) Any (now pretty infrequent) changes in the official Section 3 will be announced in the MT forum so teams can update
7) We transfer completed sections to the location for the Manual, and list them on the page linked with the upper tab.

Would something like that work? My sense is that we could get such work done at a reasonable pace.

I just started to work. I find it easier than others - I can use past translation MX-14 in Russian. I just need to be careful, and do not miss the differences :)

Got a message from Peregrine that the exact method I propose would be difficult to implement. But we can reexamine that later.

I do think the Sections are not of equal importance to the beginner, and would continue to urge that we start with Sections 1 & 3: it's always better to break a big task down into smaller ones.

Jerry3904 wrote: I do think the Sections are not of equal importance to the beginner, and would continue to urge that we start with Sections 1 & 3: it's always better to break a big task down into smaller ones.

I agree. Is there a template for translators to download? Or should they just use the html file in mx-docs?

I think this procedure should not be that hard:

--click on the Manual tab and open the MX-15 Manual (not the onboard one, where Google Translate code does not work)
--use the GT pull-down menu to convert the text to the target language
--highlight Section 1 and copy
--open LO and paste (will put in text and images)
--save as MX15_Manual_1 or something similar (see result for French below)
--repeat with Section 3, saving it of course as MX15_Manual_3. It's long, so you might want to download it in subsections and paste them one behind the other.

We can work out later whether/how to reformat it once we have our first concrete example.

When more than one person is working on the same translation, the simplest method might be to store the document in the cloud, agree to work on separate subsections, and use Track Changes.

Yes looks good.
I appologize for not taking a look sooner.
I wish to suggest that if possible in future versions to include a "TOP" link in the html manual?

Will do. I just use Ctrl-Home, but a link would be easier.

Action step: Gordon and I are going to populate a DropBox folder with LO texts containing GT translations of Sections 1 and 3. Once they are up, we will post the links for people to use so they don't have to go through that step. We will try to do the most commonly downloaded languages, but people can just ask us to set it up if their language is not there.

I don't believe that this work will be enormously difficult or time-consuming.

Thanks for reading carefully! These are not really questions about translations, so I will move this post to the feedback thread for the Users Manual.

bicyclist56 wrote:In the process of translation I have questions:

2.4.2 The standard opening screen
Table 1: Menu entries in Live boot
Boot from Hard Disk = Allows for user to select a stored ISO to boot.
This is a mistake or a dream in the future to connect the ISO image stored on the HDD/SSD to speed up the installation? :)

Pretty sure it is not a mistake, though I have never tried it. See the Wiki entry.

2.4.6 Exiting
The usual way to exit is to click the Log Out icon in the upper right corner of the Whisker Menu (or: Alt-F4).
Why else (or: Alt-F4)?

I probably should have worded that more clearly: if the focus is on the desktop, then Alt-F4 will bring up the same LogOut dialog box that clicking on the icon in the corner of Whisker menu does.

4.2.2 Video
DeVeDe
http://www.rastersoft.com/programas/devede.htmlDeVeDe home page
Link rushed by.

Yes, that is already on my error list for the March version of the Users Manual. It should have been a link.

4.10.5 Google Earth
Why not mention the option to install using the MX Package Installer?

I think it wasn't available when I was revising that section, but we should change that for the next version.

7.6 The kernel
For instance, a user of MX 15-x86 would see something like this:
System: Host: UTRA Kernel: 4.2-3.dmz.3-liquorix-amd64 x86_64 (64 bit)...
There must MX-15_x64

That too is a remnant of an earlier draft, and needs to be changed.

Jerry3904 wrote:Thanks for reading carefully! These are not really questions about translations, so I will move this post to the feedback thread for the Users Manual.

2.4.2 The standard opening screen
"Позволяет пользователю выбрать сохраненный образ ISO для загрузки (пока еще не работает)."
(I tried in live mode, nothing happens)

2.4.6 Exiting
"Обычный способ, чтобы выйти, это нажать на значок Выйти в правом верхнем углу меню Whisker (или: Alt-F4 на рабочем столе)."

4.10.5 Google Планета Земля
"Самый простой вариант установки — с помощью MX Установщика пакетов, раздел Misc.
Но можно применить и другие способы:" ...

The rest of the errors I have corrected as proposed.
Therefore, we can assume the translation completed, the file is updated in the Cloud, and You can use it as you like.

Thanks--we're still working on the setup so it may be a while until we get it right.

Just getting ready to print the mx-15 final manual. I don't have any folders, or anything to put it in right now, so I'll just seal it up in a freezer bag. I think I'm going to print - long edge and double sided. If anyone has any suggestions, feel free to share.

You should be okay. The layout is for portrait format, double sided print with a larger inside margin ready for eventual binding, paper size set for US letter but A4 is okay too.

Thank You .. Gordon. I'll get it printed then. Eventually I'll get a binding put on it.

UPDATE: Manual printed. Looks pretty nice. Think I should have set it to print just a little bit
darker, but it is fine. I'm happy with it.

I got the manual bound on Friday. It is nice to be able to flip it open, check the index, read about something and even make / keep notes.