[Coco] Re: NitrOS-9 Level 3!?

[Boisy Pitre]

On May 17, 2006, at 6:23 PM, Leon Howell wrote:
> I think there is a "Change Log" in the zip file, but there are *no*  
> specific
> details, so it doesn't do much good. also, it should be on the  
> disk. There is
> some additional info on changes in the /defs directory, but again,  
> nothing
> specific.

I can look into copying the ChangeLog file somewhere onto the disk  
image (probably on disk #2 of the 40 track DSDD disks).

> Computer manuals are as notorious as acts of congress for lack of  
> clarity. When
> upgrades as big as these are distributed with absolutely *no*  
> documentation,
> espesialy with as os as complicated as OS-9, you have an exelent  
> excuse to go
> bananas.
>
> So, programmers, how about a little help here? Please remember that  
> not only do
> some of us out here find C unreadable, but all those pathnames and  
> scripts too.
> While you're at it, see if you can add some nice easy new features  
> to GShell,
> please? Here's a hint: borrow a Commodore 64/128 and play with Geos  
> for a
> while. Or an Apple IIe with MouseDesk. Multi-Vue is great, as far  
> as it goes,
> but it could go a lot farther in simplifying NitrOS-9.

I can understand your frustration regarding the lack of  
documentation.  There are a couple of PDF documents online at  
www.nitros9.org, but there is more documentation that is ready for  
processing, just not enough hands to do it.

I can speak for myself here -- maintaining the source code to the  
NitrOS-9 Project is a "full-time" endeavor in and of itself.   
Documentation does exist, but it is in a state of flux.  I've posted  
on this forum numerous times over the past several years, asking for  
someone to help with documentation.  There has been some success  
(Richard Crislip and Greg Law have done some work) but there is no  
one person that has stepped up to be THE person to update the docs on  
a per release basis.  That is what is needed, IMO, to get the  
documentation to the point where it is reliable, up-to-date and  
usable by individuals.

So I'll ask one more time:  if anyone out there has (1) CVS and (2)  
Microsoft Word and wants to take up the challenge of getting the  
documentation up to date and give it a clean, spiffy look, email me.   
I'll be frank:  it's a LOT of work, so don't waste your time or mine  
if you aren't dead serious about taking this on and sticking with  
it.  I'll help get the person up and running with CVS, and give them  
some ideas on where the documentation is and where it needs to be.   
Of course, the person needs to show some initiative and knowledge  
about NitrOS-9 to even begin doing this task.  Frankly, I won't spend  
my time babysitting someone and asking them constantly to do  
something.  That's why SUSTAINED INITIATIVE is absolutely required to  
do this documentation project.

Regards,
Boisy