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<h1>Linux Documentation Project Manifesto</h1>
Last Revision: 18 October 1999
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<P>
This file describes the goals and current status of the Linux
Documentation Project, including names of projects, volunteers, and
so on.
<H2>Overview</H2>
The Linux Documentation Project is working on developing good,
reliable docs for the Linux operating system. The overall goal of the
LDP is to collaborate in taking care of all of the issues of Linux
documentation, ranging from online docs (man pages, texinfo docs, and
so on) to printed manuals covering topics such as installing, using,
and running Linux. The LDP is essentially a loose team of volunteers
with little central organization; anyone who is interested in helping
is welcome to join in the effort. We feel that working together and
agreeing on the direction and scope of Linux documentation is the
best way to go, to reduce problems with conflicting efforts---two
people writing two books on the same aspect of Linux wastes someone's
time along the way.
<P>
The LDP is set out to produce the canonical set of Linux online
and printed documentation. Because our docs will be freely available
(like software licensed under the terms of the GNU GPL) and
distributed on the net, we are able to easily update the
documentation to stay on top of the many changes in the Linux world.
If you are interested in publishing any of the LDP works, see the
section <A HREF="#pub">Publishing LDP Manuals</a>.
<H2>Getting Involved</H2>
Send mail to: <a href="mailto:guylhem@metalab.unc.edu">Guylhem Aznar</a>.
<P>
Of course, you'll also need to get in touch with the coordinator
of whatever LDP projects you're interested in working on; see the next
section.
<H2>Current Projects</H2>
For a list of current projects, see
the <A HREF="http://www.linuxdoc.org/">LDP Homepage</A>.
The best way to get involved with one of these projects is
to pick up the current version of the manual and send revisions, editions,
or suggestions to the coordinator. You probably want to coordinate with
the author before sending revisions so that you know you are working
together.
<H2>Documentation Conventions</H2>
Here are the conventions that are currently used by LDP manuals.
If you are interested in writing another manual using different conventions,
please let us know of your plans first.
<P>
The <b>man pages</b> -- the Unix standard for online manuals -- are created
with the Unix standard nroff man (or BSD mdoc) macros.
<P>
The <b>guides</b> -- full books produced by the LDP -- have historically
been done in LaTeX, as their primary goal has been to be <b>printed</b>
documentation. However, guide authors have been moving towards SGML
with the DocBook DTD, because it allows them to create more different kinds
of output, both printed and on-line. If you use LaTeX, we have a style
file you can use to keep your printed look consistent with other LDP
documents, and we suggest that you use it.
<p>
The <b>HOWTO</b> documents are all required to be in SGML format.
Currently, they use the <b>linuxdoc</b> DTD, which is quite simple.
There is a move afoot to switch to the DocBook DTD over time.
<P>
More information on the DocBook DTD can be found in this online
text: <a href="http://docbook.org/tdg/">&quot;DocBook: The Definitive Guide&quot;</a>.
<P>
LDP documents must be freely redistributable without fees paid to the
authors. It is not required that the text be modifiable, but it is
encouraged. You can come up with your own license terms that satisfy
this constraint, or you can use a previously prepared license. The
LDP provides a boilerplate license that you can use, some people like
to use the GPL, and others write their own.
<P>
The copyright for each manual should be in the name(s) of the
contributing author(s) for the project. ``The Linux Documentation
Project'' isn't a formal entity and shouldn't be used to copyright the docs.
<P><A NAME="sampcr"></A></P>
<H2>Copyright and License</H2>
Here is a ``boilerplate'' license you may apply to your work. It has
not been reviewed by a lawyer; feel free to have your own lawyer
review it (or your modification of it) for its applicability to your
own desires. Remember that in order for your document to be part of
the LDP, you must allow unlimited reproduction and distribution
without fee.
<P>
<DL><DT></DT>
<DD>
This manual may be reproduced and distributed
in whole or in part, without fee, subject to the following conditions:
<BR><BR>
<UL TYPE="disc">
<LI> The copyright notice above and this permission notice must be
preserved complete on all complete or partial copies.
<LI> Any translation or derived work must be approved by the
author in writing before distribution.
<LI> If you distribute this work in
part, instructions for obtaining the complete version of this
manual must be included, and a means for obtaining a complete
version provided.
<LI> Small portions may be reproduced as illustrations for reviews or
quotes in other works without this permission notice if proper
citation is given.
</UL>
<P>
Exceptions to these rules may be granted for academic purposes: Write
to the author and ask. These restrictions are here to protect us as
authors, not to restrict you as learners and educators.
<P>
All source code in this document is placed under the GNU General
Public License, available via anonymous FTP
from <a href="ftp://prep.ai.mit.edu:/pub/gnu/COPYING">the GNU archive
site</a>.
</DD></DL>
</P>
<P><A NAME="pub"></A></P>
<H2>Publishing LDP Manuals</H2>
If you're a publishing company interested in distributing any
of the LDP manuals, read on.
<P>
By the license requirements given previously, anyone is allowed
to publish and distribute verbatim copies of the Linux Documentation Project
manuals. You don't need our explicit permission for this. However, if you
would like to distribute a translation or derivative work based on any of
the LDP manuals, you may need to obtain permission from the author, in writing,
before doing so (if the license applied to the work requires that).
<P>
You may, of course, sell the LDP manuals for profit. We encourage
you to do so. Keep in mind, however, that because the LDP manuals are
freely distributable, anyone may photocopy or distribute printed copies
free of charge, if they wish to do so.
<P>
We do not require to be paid royalties for any profit earned from
selling LDP manuals. However, we would like to suggest that if you do
sell LDP manuals for profit, that you either offer the author
royalties, or donate a portion of your earnings to the author, the
LDP as a whole, or to the Linux development community. You may also
wish to send one or more free copies of the LDP manual(s) that you
are distributing to the author(s). Your show of support for the LDP
and the Linux community will be very much appreciated.
<P>
We would like to be informed of any plans to publish or distribute
LDP manuals, just so we know how they're becoming available. If you are
publishing or planning to publish any LDP manuals, please send mail
to <a href="mailto:guylhem@metalab.unc.edu">Guylhem Aznar</a>.
<P>
We encourage Linux software distributors to distribute the LDP
manuals (such as the Installation and Getting Started Guide) with
their software. The LDP manuals are intended to be used as the
"official" Linux documentation, and we'd like to see mail-order
distributors bundling the LDP manuals with the software. As the LDP
manuals mature, hopefully they will fulfill this goal more
adequately.
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