diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'modules/ROOT/pages/index.adoc')
| -rw-r--r-- | modules/ROOT/pages/index.adoc | 63 |
1 files changed, 63 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/modules/ROOT/pages/index.adoc b/modules/ROOT/pages/index.adoc new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6ca7813 --- /dev/null +++ b/modules/ROOT/pages/index.adoc @@ -0,0 +1,63 @@ += Alpine User Handbook + +== What is It? +This is the Alpine User Handbook, an effort to centralize relevant Alpine Linux information. +This handbook contains installations instructions for a typical user, as well as information for working with relevant system components. + +This handbook will focus on the traditional "to disk" style of installation, and target primarily desktop and server systems. +If your use-case is different, you should be sufficiently familiar with Linux, and can consult the Developer Handbook and manual pages for further details. + +== Where to Get Help? +// MAINT: mailing lists and irc channels +If you run into problems, you can ask for help in the irc://chat.freenode.net/#alpine-linux[#alpine-linux] irc channel, available on the freenode network. + +You can also send an email to the mailto:alpine-user@lists.alpinelinux.org[Alpine-User] mailing list. + +== How to Contribute? +// MAINT: irc channels +If you believe you can help with the documentation project, or have a specific improvement in mind, you can join the irc://chat.freenode.net/#alpine-docs[#alpine-docs] irc channel, to offer help or submit your patch. + +// TODO: add link to developer handbook once it's done +If you want to help with Alpine itself, please head over to the Developer Handbook instead. + +== Conventions +This is, ultimately, a technical document. +As such, it is impossible to escape having *some* technical jargon and conventions. +Here are a few things to watch out for, in case you are new to computing or Linux. + +=== Definitions + +BIOS:: +Basic Input-Output System - a very simple program that runs immediately after POST. +Used on older computers to perform configuration and initially execute the bootloader. +Bootloader:: +A small program whose job it is to execute the kernel, load the initial runtime filesystem, and pass any arguments necessary to them to ensure booting happens. +Kernel:: +The core program of the operating system - present in all operating systems. +POST:: +Power-On Self Test - a process all modern computers go through at the very start of its booting process, immediately after pressing the power button. +Root:: +The root user is the owner of the system - think of it like a super administrator - it has all the rights that are possible to have. +It is not intended for day-to-day use. +Shell:: +A program that can interpret what you type into it as an instruction to execute commands or programs on your disk in a specific way. +Terminal emulator:: +A display or window, usually with a black background and white font, that can host a shell. +UEFI:: +Unified Extendible Firmware Interface - a more complex and more flexibile replacement for the BIOS, that can, however, make manual and automatic setup more complex and difficult, under some circumstances. + +=== Shell +When you see a block like the one that follows, that is usually a "command" you can run. + +[source,sh] +---- +run --this command +---- + +This means you should insert that text, or something similar to it (read the explanation surrounding these!) into your terminal emulator. +Usually, you can do these commands as a normal user. +However, sometimes, root privileges are required. +In these cases, the handbook should mention that you must run the command as root. +No document is perfect, however, so if you see output along the lines of "permission denied", you can try running it again as root, to see if the situation improves. + +// TODO: once this is public, and the mailing list is setup, modify to mention that |