Have you read the Rockbox Manual?

[bluebrother]

Well, I just saved the stuff as plain text and its a bit cumbersome.

I don't consider this as cumbersome ... on a linux box, you can generate a text version with the following line:

Code: [Select]

$ for i in *.html; do links -dump -no-numbering -no-references $i > `basename $i html`txt; done(assuming you have links installed). This removes all links from the output and creates text files with the same name as the input files but the extension txt. Just run it from within the html directory.

As the installation archives are for distribution of rockbox itself I don't think it would be feasible to include a text version of the manual as every update (and thus download) would include it. But for the release version there already arised the idea of including the manual in the download archives and as far as I got the discussion this will happen, most probably the pdf version.

[keuleJ]

OK, maybe I have to try it with links or something.
I tried it with Firefox and saved the pages as text-only. Unfortunately I couldn't display them correctly on my iriver. It stoped in the middle of the 2nd line. Anybody an idea what's the problem?

[bluebrother]

I don't think anyone can help you here with this description -- maybe there's something wrong with your file, or the text viewer has a problem. Perhaps some settings. I just tried the text version I generated as stated above (h120) and it worked nicely.
For discussion of the display issue in the text viewer please use the plugins forum as this isn't related to the manual anymore. Thanks.

[Cassandra]

Hmm.  The poll doesn't come with an option for "I wrote large chunks of the manual", does it?

No, no, I'm not dead.  Just been busy dealing with other things for a while.

[Febs]

Heh!  Nah, no poll option for that because we know that everyone who reads that manual will see, "© 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 The Rockbox Team and its contributors, © 2004 Christi Alice Scarborough, © 2003 José Maria Garcia-Valdecasas Bernal & Peter Schlenker."

 

Good to see you around.

[psycho_maniac]

I've not read the whole manual. i started using rockbox since it started on the h120 so i reallly didnt need it as i explored all the settings by myself but needed help sometimes like the search feature, but now since i haven't used a player with rockbox id probably have to skim the manual as i was using my player

[adam917]

Before loading my first Rockbox version, I read the whole thing. Now, I skim it for new stuff right before my next update.

[kuuan]

3rd option, referred to, but not read/skimmed all
quite intuitive, but I never got into playlists asf. for which I'd need to refer to the manual

came inside the forum now because I had problems with an rockbox update.
now after solving it I refered to the manual to find out again that it is the 'Browse .wps files' in the A/B > general settings > display where I can find my theme again ( which one was it?.. quite tiring having to go through each, checking how each looks during playback )

[squinty]

I didn't vote in your poll since you had no question that related to my use of the Manual.  

I have knowledge of the Manual, and have downloaded a copy for my reference after I first loaded Rockbox.  

I skimmed through the index only, for anything that I felt I may have needed to know that I hadn't found elsewhere or figured out on my own.  

My only major use of the manual was previous to the problem I posted about last night.  I tried doing a reload of the gigabeat software, then going back for a fresh install of the latest build.  Somewhere along the way, I managed to lock up the installation.  I made use of the search function in the PDF to find the error code details, and found out what I needed to do to correct the problem.  Of course, searching in the Manual for the problem I am having that I posted on, didn't return what I was looking for, so it was time to ask for some expert advice in this forum.

Regarding manuals in general, I find reading them cover to cover, a useless effort.  Most of what I read won't sink in, because if it isn't something I am directly doing or looking at on the program or device, it will never be remembered.   A couple years ago, I needed to learn drawing with a CAD program.  I was having a hard time at first, so I printed off about 500 pages of the program manual for reference.  I think I looked at it once on a trip when I had some spare time.  The only way I learned how to use that program was to jump in and play with it, occasionally searching the online manual and printing off another sheet describing the function for immediate reference.  It was certainly easier than thumbing through all the pages I printed off.

So now, if I install a new program, I'll at least try using it just a bit to explore functions.  If I need more info to use it, the help page is usually all I need, and if there is a search function, I'll start there before I read every page.  

Ken    

[Sambolina3]

I read the whole thing after I lost all of the stuff on my iPod now I just use it for referance.

[princessblacklung]

I read nearly the whole manual out of necessity.

I personally feel that both the manual and the site are in need of editing/reorganization. The install explaination etc. could definitely be made easier for less technical people. I think the almost all pertinent info is there, but:

1. it's hard to find. The wiki could use a few more subheadings and inter-wiki links
2. sometimes the manual makes assumptions about the user's technical expertise... I think without bottle-feeding readers some portions could at least be stated more clearly.

I'm going to sign up for editing permissions on the wiki today.

[GodEater]

By all means feel free to submit patches for the manual too if you think you could improve on it.

[knight4led]

I voted that I've skimmed the manual and referenced parts when needed. I feel my knowledge of the manual is deeper than that, I have extensively read it with regards to the database, WPS and other such customization topics.

For creating your first WPS it is invaluable, but it still lacks a few tags that exist within Rockbox currently like the real time clock tags. Also the discussion of tags for the upcoming song should either be moved or copied to the WPS tags section not the advanced topics.

I would also recommend some more about customizing the database view. At least a reference to the wiki pages would be helpful. This is something I plan to learn about and having this info in the manual rather than the wiki would make it readable most of the time when internet isn't available.

[bascule]

...having this info in the manual rather than the wiki would make it readable most of the time when internet isn't available...

This is something I think about a lot, but never have time to do. Ideally, I'd like to copy some whole Wiki pages into the manual, but I'm not sure what the policy on manual bloat is...

Maybe there should be a set of downloadable manual appendicies that are basically re-worked Wiki content?

[Febs]

@princessblacklung and @knight4led:

If there are things that you feel are missing from the manual, or things that could be stated better, the best thing to do is to submit a patch to our Flyspray patch tracker under the category "Manual."  If you are familiar with LaTeX, you can submit an actual patch that can be applied directly to the manual source files.  If not, you can simply describe your suggested changes.  Whichever way you choose to do it, we always welcome constructive suggestions.

Obviously, the more specific you can be, the better the chances are that your changes will be incorporated.  For example, if you simply submit a patch saying "the description of tag X is missing from the WPS chapter," it is less likely to be addressed than if you actually write the description that needs to be included.