human-readable instructions

[tom_d]

ALL instructions that look like the first reply here
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/index.php?topic=7599.0

crisp, step-by-step, such that encourages new users (such as moi . . . ) to continue

not like this
http://kubuntu.org/announcements/kde-354.php
which says absolutely nothing and is of no use whatever unless you're already totally familiar and at ease . . .

it took me almost three hours to get from the latter to the former . . . it shouldn't be that hard. "a clear focus on the user and usability (it should "Just Work", TM)" is what the philosophy says . . .

While here, I'd also like to know who is responsible for the establishment of the seemingly universal convention in *.*nix instructions that puts whatever instructions are there in 1font, and the console syntax at about 1/3font so you can't see what it says . . . I don't want to just paste it in line after line- I want to be able to read it and try to understand and learn something . . .

[aysiu]

Re: human-readable instructions

Actually, the console font in the second link (the "bad" instructions) were pretty darn big.

It seems you have a problem with how this particular forum (Kubuntu Forums) handles fonts for code.

[kubicle]

Re: human-readable instructions

While here, I'd also like to know who is responsible for the establishment of  the seemingly universal convention in *.*nix instructions that puts whatever instructions are there in 1font, and the console syntax at about 1/3font so you can't see what it says . . . I don't want to just paste it in line after line- I want to be able to read it and try to understand and learn something . . .

Most browsers allow you to set the minimum size of fonts on webpages, perhaps that will help you get a more readable fixed-width fonts?

not like this
http://kubuntu.org/announcements/kde-354.php
which says absolutely nothing and is of no use whatever unless you're already totally familiar and at ease . . .

I agree that the kubuntu.org instructions could be a bit more elaborate in describing the prodecure of updating

[Fenyx]

Re: human-readable instructions

which says absolutely nothing and is of no use whatever unless you're already totally familiar and at ease . . .

You hit the nail right on the head, and IMHO that's the exact purpose why KDE updates that are made available are presented in that format.

Changing from one version of KDE to another is not as simple as merely upgrading just a dozen apps. It's almost like upgrading from one Kubuntu release to another. One has to be a bit careful and ,I'd dare say, needs a certain level of familiarity already.

Another thing is that the updates being made available through Kubuntu.org or through dapper-backports are updates that are not absolutely necessary. Think of them more as "gifts". You're free to use them or stay with the stable side.

About the convention of using different fonts, it's usually done like that to differentiate normal text from text that should be put verbatim into the command line. However, the exact size of the fonts can be adjusted in your browser.

Nevertheless you do have a point. They could probably give better instructions. Maybe in future announcements...

Btw, one of the instructions in the thread you linked to doesn't apply to upgrading to KDE 3.5.4. You need to do Full Upgrade for that.

[tom_d]

Re: human-readable instructions

"Most browsers allow you to set the minimum size of fonts on webpages, perhaps that will help you get a more readable fixed-width fonts"

most people don't know that, or don't care. And why should they? it's just supposed to work. And if Linux in general and k/ubuntu in particular are truly interested in getting the majority to change, "a clear focus on the user and usability (it should "Just Work", TM)" has to be more than soother sweetener

Fiat
(just in case anyone's into Latin or outomotive history . . .)

[tom_d]

Re: human-readable instructions

Actually, the console font in the second link (the "bad" instructions) were pretty darn big.

It seems you have a problem with how this particular forum (Kubuntu Forums) handles fonts for code.

acually, what I said was:
"the seemingly universal convention in *.*nix instructions that puts whatever instructions are there in 1font, and the console syntax at about 1/3font so you can't see what it says"
not specifically "this particular forum"

btw the one exception you note does not disprove my point

[Fenyx]

Re: human-readable instructions

Actually, it's not just a *nix convention. If you look at almost any computer book, most things that are supposed to be typed in the computer are set in a different font from the rest of the text. Even HTML has specific tags for this, and so do most forum software. But the web page probably uses CSS, so they could probably change the font size.

Btw, I hope you would be glad that the suggestion to make the update instructions more newbie-friendly has been heard and, in a way, approved. All that's needed now is for someone to provide a "patch"/edit for those pages.

Cheers!

[aysiu]

Re: human-readable instructions

It's not one exception. I haven't seen this anywhere--1/3 the font size for console...? It's not my job to disprove your 1/3-size assertion. It's your job to prove it, and since you provided only two examples, I'm merely showing you that even the example you provided does not support your assertion.

The convention is actually to have a different font (usually fixed width like Courier or Bitstream Vera Sans Mono). I've seen that in books, in forums, on webpages.

Please, if you really see this 1/3 size thing, provide at least four links to show it's really a pattern.
Here are four links that go against your whole 1/3 size idea:
http://doc.ubuntu.com/kubuntu/deskto...C/apt-get.html
http://doc.gwos.org/index.php/GnomeKeyboardShortcut
http://ubuntuguide.org/wiki/Dapper#H...ent_.28gFTP.29
http://searchopensource.techtarget.c...ubuntu-ch4.pdf

As you can see, in all four cases (all Ubuntu/Kubuntu documentation), the console fonts are the same size as the regular fonts. Same size, different font. That's the way it should be.

[Nirvana]

Re: human-readable instructions

JPatrick did write this in the Documentation section... all that needed to be done was swap breezy for dapper

http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...sg3021#msg3021