Other sources of documentation

WEBDEVDESTROYER2000 · 2026-07-05 16:39:38

I would like to ask a question concerning the future of documentation in Devuan. Will all documentation for Devuan remain on this forum, or will there be some kind of wiki or another site to help out with documentation? Just asking!

Uityyy · 2026-07-05 18:42:29

Since Devuan is mostly just Debian without SystemD, most things don't need separate documentation, and a lot of what you read in sources like the Debian Administrator's Handbook https://debian-handbook.info/browse/stable/ should still apply.

If anyone has actually created a centralized guidebook to "Administering Systems Without SystemD", I'm too green to know about it myself, and would like to see it. Devuan supports multiple init systems, so some things aren't going to be the same even across all Devuan systems.

Last edited by Uityyy (2026-07-05 18:43:29)

greenjeans · 2026-07-05 19:41:38

I would like to ask a question concerning the future of documentation in Devuan. Will all documentation for Devuan remain on this forum, or will there be some kind of wiki or another site to help out with documentation? Just asking!

Sounds like a job for a PHP programmer who's into web development!

golinux · 2026-07-05 20:14:16

Someone has quietly been working on the 4th or 5th attempt to create a viable wiki for several years. The only one that had any value (IMO) was the first which was self-hosted by a user and admined by a few of us who have been here since the fork. We eventually burned out and there was actually very little value in most of the content created by individuals scratching their own itch instead of content that would be valuable to other users.

IMO a wiki is a low priority project for Devuan. We need more hands on deck capable of dealing with the transformation of packages from Debian to Devuan and avoiding the onslaught of challenges being thrown at us by Debian and their corporate masters nearly daily. Focusing on a wiki is a bit like fiddling while Rome burns . . .

golinux · 2026-07-05 20:41:47

Sounds like a job for a PHP programmer who's into web development! wink

Several decades ago, I was lured into using PHP for parts of my websites and got badly burned by upgrades that would break the sites and require extensive reconstruction. On one complicated site, I went through the hassle of moving all that php data to a very long list of text archives that would never need to be touched again. They haven't needed any maintenance/reconstruction since then.

Uityyy · 2026-07-05 22:01:18

IMO a wiki is a low priority project for Devuan. We need more hands on deck capable of dealing with the transformation of packages from Debian to Devuan

I am a man prone to flit between many hobbies, but right now I'm building something based on Devuan and so interested in contributing back to the community a little, so feel free to shove problems in front of my nose in case I bite down and fix something.

golinux · 2026-07-05 22:27:33

Greetings Uityyy! Nice to see you on the forum . . .

Devuan contributors are 99% self-motivated. Since only you know you skills and interests, wouldn't it be more logical for you to hang around and if you see something that needs attention and piques your interest, just do what needs to be done and submit the fix? There are very few times I have ever asked someone to do something and then only after knowing them for some time. IOW . . . this is not a top down organization where we assign projects. If you see something that needs attention perhaps discuss it on our channels then just do it or not.

ralph.ronnquist · 2026-07-05 22:52:27

@Uityyy, the thing is, "Devuan" is not an organisation of "managers" waiting for "fly-by juniors" to give tasks to; no offence meant, but that image is kind of the expectation I read into your words.

To involve yourself in the Devuan project is different. It will require that you put yourself forward and take part and interest in the daily discourse (primarily on IRC discussions), and there step up to take on sorting out particular matters as needs and opportuinty arises.

You know and trust yourself I hope, but the key will be to become known and trusted among the Devuan group members, to then eventually be given opportunity for direct contribution to and responsibility for matters then at hand.

Thus: personal engagement to build trust and then eventually contribute towards the commons in the "cloak" of Devuan.

We do see people doing their own thing and publish their works on this forum. That's also good. Those are personal efforts fully driven by themselves, on the side of, rather than by, the Devuan project.

Uityyy · 2026-07-05 23:56:30

We need more hands on deck capable of dealing with the transformation of packages from Debian to Devuan

"Devuan" is not an organisation of "managers" waiting for "fly-by juniors" to give tasks to

As of today, if I were to say, "I have a few hours to spare, let's see if I can help transform a package from Debian to Devuan" I couldn't name a single one in need of attention because there isn't written wishlist anywhere. Hopefully that problem will solve itself now that I'm the DNG mailing list and the IRC and checking for new threads here more often, but what I'm saying is feel free to talk about your wishlists in front of me. I'm not looking to be given an assignment by a "Devuan manager", but I'm actively keeping my ears open for things that need doing.

ovi · 2026-07-06 19:18:22

In my opinion the question it self makes sense. A good example is the Void Linux documentation. Technically is just a simple site, pure HTML, no JS generated from an mdBook. As content has one goal for the users: how to make their system work. Is not Debian, Arch or OpenSUSE wiki. If the users needs details then they have to look for other sources depending or their needs and choices. Is small, comprehensive, it says what you have to do, not exactly how to do. Anyone who touched Void Linux appreciate their small wiki and is a very good reference for the system it self. And I think is the same for years, only some small updates time to time. And it attracts users. It's just a model, but I think it's a viable one that might be followed one day. That's just my humble opinion, though.

golinux · 2026-07-06 20:00:01

Uityyy wrote:

As of today, if I were to say, "I have a few hours to spare, let's see if I can help transform a package from Debian to Devuan" I couldn't name a single one in need of attention because there isn't written wishlist anywhere.

That is not how Devuan works. YOU need to ACTIVELY frequent places where bugs are reported like https://lists.dyne.org/lurker/list/devuan-dev.en.html and if one suits your skills, take it on and fix it. Didn't rrq explain that to you a few posts up?

rbit · 2026-07-06 21:12:17

There's this page, if you like trying to reproduce/fix bugs... https://bugs.devuan.org/db/ix/full.html

golinux · 2026-07-06 22:37:37

Thanks rbit . . . I had totally forgotten about that page since I'm not maintaining Devuan's websites anymore.

The officially official Devuan Forum!

#1 2026-07-05 16:39:38

Other sources of documentation

#2 2026-07-05 18:42:29

Re: Other sources of documentation

#3 2026-07-05 19:41:38

Re: Other sources of documentation

#4 2026-07-05 20:14:16

Re: Other sources of documentation

#5 2026-07-05 20:41:47

Re: Other sources of documentation

#6 2026-07-05 22:01:18

Re: Other sources of documentation

#7 2026-07-05 22:27:33

Re: Other sources of documentation

#8 2026-07-05 22:52:27

Re: Other sources of documentation

#9 2026-07-05 23:56:30

Re: Other sources of documentation

#10 2026-07-06 19:18:22

Re: Other sources of documentation

#11 2026-07-06 20:00:01

Re: Other sources of documentation

#12 2026-07-06 21:12:17

Re: Other sources of documentation

#13 2026-07-06 22:37:37

Re: Other sources of documentation

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