Re: Moving the handbooks to the wiki

On 12/08/14 05:43, Sven Vermeulen wrote:
> Hi all
>
> Just a heads-up for everybody - more information will follow of course.
>
> I have started copying the Gentoo handbooks to the Gentoo Wiki. Through
> transclusion and semantic wiki, which is supported on Gentoo Wiki, we are
> able to do similar reuse of blocks for the architectures.
>
> Given the low resources we are currently having, I think the move to the
> wiki will help us with keeping the instructions up to date.
>
> For now, please do not touch anything in the "Handbook:" namespace of the
> wiki as I'm going through the effort of migrating it.
>
> Information on translations and so on will follow.
>
> Wkr,
> 	Sven Vermeulen
>
>


FANTASTIC! Good job!

OK, so, just so you know, the gentoo-embedded-handbook is excellent, but
in need of expansion to support either more sections, or a document 
linked that is more focus on those new to embedded gentoo. I'm not
a gentoo-dev, but I'm hoping to include this work on the gentoo-wiki,
support the dev that is over the gentoo-embedded handbook, or move
it off of gentoo wiki. That is a decision that you and the 
gentoo-embedded herd need to make.

Here is my recent email:





On 12/06/14 14:24, [email protected] wrote:
 > wireless <[email protected]> [14-12-06 20:12]:
 >> On 12/06/14 13:38, [email protected] wrote:
 >>> Hi,
 >>>
 >>> recently I bought a great little Linux board: Arietta G25
 >>> (http://www.acmesystems.it/arietta)
 >>>
 >>> Since I like Gentoo I installed it instead of the provided Debian
 >>> system.  The system I used to compile the kernel is -- of course -- a
 >>> Gentoo -- Linux PC.
 >>
 >>
 >> Fantastic effort there Meino!
 >>
 >> Ok, so looking here:
 >>
 >> http://www.gentoo.org/proj/en/base/embedded/
 >>
 >> I cannot determine who is the one to contact to
 >> get this offering of current information, correctly
 >> formatted to be included in the "boards" section
 >> of the gentoo embedded handbook?
 >>
 >> Next point, Meino has offered up a great bit of information
 >> that surely does not belong in the Gentoo embedded handbook,
 >> but is a great resource to encourage others how to go about
 >> hacking away at a gentoo embedded project. So I think the
 >> original email can be listed somewhere for others newer to
 >> embedded gentoo hacking, as an example. Where would this
 >> be placed? Linked to the handbook as "references" or "notes" or
 >> "appendix 1"  or such?
 >>
 >>
 >> Also, if there is a format we want folks to follow should the
 >> gentoo embedded project page have a suggested format to follow?
 >>
 >> Many of those listing in the board section merely contain:
 >>
 >> 1. Board specifications
 >> 2. /proc/cpuinfo
 >>
 >> Maybe the full possible format (optional for the contributor)
 >> could have these additional categories:
 >>
 >> make.conf
 >>
 >> bootstrap/init details
 >>
 >> installed packages
 >>
 >> cross compiling details
 >>
 >> Native compiling details
 >>
 >> Special code/hacks included
 >> (such as netconsole.c)
 >>
 >> Libraries
 >> ulibC, musl, bionic, glibc
 >>
 >> languages
 >>
 >> Added hardware, such as a relay board to
 >> power up and down other electronics as an example.
 >>
 >> So, being a long time reader of gentoo embedded, I understand that
 >> most folks in the gentoo-embedded-project space, are busy and have
 >> a very deep and strong background in embedded linux. I also understand
 >> that they do not need a robustly maintained gentoo-embedded-handbook.
 >> But, if we are to encourage others to learn and develop into strong
 >> gentoo-embedded hackers, then we should provide a pathway for their
 >> needs. Expanding the scope of the gentoo-embedded-manual or creating
 >> an ancillary document, with many more simplified steps, would be
 >> an excellent first step to revitalizing gentoo-embedded, imho.
 >>
 >> Personally, I'd like to see what the 64Bit arm devs have in mind for
 >> the Gentoo embedded handbook, or as a minimized full (stage?) offering?
 >> I've just been waiting for 64Bit arm boards to come down a bit in
 >> price; ymmv.
 >>
 >> I will defer to the leadership decision of the gentoo-embedded-project
 >> team.
 >>
 >> sincerely,
 >> James Horton
 >>
 >
 >
 > Hi James,
 > *thank you for your kind words!*

We're pals right? If so, lifting each other up
is very, very important.

 > If I understand it correctly, there are some things
 > missing in my initial posting, which are:

 > cat /proc/cpuinfo
 > make.conf
 > Detailed description of the boards hardware

good start. It may be sufficient. Let's wait on some
wider feedback before you do more than this. OK?


 > What do you mean with "bootstrap/init" details?
 > I simply compiled atp1bootsrap (acmessytems version)
 > and it works...I have the strong feeling off missing
 > something very important here...


http://stackoverflow.com/questions/25232850/difference-between-bootloader-and-bootstrap-loader


 > I did not hack the kernel ... even the serial debug
 > connector of the board was not used.

Ok, we'll worry about this once we get something officially
posted and folks try to use it and have questions.
 >
 > What is missing to complete my posting?

Those categories I listed are an expanded list. You may
not need to put something in all of those categories
I listed. I am "jamming up" the gentoo embedded project
to think about embedded hackers like us. To make provisions
for such and give them ample opportunity to work with us,
before forming a noobs-embedded-gentoo group that works with
new embedded folks and provides much more of a 'turn-key'
embedded experience within gentoo.

 >
 > Best regards,
 > Meino

None may even respond. At that point, I start a new embedded gentoo
project, for guys just like us. OK?


James