[Asterisk-doc] Future of asterisk Document!

[Ariel Batista]

Sorry that this is a new thread! But the one over the conference did not
seem correct for my statements.  Please note that I am fairly new to
Asterisk about 10 months and only about the same for Linux!  With very
little known about telephones.  I come from the Microsoft Network
Engineering Group. (MSCE, Citrix, Novell (from 2.1 to 5.0)  I have been
working with networks for more then 16 years now! So there is some
information about Linux has filter in during that time.  But I am what you
call the normal IT person that would be in charge of the new companies
Internet/Software phone switch! I lost allot of time due to there is no real
documentation.  I almost just pulled the plug on this installation due to
this!  I found out about the Sunday night call this morning! I don't check
my emails during the weekend.  Most IT people leave work and hope to forget
it during the weekend.

1) First problem is assuming Linux or FreeBSD or any Unix clone know-how!
There too many distro's that Asterisk is being used for that this gets
clouded!  Let me try to explain!  Updates, CVS, Networking all play a part
in getting Asterisk correctly up and running.  Without these covered in some
way will put a person at least 2 month behind!  There is many ways to
install and put files in Linux.  /urs/src/  /home/urs/scr /urs/local/scr
just a few of the starting points I have found between RH 9, Fedora,
Slackware, Debian.  FreeBSD I have never tried and frankly feel that we need
to get to a point that we say this works on this and only this distro!  We
should  tread this product like a server and just have the server do
Asterisk! Plain and simple lets get this down to basic's.  What does a
server do! Well you will need to have the following installed libraries.
This is almost not stated any place. You just say pick your favorite Linux
build and work from that! (This is wrong due to most come configured with
either kde or gnome one them).

2) This should be put in a easy to read format! With many examples not just
do GotoIF(Condition?label1:label2)  This almost drives someone nuts!
Remember we are trying to install this product for the first time! Not
assuming they have programming skills!  The samples when we install asterisk
and make samples have good information. But it does not explain logic that
is needed.  We need to start listing why we do something!  This will allow
people to learn the rules quicker.

3) Index of telephone terms should be one of the first things we need to
state. Maybe a good place to go to the back and go through the terms we
need.  TDM, VoIp, GSM Ulaw, Alaw g.729, ztdummy,zapata after the first few
pages we are again over loaded with new terms.  So we need to have a good
section for the terms.

4) Maybe we should have 2 documents.  One for the newbie which is what is
really needed now! 2nd is for advanced users!  Lets please the first one
first! Newbie is what we need to start addressing. In the very first pages
we need to have links to the Wiki, (It took me 2 months to understand what
people were saying go to the wiki) examples digiums web pages, How to get on
the mailing list, how to go to the IRC all this needs to be explained. Also
the correct place for getting the CVS's or RPM what ever is needed to get
started.
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\____\_     Ariel Batista
/        /
        /         Avionica, Inc.
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abatista@avionica.com
Ph: 786-544-1114
Fx: 305-574-0212