I have always found the Arch Linux wiki https://wiki.archlinux.org/ a wonderful resource for information, installation guides, troubleshooting, etc. It's compact, but authoritative, so many non-Arch users also tap on it. The approach, to provide information only once at one place, correctly saves multipls searches and the problem of reading out of date tips form multiple sources.
Is there an equivalent for Jamulus? It's especially important that there is rapid development of the software, so what we used to understand about mute, pan and mono/stereo, record and gain is evolving as we read, and not easy to keep track of.
In addition we can chip in to provide user testing experience on interfaces, and compatibility / differences on different o/s. Some Jack Audio Connection Kit tips from users would be invaluable to linux users more used to pulse or alsa.
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@Gilgongo, thanks for reminding me about the Github Wiki. It's close to what I mean, but I see it more like a cookbook than a reference wiki.
It is very useful, and thank you for helping populate it with information. My small requests are:
Treat it as "The Official Jamulus wiki", and promote it so that it becomes the point of reference for Jamalus information. Now when I search (google) "jamulus record session", I get several discussions, blogs, together with the github wiki somewhere around #3. It would/should be #1, I think.
Perhaps consider adding more technical specifics - eg. what is "high" audio quality compared to "medium"? Include version info where it might be useful - "from ver 3.5.X Mute Myseld behaviour changed..."
Thanks!
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Your first point relates I think to the fact that the GitHub wiki is quite new. We only set it up a few months ago. Until then the Jamulus project only had minimal documentation of its own, and a wide variety of sources (such as the ones you mention) had stepped in to fill that gap over the 15 years the project as been alive. So Google may not see the wiki as very authoritative. The only practical way we can have it rise up in prominence is by people linking to it, preferably taking down their own content if it overlaps or is outdated by it. I expect it will become more visible over the next 12 to 18 months. Bear in mind also that the Jamulus docs are in two main parts: the wiki and the software manual.
As to your second point (and I know you mean the thing about audio quality as just an example, but it happens to be covered here - but it might be worth linking to it though from more places), software documentation is always a balance between including the right amount of detail while not making things look overwhelming for new users (I would not see the Archwiki as a good model in that regard, but the intended audience is very different). We have tried to adopt a "pyramid" structure on the wiki (going from high to low-level detail) for that reason. As to keeping track of version/feature changes, we have done so in the past (eg with the Central Server change), but I'm afraid that much more than that would be too much work right now as new versions and features are coming out too fast.
Ideally, we would have a better platform for documentation though as the current wiki is rather basic (not least as it can't be translated). I believe some thoughts on that have been discussed, but it's early days. Meanwhile, if you want to update the wiki, you can of course do so.
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Thanks @Gilgongo. I imagine the documentation takes a lot of time.
As I learn more where the sources of information are, I will try to get involved in the wiki, especially parts relating to using Linux, which is my primary o/s.
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Hi,
I have always found the Arch Linux wiki https://wiki.archlinux.org/ a wonderful resource for information, installation guides, troubleshooting, etc. It's compact, but authoritative, so many non-Arch users also tap on it. The approach, to provide information only once at one place, correctly saves multipls searches and the problem of reading out of date tips form multiple sources.
Is there an equivalent for Jamulus? It's especially important that there is rapid development of the software, so what we used to understand about mute, pan and mono/stereo, record and gain is evolving as we read, and not easy to keep track of.
In addition we can chip in to provide user testing experience on interfaces, and compatibility / differences on different o/s. Some Jack Audio Connection Kit tips from users would be invaluable to linux users more used to pulse or alsa.
There's the GitHub Wiki - is that what you mean?
@Gilgongo, thanks for reminding me about the Github Wiki. It's close to what I mean, but I see it more like a cookbook than a reference wiki.
It is very useful, and thank you for helping populate it with information. My small requests are:
Thanks!
Your first point relates I think to the fact that the GitHub wiki is quite new. We only set it up a few months ago. Until then the Jamulus project only had minimal documentation of its own, and a wide variety of sources (such as the ones you mention) had stepped in to fill that gap over the 15 years the project as been alive. So Google may not see the wiki as very authoritative. The only practical way we can have it rise up in prominence is by people linking to it, preferably taking down their own content if it overlaps or is outdated by it. I expect it will become more visible over the next 12 to 18 months. Bear in mind also that the Jamulus docs are in two main parts: the wiki and the software manual.
As to your second point (and I know you mean the thing about audio quality as just an example, but it happens to be covered here - but it might be worth linking to it though from more places), software documentation is always a balance between including the right amount of detail while not making things look overwhelming for new users (I would not see the Archwiki as a good model in that regard, but the intended audience is very different). We have tried to adopt a "pyramid" structure on the wiki (going from high to low-level detail) for that reason. As to keeping track of version/feature changes, we have done so in the past (eg with the Central Server change), but I'm afraid that much more than that would be too much work right now as new versions and features are coming out too fast.
Ideally, we would have a better platform for documentation though as the current wiki is rather basic (not least as it can't be translated). I believe some thoughts on that have been discussed, but it's early days. Meanwhile, if you want to update the wiki, you can of course do so.
Thanks @Gilgongo. I imagine the documentation takes a lot of time.
As I learn more where the sources of information are, I will try to get involved in the wiki, especially parts relating to using Linux, which is my primary o/s.