[tahoe-lafs-trac-stream] [tahoe-lafs] #1024: introductory docs are confusing and off-putting

[tahoe-lafs]

#1024: introductory docs are confusing and off-putting
-------------------------+-------------------------------------------------
     Reporter:  zooko    |      Owner:  marlowe
         Type:  defect   |     Status:  new
     Priority:  major    |  Milestone:  soon
    Component:           |    Version:  1.6.1
  documentation          |   Keywords:  docs install packaging website
   Resolution:           |  tahoe-run review-needed
Launchpad Bug:           |
-------------------------+-------------------------------------------------

Comment (by zooko):

 There was a discussion of distributed data stores and of Tahoe-LAFS on the
 p2p-hackers mailing list, and I asked people there to give us feedback on
 the [source:docs/quickstart.rst quickstart]. Serguei Osokine posted
 [http://lists.zooko.com/pipermail/p2p-hackers/2011-September/003019.html
 this reply]:

  On Thursday, September 01, 2011 Zooko O'Whielacronx wrote:
  > You would be more than welcome to jump in and help. Try following the
  > "quick start" instructions [2] and tell us how it works for you.

  Okay, let's see:

  "Check if you already have an adequate version of Python installed...

  Unpack the zip file and cd into the top-level directory...

  Run python setup.py build...

  On Windows, the build step might tell you to open a new Command Prompt..

  If the Tahoe-LAFS bin directory is not on your PATH, then in all the
  command lines below, specify the full path to bin/tahoe...

  To construct a client node, run "tahoe create-client", which will create
  ~/.tahoe to be the node's base directory. Acquire the introducer.furl
  (see below if you are running your own introducer, or use the one from
  the TestGrid page), and paste it after introducer.furl = in the [client]
  section of ~/.tahoe/tahoe.cfg. Then use "tahoe run ~/.tahoe". After
  that, the node should be off and running...

  By default, "tahoe create-client" creates a client-only node, that does
  not offer its disk space to other nodes. To configure other behavior,
  use "tahoe create-node"...

  To construct an introducer, create a new base directory for it (the name
  of the directory is up to you), cd into it, and run
  "tahoe create-introducer .". Now run the introducer using
  "tahoe start ."."

  Zooko, man... I love what you're doing, but you gotta be kidding. You
  want to use it with a few friends, or you want normal people to use it,
  too? This whole web site should say just this:

  "Run _setup.exe_. Use the drive Z: that will appear on your machine."

  The way it looks to me, only after you get installation down to this
  procedure (or something of comparable complexity - say, 19 words or
  less - you can start asking any other questions about why people are
  not using globally distributed P2P data archive. Of course, this stuff
  won't be sufficient for success - but it seems to be a necessary
  condition for one.

  Best wishes -
  S.Osokine.
  2 Sep 2011.

-- 
Ticket URL: <http://tahoe-lafs.org/trac/tahoe-lafs/ticket/1024#comment:22>
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