Anything about when the usermanual for 4.8.0 will surface?
Why is it delayed more than a few days?
Not currently.
The very few people who volunteer to write it haven’t had time or energy to write it.
The docs are open, and pretty much literally anyone can help out, but very few people every actually do.
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I would like to set this up on the host but there isnt even a 4.8 branch yet. all the scripts and the config on the host are prepared for 4.8 now.
Hmmm yes I will branch off in the morning.
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I keep asking for contributors; I keep watching the tumbleweed.
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A container has been connected to version 4.8 showing:
composite (placeholder), empty.
Is there an ETA for the completion?
I’m not sure there’s even an ETA for starting. I still don’t understand why developers won’t write documentation for their own features.
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In some contexts the saying is “the job isn’t finished before the paperwork is done”.
Ought that also to be a requirement before new dt functions are finally merged into the main branch?
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Not my decision I’m afraid
More people could help? Then there would be less work
Could you say some words about how?
I’m willing to help, but I’m not sure how to help with the handbook. On the new stuff I don’t really know how it works. Even some of the old modules I never understood completely.
So is there some notes of the developers which just have to be translated in to a proper text?
How do I know that if I work on a description for some part noone else is doing the same at that moment?
Sorry if that sounds stupid, but I have only helped so far with translating strings for Foss apps (via transifex or translationfile on github) or I delivered some graphics and icons. I have no clue how to do work like writing a handbook.
I think if this is the case then trying to write new text for the manual is probably not for you. But you could use the existing manual and raise issues when you find something you don’t understand or is not clear.
Sometimes such a thing exists, but often that text reflects the first iteration of the module and subsequent changes (either in the initial pull request or subsequent pull requests) aren’t included. Ultimately it’s a lot of work if you’re not the developer, to collate the various pieces of work, test them against the module and then write something coherent and complete. This is why it’s usually easier for the original developer to write at least the first draft of the documents (and also why I haven’t found the time/motivation to do it so far for this release).
Short answer: you don’t. Though the maintainers are on the darktable IRC channel so you can ask there.
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Wouldn’t it be easier and faster - though probably against ideal practise - if the creators of the latest major three modules wrote the explanations for the manual. For my part I don’t mind the direct stuff from the horses’ mouth.
They should also be able to provide the original ideas about how they imagined some features to work and serve. Such ideas would be very interesting to read about.
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Yes
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I found a 4.8 manual (and a 4.9 one) online, yesterday. Are they correct or just placeholders??
https://docs.darktable.org/usermanual/4.8/en/
darktable 4.9 user manual - darktable is titled as “darktable 4.9 user manual”
They’re just placeholders. There is some draft 4.8 content but it’s not merged yet
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This “4.9” looks good, includes the new tools. Thank you, Tim.
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