Two documentation points, both sort of related.
1) I've sort of begun the process of trying to decide how to do the
User Manual, and in the process written a shell of said Manual in Lyx.
I have tried to collect the helpful notes on compiling Maxima and
discuss the available graphical interfaces for a start, although that
isn't even a drop in the bucket, so to speak.
With regards to the point made earlier, about having the quick start as
the first chapter, my personal opinion is that we might want to keep
that a different document. All that information should be contained in
the manual, certainly, but the more I think about it I think we will be
better off if we have a short paper people can print, and then the
longer book-like effort as a different document. It would make things
a little simpler, since the tone of the two works will most likely be
quite different.
2) It would probably be very nice if we could get a history of
Macsyma/Maxima to include, just so people know where this thing
originated from and the twisted path it's taken to get here. :-) I'm
not qualified, certainly, and I was wondering if we had anyone here who
both has lots of knowledge of the history of Macsyma and it's various
offspring and would be willing to write a history up for the User
Manual. It's kind of neat that Maxima has such a long lineage, and it
would be kind of a shame not to document it. Maybe whoever accepts the
task can interview some of the key players in the history of this thing
and put the story togeather. Anyone interested?
CY
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