Introduction

During the first half of 2008, we're re-writing the Launchpad user guide. These mini-specs are each linked to blueprints stored in Launchpad.

If you'd like to help out with writing this documentation, please read our [:DocTeam/StyleGuide:style guide] and [:DocTeam/ReviewProcess:review process], then find out about [:DocTeam:joining the Launchpad Documentation team].

User guide overview

The new Launchpad user guide will describe how to use each Launchpad, taking over from the current FeatureHighlights guide and much other material currently on the Launchpad Help wiki.

Each wiki page of the guide should standalone, for those readers dipping in and out of the guide, but should also gel coherently with the rest of the guide.

Anchor(welcome)

launchpad-2008-user-guide-welcome

Blueprint: https://blueprints.launchpad.net/launchpad-documentation/+spec/launchpad-2008-user-guide-welcome

• Overview: A high level overview of Launchpad and its applications, intended as a jumping-off point for other documentation.
• Goal/Deliverables: An article at help.launchpad.net and a corresponding link on the help home page.
• Full spec: none
• Depends on: n/a

This guide will be ready for review when it has:

• Welcome: brief overview of Launchpad, its benefits and the ideas upon which it is based
• Creating a Launchpad account: explain the benefits of a Launchpad account, show the steps required to create and make the most of an account. Include "finding your way around your Launchpad account".

• ChangingYourPassword

• DeactivatingYourAccount

• CreatingAnSSHKeyPair
• ImportingYourOpenPGPKey
• ReadingOpenPGPMail

• KarmaCalculation.

Anchor(bug-tracker-overview)

bug-tracker-overview

• Overview: A high level introduction to the Launchpad Bug Tracker.

• Goal/Deliverables: An article at help.launchpad.net and a corresponding link in the WhatIsLaunchpad page.

• Full spec: none
• Depends on: n/a

This guide will be ready for review when it has:

• high level description of the Launchpad bug tracker
• introduction to multi-project bugs
• introduction to external bug watches
• overview of the email interface
• introduction to integration with Code Hosting

• examples of projects using the Launchpad Bug Tracker.

Anchor(code-hosting-overview)

code-hosting-overview

• Overview: A high level introduction to Launchpad Code Hosting.

• Goal/Deliverables: An article at help.launchpad.net and a corresponding link in the WhatIsLaunchpad page.

• Full spec: none
• Depends on: n/a

This guide will be ready for review when it has:

• high level description of managing revision history using Bazaar
• explanation of why projects and individuals might want to host/mirror code on Launchpad
• introduction to CVS/SVN import and an explanation of how people can access that code with Bzr and why

• overview of the branch directory, mentioning links to blueprints and bugs.

Anchor(translations-overview)

translations-overview

• Overview: A high level introduction to Launchpad Translations.

• Goal/Deliverables: An article at help.launchpad.net and a corresponding link in the WhatIsLaunchpad page.

• Full spec: none
• Depends on: n/a

This guide will be ready for review when it has:

• high level description of the need for a simple way for translators to translate, without touching .po files directly
• explanation of the collaborative nature of Launchpad Translations and the benefits therein
• mention of: suggestions, translation team policies, standards compatible file export and import

• links to some of the projects using Launchpad Translations.

Anchor(blueprint-overview)

blueprint-overview

• Overview: A high level introduction to Launchpad's Blueprint Tracker.

• Goal/Deliverables: An article at help.launchpad.net and a corresponding link in the WhatIsLaunchpad page.

• Full spec: none
• Depends on: n/a

This guide will be ready for review when it has:

• high level description of what blueprints are
• explanation of: priority, definition status, delivery, assignee, targeting
• introduction to dependencies and road maps
• introduction to meetings/sprints
• mention of use of existing wiki

• mention of ability for anyone to create a blueprint but project drivers to decide what is implemented.

Anchor(answers-overview)

answers-overview

• Overview: A high level introduction to Launchpad's Answer Tracker.

• Goal/Deliverables: An article at help.launchpad.net and a corresponding link in the WhatIsLaunchpad page.

• Full spec: none
• Depends on: n/a

This guide will be ready for review when it has:

• problem of community knowledge being spread amongst various resources
• need to make that knowledge searchable and discoverable
• karma as a motivator
• answer tracking - make sure questions stand a better chance of getting answers
• answer contacts - as above and chance for good community involvement.

Anchor(file-downloads-qsg)

file-downloads-qsg

This guide will be ready for review when it has:

• brief explanation of file downloads as a way to serve Windows, Mac and non-Ubuntu Linux users
• explanation of link between releases and file downloads
• step by step guide to go from knowing nothing of file downloads to having your first file available to download.

Anchor(register-your-project-qsg)

register-your-project-qsg

• Overview: Step by step guide to registering a project in Launchpad.
• Goal/Deliverables: An article at help.launchpad.net.
• Full spec: none
• Depends on:

This guide will be ready for review when it has:

• brief overview of how projects work in Launchpad, project groups and how they relate to the Launchpad applications
• step by step guide to registering a project in Launchpad.

Anchor(bug-tracker-for-new-project-qsg)

bug-tracker-for-new-project-qsg

This guide will be ready for review when it has:

• brief overview of Bug Tracker benefits
• step by step guide to configuring Launchpad for use as the bug tracker for a new project (i.e. without existing bug history) or for a project that doesn't want to preserve an existing bug history.

Anchor(bug-tracker-for-existing-project-qsg)

bug-tracker-for-existing-project-qsg

• Overview: Step by step guide to preparing the Launchpad Bug Tracker for an existing project
• Goal/Deliverables: An article at help.launchpad.net.
• Full spec: none
• Depends on: bug-tracker-overview, register-a-project

This guide will be ready for review when it has:

• brief overview of Bug Tracker benefits
• explanation of the options available to projects who want to import an existing bug history

• step by step guide to configuring Launchpad for use as the bug tracker for a project with an existing bug history that is to be preserved.

Anchor(translations-for-project-qsg)

translations-for-project-qsg

• Overview: Step by step guide to preparing Launchpad Translations for use with a project
• Goal/Deliverables: An article at help.launchpad.net.
• Full spec: none
• Depends on: translations-overview, register-a-project

This guide will be ready for review when it has:

• brief introduction to Launchpad Translations as a web interface to work with GNU GetText files and the collaborative nature of translating software

• step by step guide to setting up your project to translation with Launchpad, at the Launchpad side

• links to information on using GetText in a project.

Anchor(project-code-hosting-with-bzr-qsg)

project-code-hosting-with-bzr-qsg

• Overview: Step by step guide to hosting Bazaar branches for a project
• Goal/Deliverables: An article at help.launchpad.net.
• Full spec: none
• Depends on: code-hosting-overview, register-a-project

This guide will be ready for review when it has:

• brief introduction to Code Hosting for a project
• links to further information on Bazaar
• introduction to team branches and the different models of Bazaar version control

• step by step guide to setting up Code Hosting for a project in Launchpad.

Anchor(individual-code-hosting-with-bzr-qsg)

individual-code-hosting-with-bzr-qsg

• Overview: Step by step guide to hosting Bazaar branches for an individual.
• Goal/Deliverables: An article at help.launchpad.net.
• Full spec: none
• Depends on: code-hosting-overview, register-a-project

This guide will be ready for review when it has:

• brief introduction to Code Hosting for an individual developer
• brief explanation of how they can use the in conjunction with a project or team
• links to further information on Bazaar

• step by step guide to setting uploading or mirroring a branch, branching an existing hosted branch, associating a with a project.

Anchor(registering-a-blueprint-qsg)

registering-a-blueprint-qsg

• Overview: Step by step guide to registering a blueprint
• Goal/Deliverables: An article at help.launchpad.net.
• Full spec: none
• Depends on: blueprint-tracker-overview, register-a-project

This guide will be ready for review when it has:

• step by step guide to registering a blueprint against a project
• explanation of the need to use an external wiki, or other place to store wiki body
• link to info on writing a good blueprint

• explanation of the different roles.

Anchor(using-answer-track-for-project-qsg)

using-answer-track-for-project-qsg

• Overview: Step by step guide to using the Answer Tracker for a project
• Goal/Deliverables: An article at help.launchpad.net.
• Full spec: none
• Depends on: answer-tracker-overview, register-a-project

This guide will be ready for review when it has:

• a step by step guide that shows a project owner how to start using the Answer Tracker for their project
• brief explanation of answer contacts
• introduction to linking to bugs
• info about question subscribers

• explanation of question statuses.

[Anchor(becoming-an-answer-contact-qsg)]]

becoming-an-answer-contact-qsg

• Overview: Step by step guide to answering questions in the Answer Tracker and becoming a project's answer contact.
• Goal/Deliverables: An article at help.launchpad.net.
• Full spec: none
• Depends on: answer-tracker-overview, register-a-project

This guide will be ready for review when it has:

• step by step guide to finding and answering a question, subscribing and becoming an answer contact.

Anchor(asking-a-question-qsg)

asking-a-question-qsg

This guide will be ready for review when it has a step by step guide to finding to asking a support question.