Contributing to Documentation Question

General questions
1

Hello,

With the recent changes to the LTS release it’s become apparent that the VyOS project needs more resources from it’s users. I really like the system and in a world where companies are increasingly treating their customers as cattle instead of customers I’d like to try and keep a few bastions of freedom alive. VyOS for me is a very useful platform and it’s enjoyable to use so I’d hate to see it whither or disappear.

I’m not a developer, have no network certifications and am what one would consider to be a jack of all trades, master of none… or a sys admin :slight_smile:

I like to document my processes for the benefit of improving the process, to make it available to others (since from others is how I’ve learned) and to keep it as a record for future troubleshooting etc.

But writing for a projects official documentation is intimidating. First, I’m concerned that I might not be able to contribute anything useful and second, who is going to audit what was contributed so that incorrect or poor information isn’t published? Or for novices such as myself, is it preferred that we stick to forum posts only and if they’re decent enough then move them into documentation?

I’d like to help more than just financially since healthy communities are what’s required to keep such projects running, so I’d like guidance on how to do that, specifically as it pertains to documentation. Even if I fail, it’s worth a try.

Thank you for providing a platform where computing is enjoyable, it’s like the 90s all over again for me :slight_smile:

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2

Hi,
Thanks for your intention to participate! Not everybody is a developer(and this is fine), and no one expects you to tackle complex tasks or topics, but still, there are many things you can do as a sysadmin/generalist.

Your suggestion about forum topics is a good example - if a question resurfaces occasionally, it’s probably a good candidate for documentation, or if there is some piece of information that
You can also check this page: Coverage — VyOS 1.5.x (circinus) documentation
Usage examples are another thing that can be helpful, will be an example of deployment in Azure or how to configure some particular scenario doesn’t matter

Of course, it will require effort and learning. We often hear, “It must be easy, and then I will start contributing.” That is a lie people use as an excuse not to do anything

Your fear is understandable; doing new stuff is always awkward, but this is how we learn.
We use Git (GitHub - vyos/vyos-documentation: VyOS readthedocs), and before your work is included in the documentation, team members will check it and suggest changes if necessary.

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