DocHost for the future, a wish list item
One of the features I really like about SuSE Linux is DocHost. If you aren't familiar with it, it is a web server which provides you access to most of the documentation on a SuSE host. It is quite similar to the local help system, but can be accessed from any system which has access permission. There is one limitation to this service that I would really like to see overcome. If I am not mistaken, there is no easy way to have one DocHost serve an entire network, and provide documentation for all the (SuSE) systems on the network. It would be very nice to be able to install a package on a box and have the option to install the related documentation to a central DocHost server. Of course, this presents several challenges. Not the least of these challenges would be the difficulty of managing versions of the documentation. Another difficulty I perceive would be the difficulty of knowing when the last "handle" actually expires. That is, when the last instance of the installed software package has been removed from the network so the corresponding documentation could also be removed. I find it someting of a waste of resources, and an additions of complexity to have DocHost installed on all my systems so that I can be sure that I have access to all the documentation on my network. I also think a central repository for documentation would be easier to query. As a simple first step toward the system I am proposing would be the ability to select only the documentation for a package rather than the whole package. Having the revers ability of selecting only the "software" and not the documentation might also be desirable. I believe you *can* do the latter with rpm. Any thoughts, Steve
Dear Steven, I think some of what you want is available simply. You menitoned:
If I am not mistaken, there is no easy way to have one DocHost serve an entire network, and provide documentation for all the (SuSE) systems on the network.
I haven't tried it but if you read /usr/share/doc/packages/dochost/README.SuSE (path taken from 7.0) it says in the first couple of paragraphs: "The clients no longer have to store documentation locally, meaning less disk space is needed" Once you've set up a dochost server you just need to set the DOC_HOST variable from /etc/rc.config to the full hostname of the server. Then whenever you access /usr/bin/susehelp the doc server is then accessed by web browser. (words paraphrased from documentation). To me that sounds exactly like what you want. As to:
It would be very nice to be able to install a package on a box and have the option to install the related documentation to a central DocHost server.
This isn't so straight forward but would be a good thing to have. Or maybe this is implemented already and I don't know about it? Regards, Jethro P.S. You don't know if applix office is included on SuSE 7.0's DVD do you and if so where? I can't find it.
participants (2)
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Jethro Cramp
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Steven T. Hatton