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Subject:Re: Linux for tech pubs From:Sean Wheller <sean -at- inwords -dot- co -dot- za> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Tue, 20 Sep 2005 21:20:12 +0200
On Tuesday 20 September 2005 18:13, Mike O. wrote:
> 1. What pubs tools should be on a tech writer's Linux box?
> (kitchen-sink version). I'm thinking:
>
> - DocBook toolchain, properly configured
> - XAMPP
> - TeX/LaTeX
> - OpenOffice
>
> ... what else?
Depends on what you are working on, but I would not say that TeX/LaTeX or
XAMPP are required.
If you are using Docbook, then I would add any structured editor to the list.
>
> 2. Does any Linux distro today contain all the above pubs tools working
> out-of-the-box, without painful installs, patches, configuration, and
> dependency hell?
The leading desktop distro's? Yes.
Try Ubuntu or Kubuntu
>
> 3. Also, an observation: Using Linux for tech pubs work doesn't mean
> you have to give up your Windows workstation. A nice setup would be to
> run all your tech pubs apps on a Linux box, and then to ssh in from
> your corporate workstation (which could be either Windows or Linux).
> You could still do your editing on the workstation.
If portability is a concern then make sure that your toolchain is
cross-platform. Docbook and its toolchain is mostly cross platform. I like
java, so my toolchain is Java
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