Open Stack

----- Original Message -----
> From: "Lorin Hochstein" <lorin at nimbisservices.com>
> To: "Steve Gordon" <sgordon at redhat.com>
> Cc: "Anne Gentle" <annegentle at justwriteclick.com>, openstack-docs at lists.openstack.org
> Sent: Tuesday, July 9, 2013 10:38:26 AM
> Subject: Re: [Openstack-docs] Linking to external install guides
> 
> On Mon, Jul 8, 2013 at 3:36 PM, Steve Gordon <sgordon at redhat.com> wrote:
> 
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "Anne Gentle" <annegentle at justwriteclick.com>
> > > To: "Lorin Hochstein" <lorin at nimbisservices.com>
> > > Cc: openstack-docs at lists.openstack.org
> > > Sent: Monday, July 8, 2013 11:03:05 AM
> > > Subject: Re: [Openstack-docs] Linking to external install guides
> > >
> > > So, for the last few releases, I would update
> > > http://www.openstack.org/software/start/ with links to the downstream
> > > deployment documentation. It was natural at the time.
> > >
> > > What has changed as of last week is that documentation is now an official
> > > "Program" and we'll need to propose the goals for the documentation and
> > > make a scope for release docs. To me, this change means we should be more
> > > tight and targeted with our install docs as they'll be part of the
> > > integrated release.
> >
> > Downstream deployment materials tend to cover arguably more streamlined
> > approaches to deployment, such as Foreman, PackStack, Ansible, JuJu, etc.
> > The flip side however is these deployment methods are not considered part
> > of OpenStack itself and may not in fact be ready to deploy a new release on
> > day dot. These approaches also don't necessarily have 1:1 equivalents
> > across distributions.
> >
> > For these reasons my feeling is the documentation "program" should be
> > concentrated on delivering accurate manual installation steps at release
> > time in a consolidated installation guide as suggested in the restructure
> > blueprint [1]. I don't think however this precludes also linking the
> > distribution specific materials somewhere as they become available, it just
> > wouldn't be a blocker to the integrated release?
> >
> > -Steve
> >
> > [1] https://wiki.openstack.org/wiki/Blueprint-restructure-documentation
> >
> 
> 
> At the last design summit, we talked about the doc team no longer
> maintaining any install documentation at all going forward, leaving that
> entirely to downstream projects. I really do think that's the way we should
> go. I'm hesitant to maintain docs on a fully manual install (i.e., from
> source tarballs), since we really don't want people to do that.

Yes, I realize now I should have clarified that by "manual" I still meant using packages - just without aids like those listed in my previous mail. I think trying to create and maintain documentation of from source installation that would potentially be even harder than this, despite the (potential) issues with packaged builds lagging behind the source release.

> It means that documentation on how to do an install won't exist until the
> downstream projects write these up, but since we recommend installing from
> downstream packages, I think that's unavoidable. Since we're seeing a lot
> more support for OpenStack downstream these days, I think those projects
> have more of an incentive to get their packages and docs ready ASAP after a
> release.

My understanding is that at least RPM/DEB packages are likely to be available *very* shortly after the actual release for Havana.

Thanks,

Steve