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sysadm-docs

Handbook and API docs for SysAdm

README Contents:

Making Documentation Changes

Note: Aside from section titles and around code-blocks, this chapter uses the standard reStructuredText markup used in TrueOS project documentation. Markdown does some light formatting, so be sure to view the "Raw" file to use it as an .rst reference.

|trueos| is always looking for documentation contributions from its users. The project currently has a large amount of documentation, and the community is instrumental in keeping the information up to date and providing tips and instructions to solve specific problems. However, the sheer amount of documentation available coupled with the specific documentation tools can make contributing appear daunting. Actually, the reverse is true: contributing to the documentation is easy!

.. note:: These instructions use the trueos-docs repository and TrueOS handbook as examples, but the workflow is identical for SysAdm documentation.

Make a Simple Documentation Change

Making a documentation change can be as simple as using a web browser. A GitHub account is required to submit patches to |trueos|, so open a web browser and log in to GitHub. Making an account is also a simple process, but be sure to use an often checked email address, as all communication regarding patches and pull requests are sent to this address.

Navigate to the trueos-docs <https://github.com/trueos/trueos-docs>_ GitHub repository. Click on the :file:trueos-handbook directory to view all the documentation files. Open the :file:.rst file corresponding to the chapter needing an update. The chapter names are reflected in the title of the :file:.rst files. :numref:Figure %s <docchange1> shows the trueos-docs repository and the contents of the :file:trueos-handbook directory.

.. _docchange1: .. figure:: images/docchange1.png :scale: 100%

Contents of :file:trueos-handbook

Open the desired chapter file by clicking its entry in the list.

.. tip:: :file:trueos.rst is the primary index file and should be ignored.

Begin editing the file by clicking the :guilabel:Pencil icon in the upper right corner above the file's text. The file moves to edit mode, where it is now possible to make any necessary changes, as :numref:Figure %s <docchange2> shows.

.. _docchange2: .. figure:: images/docchange2.png :scale: 100%

Editing :file:install.rst with GitHub

If making a simple change, it is recommended to avoid adjusting the specific formatting elements and instead work within or around them.

Once satisfied, scroll to the bottom of the page and write a detailed commit summary of the new changes. Click :guilabel:Propose file change (green button), then :guilabel:Create pull request to submit the changes to the project. GitHub then does an automated merge check. Click :guilabel:Create pull request again to submit the change to the repository. The final step is for a developer or project committer to review the changes, merging or asking for more changes as necessary.

.. tip:: Housekeeping: Once the pull request is merged, delete the now obsolete patch branch.

Advanced Documentation Changes

.. note:: These instructions are designed for users running |trueos|. Actual commands and workflow may change when using a different operating system.

Advanced changes to the |trueos| documentation require an understanding of the underlying tools and markup language. This section covers downloading and installing the required tools and source files to build a local copy of the documentation. It also discusses the reStructured Text markup language and some of the specific conventions |trueos| uses in its documentation. It is recommended the contributor be familiar with using TrueOS and/or FreeBSD before following these instructions.

Required Applications

There are a few packages to install before making a local copy of the documentation. Sphinx and its relevant extensions are the most important.

Open |appcafe| or a command-line and download the :command:py27-sphinx package:

:samp:[user@example] sudo pkg install py27-sphinx

Press :kbd:y if prompted to continue installing the package. Next, install the :command:py27-sphinxcontrib-httpdomain package:

:samp:[user@example] sudo pkg install py27-sphinxcontrib-httpdomain

Be sure :command:git is installed. |trueos| installs this by default. A GitHub account is also required to follow these instructions. Open a web browser pointed to https://github.com/ to create an account.

The last critical item to have on hand is a configurable text editor. The Lumina Text Editor <https://lumina-desktop.org/handbook/luminautl.html#text-editor>_ is a simple plaintext editor built in to |trueos| which works very well when editing :file:.rst files, but other editors like :command:kate and :command:scite also function well.

Preparing a local copy of the GitHub repository

Once ready with Sphinx and extensions installed, navigate to the trueos-docs <https://github.com/trueos/trueos-docs>_ repository and fork it by clicking the :guilabel:Fork button in the upper-right corner of the repository. This creates a copy of the repository on the user's personal GitHub account, allowing the user to create patches and submit pull requests to the upstream (or base) repository.

Now there are two repositories to track on GitHub, the primary :file:trueos-docs and the user's forked version on their personal account.

In the command line, use :command:git clone to clone the forked repository:

:samp:[user@example] git clone https://github.com/[github_user]/trueos-docs.git

:command:cd into the newly downloaded :file:/trueos-docs/ directory to continue configuring this cloned repo.

Set up the local clone of the forked repository to point to the upstream repository:

.. tip:: GitHub also documents this procedure in two steps: Configuring a remote for a fork <https://help.github.com/articles/configuring-a-remote-for-a-fork/>_ and Syncing a fork <https://help.github.com/articles/syncing-a-fork/>_.

.. code-block:: none

   [user@example] ~/trueos-docs% git remote -v
   origin  https://github.com/[github_user]/trueos-docs.git (fetch)
   origin  https://github.com/[github_user]/trueos-docs.git (push)
   [user@example] ~/trueos-docs% git remote add upstream https://github.com/trueos/trueos-docs.git
   [user@example] ~/trueos-docs% git remote -v
   origin  https://github.com/[github_user]/trueos-docs.git (fetch)
   origin  https://github.com/[github_user]/trueos-docs.git (push)
   upstream    https://github.com/trueos/trueos-docs.git (fetch)
   upstream    https://github.com/trueos/trueos-docs.git (push)

This configuration allows changes made in a fork to be synced to the original repository and changes in the original synced to the fork:

.. code-block:: none

   [user@example] ~/trueos-docs% git fetch upstream
   [user@example] ~/trueos-docs% git merge upstream/master
   [user@example] ~/trueos-docs% git push origin master

One last element to configure is to set the account identity:

.. code-block:: none

   [user@example] ~/trueos-docs% git config --global user.email "[you@example.com]"
   [user@example] ~/trueos-docs% git config --global user.name "[Your Name]"

This sets the global user name and email for :command:git. Remove --global from the command to set the value only for the :file:trueos-docs project directory.

.. tip:: It can be very useful to have two local copies of the documentation. One to pull in changes from "upstream" and one to make local changes and build test. This helps prevent merge conflicts where the local changes accidentally override brand new patches added to the upstream repository.

Basic Git commands

Once the local :file:trueos-docs copy is configured, there are a few general :command:git commands to remember when working in the directory:

  • :command:git pull: Update the local copy from the forked GitHub repository.

  • :command:git add [path/to_file]: Designate a local file to stage for commit to the forked repository.

  • :command:git status: Display a message showing what is staged for commit and other relevant information.

  • :command:git commit: Create a patch for the forked repository. Writing a commit message describing the changes is always recommended.

  • :command:git push: Send the patch created using :command:git commit upstream to the user's forked repository.

GitHub provides a variety of introductory guides <https://guides.github.com/>_ for users new to its unique workflow. It is recommended to use these guides if confused about any stage of the commit/push/pull request process.

Sphinx Structure

|trueos| uses the Sphinx Documentation Generator <http://www.sphinx-doc.org/en/stable/#>_ for all its documentation. Sphinx uses reStructuredText <http://docutils.sourceforge.net/rst.html>_ source files to generate a variety of output formats, including HTML, LaTeX, and ePub. The Sphinx builder also tests the markup as it builds, notifying the user of errors and approximate locations in the file. Sphinx also supports numerous extensions and customizable elements, including the output theme, configuration file, and other open-source options.

.. note:: The Sphinx Project documentation <http://www.sphinx-doc.org/en/stable/contents.html>_ is very robust and is recommended to browse or reference it when making advanced changes to the |trueos| documentation. The Sphinx reStructuredText Primer <http://www.sphinx-doc.org/en/stable/rest.html>_ is also highly recommended.

The |trueos| implementation of Sphinx uses a few management files and directories to handle and build the :file:.rst source files:

  • :file:trueos.rst: The master index file for the handbook. This file governs how the Table of Contents is constructed and which :file:.rst files to include when starting a build.

  • :file:conf.py: The Python configuration file for the Sphinx project. After the initial setup and some customization, this file is generally static.

  • :file:images directory: All images used in the documentation are stored in this directory. Every image is :file:.png format, and adding or removing an image to this directory requires updating the :file:trueos-docs/port-files/pkg-plist file.

  • :file:themes directory: Houses the currently used trueos_style theme. This theme includes :file:html, :file:.js, and :file:.css files, plus a custom font. These files govern how the documents look after an html build.

  • :file:Makefile: This file houses all the specific Sphinx :command:make commands.

Documentation Workflow

Once all the repository forking and configuration is done, the actual workflow to make and submit documentation changes is straightforward:

  • :command:cd into the local copy: :samp:[user@example] ~% cd /trueos-docs/trueos-handbook

  • Use :command:git pull upstream master to download any changes from the upstream repository. Then type :command:git merge upstream/master to add those changes to the local copy of the forked repository. Finally, use :command:git push origin master sync these changes from the upstream repository the online forked repository.

  • Make any changes to the :file:.rst files using a plaintext editor.

  • Build test the changes with :command:make html. The builder output posts messages if any errors are detected. The built :file:html files are viewable by opening them in a web browser: :samp:[user@example] ~/trueos-docs/trueos-handbook% firefox _build/html/trueos.html &

  • Clean the :file:_build directory with :command:make clean. The contents of this directory are not needed in the online repositories, only when conducting build tests.

  • Stage a changed file for commit with :command:git add [path/to_file].

  • Continue changing, testing, and staging files as desired, then make the patch to push to the online forked repository with :command:git commit. Be sure to add a descriptive commit message about the changes.

  • :command:git push origin master to send the patch to the online forked repository.

  • Open a browser and navigate to the forked :file:trueos-docs repository. Look for the message saying "This branch is 1 commit ahead of trueos:master" and click the :guilabel:Pull request button on the same line. GitHub checks if the branches can be automatically merged, displaying a green checkmark if everything looks good. Click :guilabel:Create pull request, add any more details to the commit message, if necessary, then click :guilabel:Create pull request again.

  • Finished! The patch is submitted for a developer or project maintainer to review and merge.

Update translation files

Once the initial patch is submitted, it is recommended to submit another patch to update the translation files:

  • :command:cd into the local copy and run :command:make i18n.

  • Once the command is finished, type :command:make clean. This removes a number of unnecessary files. Type :command:git status to view the newly updated translation files.

  • Commit all these files to a patch with :command:git commit -a. Use the same commit message as the last non-translation change, but add :TRANSLATIONS to the title. This allows the project contributors to more easily track when and which translation files are updated.

  • Follow the same :command:git push and GitHub website instructions listed above to submit the patch to the upstream repository.

Documentation Conventions

This section is intended to provide references for the specific conventions of |trueos| documentation. :numref:Table %s <specdocconv> provides specific conventions of the |trueos| project:

.. tip:: It is also recommended to open one of the handbook :file:.rst files for reference.

.. _specdocconv:
.. table:: |trueos| documentation conventions

   +-----------------+------------------------------+------------------------------------+
   | Convention      | Description                  | Exceptions/Examples                |
   +=================+==============================+====================================+
   | 70 character    | Start a new line every 70    | Certain elements like a long link  |
   | lines           | characters.                  | or code block.                     |
   +-----------------+------------------------------+------------------------------------+
   | Archive old     | Replaced images are moved to | N/A                                |
   | images          | the :file:`archived_images`  |                                    |
   |                 | directory.                   |                                    |
   +-----------------+------------------------------+------------------------------------+
   | PNG images      | All images are in the        | N/A                                |
   |                 | :file:`.png` format.         |                                    |
   +-----------------+------------------------------+------------------------------------+
   | Update plist    | Update                       | N/A                                |
   |                 | :file:`port-files/pkg-plist` |                                    |
   |                 | whenever the                 |                                    |
   |                 | :file:`images/` directory is |                                    |
   |                 | changed.                     |                                    |
   +-----------------+------------------------------+------------------------------------+
   | Whitespace      | Remove any unnecessary       | Empty lines and at the end of      |
   |                 | whitespace.                  | lines.                             |
   +-----------------+------------------------------+------------------------------------+
   | guilabel        | Graphical elements: buttons, | Click                              |
   |                 | icons, fields, columns, and  | :guilabel:`Ok`                     |
   |                 | boxes.                       |                                    |
   +-----------------+------------------------------+------------------------------------+
   | menuselection   | Menu selections and paths    | Select                             |
   |                 |                              | :menuselection:`Foo --> Bar`       |
   +-----------------+------------------------------+------------------------------------+
   | command         | Commands                     | Use the :command:`lcp` command     |
   +-----------------+------------------------------+------------------------------------+
   | file            | File, volume, and dataset    | Locate the                         |
   |                 | names                        | :file:`/etc/rc.conf` file.         |
   +-----------------+------------------------------+------------------------------------+
   | kbd             | Keyboard keys                | Press the :kbd:`Enter` key.        |
   +-----------------+------------------------------+------------------------------------+
   | **Bold**        | Important points             | **This is important.**             |
   +-----------------+------------------------------+------------------------------------+
   | *Italic*        | Device names or values       | Enter *127.0.0.1*                  |
   |                 | entered into fields          | in the address field.              |
   +-----------------+------------------------------+------------------------------------+
   | samp            | Command line representations | :samp:`[user@samp] ~% ls /etc`     |
   +-----------------+------------------------------+------------------------------------+
   | code-block      | Multi-line code examples.    | ``.. code-block:: json``           |
   +-----------------+------------------------------+------------------------------------+
   | External links  | Hyperlink to website outside | Check                              |
   |                 | the built documentation.     | `Google <https://www.google.com>`_ |
   +-----------------+------------------------------+------------------------------------+
   | Internal Links  | Hyperlink to an internal     | See :ref:`Documentation`           |
   |                 | section of the documentation |                                    |
   +-----------------+------------------------------+------------------------------------+

:numref:Table %s <rstmarkup> provides a basic reference for some of the often used elements of the reStructuredText markup language. See the Sphinx reStructuredText Primer <http://www.sphinx-doc.org/en/stable/rest.html>_ for a more complete reference.

.. _rstmarkup:
.. table:: reStructuredText Markup Reference

   +-------------+-----------------------------------------------------+
   | Markup Type | Description                                         |
   +=============+=====================================================+
   | Paragraph   | Test separated by one or more blank lines. All      |
   |             | lines of the same paragraph must be left-aligned to |
   |             | the same level of indentation.                      |
   +-------------+-----------------------------------------------------+
   | Inline      | One asterisk around text is *italics*.              |
   +-------------+-----------------------------------------------------+
   | Inline      | Two asterisks around text is **bold**.              |
   +-------------+-----------------------------------------------------+
   | Inline      | Two backquotes around text is a code sample.        |
   +-------------+-----------------------------------------------------+
   | Inline role | Interpreted text roles: syntax is                   |
   |             | *:rolename:`content`*.                              |
   +-------------+-----------------------------------------------------+
   | Bullet List | Use :kbd:`*` for bullet list entries.               |
   +-------------+-----------------------------------------------------+
   | Number List | Use :kbd:`1.`, :kbd:`2.`, ... for a numbered list.  |
   +-------------+-----------------------------------------------------+
   | Nested List | Nested lists are separated from the parent items by |
   |             | blank lines.                                        |
   +-------------+-----------------------------------------------------+
   | Quoted par. | Add indentation.                                    |
   +-------------+-----------------------------------------------------+
   | Line blocks | Use :kbd:`|` on the left side to preserve a quote's |
   |             | line breaks.                                        |
   +-------------+-----------------------------------------------------+
   | Comment     | Start line with *..* and a whitespace. End the      |
   |             | comment by adding an empty line, then starting the  |
   |             | next line at the same level of indentation.         |
   +-------------+-----------------------------------------------------+
   | Escape      | Use a :kbd:`\\` (backslash).                        |
   +-------------+-----------------------------------------------------+

Tables

Tables are all built as grid tables. Here is an example table to copy, paste, and rework when necessary:

.. code-block:: none

   +------------------------+------------+----------+----------+
   | Header row, column 1   | Header 2   | Header 3 | Header 4 |
   | (header rows optional) |            |          |          |
   +========================+============+==========+==========+
   | body row 1, column 1   | column 2   | column 3 | column 4 |
   +------------------------+------------+----------+----------+
   | body row 2             | ...        | ...      |          |
   +------------------------+------------+----------+----------+

Images

Images are referenced using the numref role and internal marker:

.. code-block:: none

   :numref:`Image %s <example1>` is the example syntax to introduce a
   new image.

   .. _example1:
   .. figure:: images/example1.png
      :option: [value]

      Caption for Example1.png

Admonition Boxes

These are the specific admonition boxes used by |trueos| documentation:

.. tip:: A trivial shortcut or efficiency.

.. note:: Useful information or reminder for accurate command use.

.. warning:: Caution about potential problems introduced by the procedure or its misuse.

.. danger:: Extreme caution. Data loss or system damage can occur.

General TrueOS Information

This section describes where you can find more information about TrueOS and its related projects, file new issues on GitHub, and converse with other users or contributors to the project.

TrueOS Project Documentation

A number of Sphinx generated reStructuredText handbooks are available to introduce you to the TrueOS, Lumina, and SysAdm projects. These handbooks are open source, and users are always encouraged to open GitHub issues or fix any errors they find in the documentation.

TrueOS Handbook

The TrueOS User Guide is a comprehensive guide to install TrueOS, along with post-installation configuration help, recommendations for useful utilities and applications, and a help and support section containing solutions for common issues and links to community and development chat channels for uncommon issues. There is also a chapter describing the experimental TrueOS Pico project and links to the Lumina and SysAdm documentation. All TrueOS documentation is hosted on the TrueOS website.

Lumina Handbook

The Lumina Desktop Environment has its own handbook, hosted on the Lumina Website. This handbook contains brief installation instructions. However, due to the highly customizable nature of Lumina, the focus of the handbook lies mainly in documenting all user configurable settings. Each option is typically described in detail, with both text and screenshots. Finally, the suite of unique Qt5 utilities included with Lumina are also documented.

TrueOS users are encouraged to review the Lumina documentation, as the Lumina Desktop Environment is installed by default with TrueOS.

SysAdm Handbooks

Due to complexity of this project, SysAdm documentation is split into three different guides:

  1. API Reference Guide (https://api.sysadm.us/getstarted.html)

The Application Programming Interface (API) Reference Guide is a comprehensive library of all API calls and WebSocket requests for SysAdm. In addition to documenting all SysAdm subsystems and classes, the guide provides detailed examples of requests and responses, authentication, and SSL certificate management. This guide is constantly updated, ensuring it provides accurate information at all times.

  1. Client Handbook (https://sysadm.us/handbook/client/)

The SysAdm Client handbook documents all aspects of the SysAdm client, as well as describing of the PC-BSD system utilities is replaces. Detailed descriptions of utilities such as Appcafe, Life Preserver, and the Boot Environment Manager are contained here, as well as a general guide to using these utilities. TrueOS users are encouraged to reference this guide, as the SysAdm client is included with TrueOS.

  1. Server Handbook (https://sysadm.us/handbook/server/introduction.html)

The Server handbook is a basic installation guide, walking new users through the process of initializing SysAdm with a bridge and server connection.

Filing Issues or Feature Requests

Due to the number of repositories under the TrueOS "umbrella", the TrueOS Project consolidates its issue trackers into a few repositories:

The TrueOS handbook has detailed instructions to help you report a bug (https://www.trueos.org/handbook/helpsupport.html#report-a-bug). It is recommended to refer to these instructions when creating new GitHub issues. Better bug reports usually result in faster fixes!

To request a feature, open a new issue in one of the related GitHub issue repositories and begin the title with Feature Request:.

Community Channels

The TrueOS community has a wide variety of chat channels and forum options available for users to interact with not only each other, but contributors to the project and the core development team too.

Discourse

TrueOS has a Discourse channel managed concurrently with the TrueOS Subreddit. New users need to sign up with Discourse in order to create posts, but it is possible to view posts without an account.

Gitter

The TrueOS Project uses Gitter to provide real-time chat and collaboration with TrueOS users and developers. Gitter does not require an application to use, but does require a login using either an existing GitHub or Twitter account.

To access the TrueOS Gitter community, point a web browser to https://gitter.im/trueos.

Gitter also maintains a full archive of the chat history. This means lengthy conversations about hardware issues or workarounds are always available for reference. To access the Gitter archive, navigate to the desired TrueOS room’s archive. For example, here is the address of the TrueOS Lobby archive: https://gitter.im/trueos/Lobby/archives.

IRC

Like many open source projects, TrueOS has an Internet Relay Chat (IRC) channel so users can chat and get help in real time. To get connected, use this information in your IRC client:

  • Server name: irc.freenode.net
  • Channel name: #trueos (note the # is required)

Subreddit

The TrueOS Project also has a Subreddit for users who prefer to use Reddit to ask questions and to search for or post how-tos. A Reddit account is not required in order to read the Subreddit, but it is necessary to create a login account to submit or comment on posts.

Social Media

The TrueOS Project also maintains a number of social media accounts you can watch: