[Tails-dev] documentation work for Tails 0.11

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Author: sajolida
Date:  
To: The Tails public development discussion list
Subject: [Tails-dev] documentation work for Tails 0.11

Hi everybody,

As you can see, we're actively working on preparing the upcoming Tails
0.11. It will include tons of exciting, and long expected features:
- a graphical startup interface for changing many options
- a graphical installer for USB sticks
- a tool to setup a persistent storage on the extra space of the stick

Our plan is to have all those features documented in time for the
release, and have them shipped in the ISO, and linked from the release
notes. I will also try to coordinate with the translators team, and see
if we can have all this translated in time for the release as well!

Here is a brief draft of what that will include. Each bullet point
corresponds to a decicated page in the "First steps with Tails" section
of the documentation.

- Installing onto a USB stick
This is the recommended method: cloning a Tails 0.11 onto another USB
stick using Tails USB installer. This page will also document how to get
a Tails 0.11 running to be able to use the installer in the first place:
burn a CD, clone from a friend, or install manually.

    - Manually installing onto a USB stick, for Linux
    - Manually installing onto a USB stick, for Windows
Those pages will rescue the current instructions for Linux and Windows.
It won't be the recommended method, and it doesn't allow to setup a
persistent storage but it might be useful to get a first running Tails
0.11 from which to use the installer.


    - Resetting a USB stick, for Linux
    - Resetting a USB stick, for Windows
This will document how to reset a USB stick to a good-old MBR + FAT32
partition table. That's sometimes required when the USB installer
doesn't manage to overwrite a manually install USB sticks or when you
want to definitely erase Tails from a USB stick, and use it for
something else.


    - Upgrading to a newer version (later?)
There are two other options in the Tails USB installer which are "Clone
& Upgrade" and "Upgrade from ISO". Those could be written already if we
have time, or wait until 0.11.1 since people are unlikely to upgrade
before that.


- Startup options
Tails 0.11 will introduce the Tails greeter: a new set of startup
screens which proposes the user many more options than before. The
traditional syslinux screen will be changed as well.
The language settings will be moved in Tails greeter, but the other boot
options (toram, windows camouflage, bridge) will stay there for the moment.

    - Selecting an architecture
The syslinux screen will now show a list of processor architectures to
choose from 386, 686-pae, amd64 and failsafe. Explain what this is all
about.


    - Language and keyboard layout
This will document how to change those settings in Tails greeter.


    - Set an administration password
The Tails greeter will also allow the user to choose an administration
password. Otherwise it will be disabled and you won't be able to `sudo`.


- Use a persistent storage
After installing Tails with the USB installer it's now possible to use
the extra space on the stick to store stuff. This intro page will
explain the general vision of that feature: encrypted volume, opt-in
options, etc.

    - Create a persistent storage
There is a graphical tool to create the persistent storage, then you
need to reboot to activate it.


    - Configure a persistent storage
There is a graphical tool to select what you want to store in the
persistent storage (files, OpenPGP keys, Pidgin profiles, etc.). This
page will document the various options.


    - Startup with persistence
You will have to explicit open the persistence storage in Tails greeter.


    - Delete a persistent storage
How to delete a persistent storage, and what it implies.


Some other pages will have to be partly rewritten:

- Download
Review the "Burn a CD or install onto a USB stick" section.

- Booting Tails in Bridge Mode
- Booting Tails with Windows Camouflage
Rename, and move under the "Startup options" section, and include
up-to-date screenshots.

Any comments? Anything missing?

--
sajolida