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I love the work of the ArchWiki maintainers (k7r.eu)

960 points by panic · 155 days ago · 172 comments on HN

Article summary

The author expresses appreciation for the ArchWiki maintainers and the valuable resource they provide to the community. The ArchWiki is a comprehensive documentation of Arch Linux and other free software, which has helped the author and many others understand and use various tools and software. The author acknowledges that maintainers of documentation often get little recognition for their contributions to software freedom. The ArchWiki is considered a reliable and trustworthy source of information, even by those who do not use Arch Linux.

Main themes

  • ArchWiki maintainers
  • Free software documentation
  • Linux community
  • Software freedom
  • Technical documentation
  • Open-source resources

What commenters say

  • The ArchWiki is a phenomenal resource that provides accurate and helpful information, even for users of other Linux distributions.
  • Some developers are moving away from providing man pages and instead relying on --help output, which can be insufficient for users.
  • There are existing tools that can generate man pages from --help output, but they may not always produce high-quality results.
  • The lack of standardization in command-line interfaces and documentation can make it difficult for users to find the information they need.
  • Arch Linux's stability and reliability have improved over time, but some users miss the challenge and learning opportunities that came with using an less stable system.
  • The ArchWiki remains a valuable resource even for users who have switched to other Linux distributions, due to its comprehensive and well-maintained documentation.
  • The importance of good documentation and maintainers cannot be overstated, as they play a crucial role in the adoption and success of free and open-source software.
  • Some users appreciate the effort to generate man pages automatically, but others argue that this approach can lead to lower-quality documentation and a lack of detail.