The FAQ thread

[RobJ]

I would like this thread to facilitate additions to the FAQ.  It badly needs help right now, and always will need additions and improvement.

 

I would very much like to invite ALL users to participate in some way, the more the better, for all of us.  If you know of questions that you feel should be in an unRAID FAQ, then either add them yourself to the wiki (at http://lime-technology.com/wiki/index.php?title=FAQ), or add them here and someone will move them to the FAQ, or you can add a note in a particular thread about adding the topic to the FAQ (try to use the words FAQ and add in that thread). 

 

Perhaps you think you don't know enough to contribute answers, but there's a lot more you can do.  First, we need the questions!  Anyone can contribute good questions, and others can provide answers.  We also need to locate all of the questions that have already been answered throughout the forums, and re-formulate them in the FAQ.

 

Plus, we neads peeeple whos are good at edditting them Q's and A's, to correct spelling, grammar, bad sentence structure, un-intelligible answers, condescending tone, over-simplifications, and taking the 'long' out of the long-winded.  Those with a lot of technical knowledge are not always the best at expressing it.  We will also need some to move questions to the best section, keeping the FAQ well-organized and searchable.

 

Editing the wiki is not necessary, just mark a good forum question with an 'add to FAQ', or post it in this thread, or even just post nothing but a link here, to a particular post or thread.

 

But I would really like to invite more users to edit the wiki directly.  It's actually very easy, a simple learning curve, as you can see here and here and here.  Here's a great quote from the Wiki Help:

The number one rule of wiki editing, is to be bold. Dive in and make changes. Other people can correct mistakes later, so have confidence, and give it a try! There can be all kinds of editing conventions, rules, and philosophy governing the editing of wiki pages, but the "be bold" rule overrides these!

[Billped]

I suggest one section (if it doesn't already exist) focused solely on reading the web page.  Describe each button and each situation.  Even after using Unraid for 6+ months I am still not completely comfortable when confronted with a new situation.  Example: I replaced my parity drive.  Yeah, I can read how to do it but the screens did not follow what people said would happen.  Just slight differences can be very stressful when you know that pushing the wrong button will make you lose everything.

 

Unfortunately, this is made more difficult by the many changes to the system as the software is rev'd.

 

Since I work for Adobe, I have access to a really cool app called Captivate that dynamically captures screenshots in a movie, not as static images.  It does this complete with mouse movement, dialog boxes describing each action/button, etc.  Even voiceovers can be done.  I would volunteer making such a visual document, but it means taking my unraid box through a lot more experimentation than I am comfortable with.  Perhaps one of the more experimenting types can do this.  I can remotely host and capture everything with a combination of Captivate and Connect (another kick-a$$ Adobe product, like webex but 100 times better).  Let me know.

 

Yes, this is more than what the typical FAQ tries to accomplish, but it answers one of the more frequently asked questions, "here is my situation, now what buttons do I push?"

 

 

Bill

[RobJ]

Bill, this is a terrific idea, that would fill a huge need for all users.  I didn't respond at the time, because I did not see how I could help.  But if you or someone else or several people working together could accomplish something like this, it would be an outstanding addition to the User Contributed stuff.

 

It does sound like a project that is going to be difficult to make happen though.  You need someone with the tools and time, and someone with a 'practice' machine, who can work together.  Probably would be best if it was the same person, but that seems even more unlikely.  It will take time and some expertise to try to emulate many of the common scenarios that users run into, both intentionally like the one you mentioned, as well as unintentionally, for example when a drive fails or goes missing.

 

I'm not sure how to work it into the FAQ.  You are absolutely right that it will answer lots of questions though, especially with lots of screen shots, but it sounds like more of a guide in presentation format to me.  A series of FAQ questions could be created, that point into it, to the relevant parts.

[SSD]

There was a really nice thread by JoeL I think that had a bunch of screen shots for adding a drive to the array.  Anyone have a link to that?  I tried seraching but came up empty.

[SSD]

There was a really nice thread by JoeL I think that had a bunch of screen shots for adding a drive to the array.  Anyone have a link to that?  I tried seraching but came up empty.

 

Found it HERE.  Added to Best of the Forums (see sig for link).

[RobJ]

I would like to 'bump' this, and remind people that the FAQ belongs to, and is written by, all unRAID users.  I know many have questions that could be added to it, or added here, where someone could move them to the FAQ.  If you are not sure how to edit the FAQ Wiki page, please see the Start Contributing page.

 

I know of many questions and answers to add, and I'll add them as I get time and impulse, but I'm just one person, and I know there are many other very capable people out there, who maybe just need this 'bump'?