Don't worry too much. I will help you with the
documentation and docbook personally (off the list).
Google for Norman Walsh and you will find the docbook definitive guide
on line for free. It is a good book.
I enjoy your enthusiasm ! :)
So do I.
I would appreciate thoiugh, that you dedicate either a
partition or a machine to this, that runs Unix or
Unix-Like system (BSD, Mandrake GNU/Linux, Debian
GNU/HURD, Debian GNU/Linux) since I am only literate
with sgml tools under these environments, and I can
(and will) only help you there.
Here would be my ideal system:
-GNU/Linux System running GNOME
If you install Debian and have IRC you will get a BOAT LOAD of help.
Nearly our whole team runs Debian GNU/Linux and we end up doing a LOT of
support for general Debian stuff within our IRC channel. ;)
-Emacs 21 (that runs very pretty under X)
-PSGML Emacs Module
-Ispell + English Dictionary
-Docbook Tools (includes DTDs and Stylesheets)
-SGML Tools (these should include simple command-line
utilities like db2ps, db2pdf, db2rtf, etc.. to make
your life easier).
-Ghostscript and Ghostview
-XPDF
I think that's it, but as I prommised I will help you
through this.
I think most of the GNUe team has this philosophy, "we are here to
help".
In Mandrake you should be able to install these
packages easily. They will have a lot of dependencies
mostly on other docummentation tools like TeX and
LaTex, so be patient.
Use Debian its well better. ;)
BTW you don't really _have_ to use Emacs. There are
probably a dozen "strutured" text editors but of
everything I've tried (which aren't many) Emacs +
PSGML major mode is IMHO by far the best tool for the
job. In fact, I am personally a Nedit fan, but after I
switched to Emacs it's hard going back. I did the
switch mainly because of the structure-editing
capabilities using the PSGML module, but after you get
acustomed to the power of Emacs, frankly everything
else falls very short.
There are editors other than emacs? You speak blasphemy boy!
-Derek