should we create an OS development magazine?

os.hacker64 · Post by **os.hacker64** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 8:38 pm

Well, I'll try my hand at it once I know what will be in the first issue. Who are those other 2 people going to be?

Alboin · Post by **Alboin** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 8:52 pm

01000101 wrote:I'm probably missing some people, I just looked below this post quickly.

Yayyak said he'd host, publish, edit, etc. and Dex said he was willing to write some articles, as did hckr83.

Who are those other 2 people going to be?

They have yet to volunteer.

jerryleecooper · Post by **jerryleecooper** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 8:55 pm

I can write some texts. as jerryfestiva, my new name for article writing, if it is correct as name. jerry -> Gerald, Gerald -> Gerald Ford, Gerald Ford -> Ford Festiva, Ford Festiva -> Jerry Festiva.
But it's not serious enough.
My new name is officially now and forever as articles publishing goes : jerryk

I propose my first article is one on paging.

And I can help a bit with graphics. I know modeling (3d) but am not an artist.

os.hacker64 · Post by **os.hacker64** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 8:59 pm

Yes, I was encouraging somebody to not leave me hanging as the only art man here.

01000101 · Post by **01000101** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 9:02 pm

Ok, it looks like we have quite a few writers. I propose, that they get to writing on whatever they wish (within reason) and once a few pages are written, graphics can be made, and they can be edited.

I can start working on a site. I'll play around with a few ideas and put a test site up in a few days.

os.hacker64 · Post by **os.hacker64** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 9:14 pm

So obviously this is not going to be just on OSdev, that would be very limiting.

Alboin · Post by **Alboin** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 9:21 pm

os.hacker64 wrote:So obviously this is not going to be just on OSdev, that would be very limiting.

As stated before, it's on low level programming, the theory behind it, etc. We are not focusing on high level creations, eg. Ruby, .NET, etc. However, their applications, and interesting usages of them in the low level would are applicable.

Interesting things are very much preferable. For example, a tutorial on C is not really interesting. Try to find little areas of research that people don't know very much about, take for granted, etc. and really go in depth as much as you can with them. If you have to start using mathematics and start spitting our formulas and such, by all means do so. (Just make sure you explain them for those who might not be familiar with them.)

Make it interesting!

os.hacker64 · Post by **os.hacker64** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 9:32 pm

I might try a little writing also.

os.hacker64 · Post by **os.hacker64** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 9:37 pm

OMG 113 replies

JackScott · Post by **JackScott** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 2:05 am

Wow, a lot has happened since I last checked the site! I've just checked with my provider and it seems I have 20x as much bandwidth as I thought I did. So it would be a complete pity NOT to host the magazine.

I only checked quickly over the last couple of pages. Have we decided on a format for the magazine yet (PDF, HTML, etc)?

Zacariaz · Post by **Zacariaz** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 5:35 am

If not html, which would be somewhat difficult, but not impossible, i propose pdf as it is a well known format.

The big problem comes when desiding the exact layout of the articles and which format the articles will have to be delivered to the "editor" in. I know of course how i would do it, i'd just open notepad and start writing. one line per paragrapth, first line title, second line optional sub title and third line author, then there should not be any format issues and as for the layout it could actually be automated, with thing like font type/size, indent, and so on. Then convert it to pdf and there you go.
Thats just my way of thinking, and i doubt that anyone here would like this way of doing things.

os.hacker64 · Post by **os.hacker64** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 6:55 am

Osdev weekly and mag.osdev.org have a problem when it comes to what the mag is about. Though, it might give the mag more publicity.

Alboin · Post by **Alboin** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 10:00 am

I think the general consensus was that PDF would be best for the final, complete version of each issue.

As for the writer->editor format, I think HTML would be best. If there are diagrams and such, then the HTML can be put into an archive with them. (zip, tar, or bzip. Not rar.) I would not like to see any format bound to a specific editor. (eg. word, opendoc, etc.)

@Yayyak: Previously you said you could do page layout. What program were you planning on using for this? I'm thinking we should try to use tools that work on both Linux and Windows. How does Scribus compare to what you were planning on using?

01000101 · Post by **01000101** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 11:41 am

Before I put any work into a website, what exactly should be in it?

Should there be a database? if so why?

Any reason for a particular web language? I'm experienced with ASP.NET, HTML, and PHP. (along with various scripting languages).

will the magazine be for download only, or should it display in the webpage itself? if so, frames? or no frames?

any ideas would help.

Alboin · Post by **Alboin** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 12:00 pm

01000101 wrote:Before I put any work into a website, what exactly should be in it?

I like simplicity. Maybe a page on the workers of the mag, what it's about, info on the current issue (eg. a download link), an archive of old issues, somewhere to submit articles, a contact form, etc.

01000101 wrote:Should there be a database? if so why?

We'd need one eventually, but as of the first few issues I suppose it wouldn't matter. It'll probably be a good idea to just get something running atm.

01000101 wrote:Any reason for a particular web language? I'm experienced with ASP.NET, HTML, and PHP. (along with various scripting languages).

PHP is my personal favorite.

01000101 wrote:will the magazine be for download only, or should it display in the webpage itself? if so, frames? or no frames?

I think download only atm, but in the future we could offer the articles themselves online.