In reply to @ibizaman:matrix.org

Hi everyone. Thank you for all your efforts on the nix documentation. It is really a treasure trove of information that I use just about all the time.

I tried using `nixos-render-docs` on my project’s manual. I was lured away from nvmd thanks to this new tool able to parse markdown files instead. But then I stumbled into a few issues. One is about embedding pictures from nested directories. I’ll create an issue and test and PR soon about that one.

I did create an issue about the main blocking one for me https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/issues/272329.

I just started looking at that tool’s code and it’s still not obvious to me how all works together to create html files. But if you deem solving this issue in the tool worth it, I’m happy to invest some time on this.  

In reply to @bzzm3r:matrix.org
infinisil: it seems that getting a google API key requires entering credit card information, which makes it not so easy to follow along with this:

In reply to @bzzm3r:matrix.org
what i'll do for now to follow the tutorial is change the map/geocode scripts so that they emit dummy information to stdout, rather than make actual API calls

In reply to @infinisil:matrix.org
bzm3r: Yeah it sucks a lot. We didn't have the resources to rewrite it into something more open

no worries at all, I'll submit a PR if I can something simpler.

I don't know much about open map APIs, so I want to be careful about not opening up another rabbithole...is there one that you recommend?

In reply to @infinisil:matrix.org
bzm3r: Yeah it sucks a lot. We didn't have the resources to rewrite it into something more open

no worries at all, I'll submit a PR if I can determine something simpler.

I don't know much about open map APIs, so I want to be careful about not opening up another rabbithole...is there one that you recommend?

infinisil: re this: https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/pull/270696#discussion_r1412898648

this is emblematic of a larger set of problems we have:

• CONTRIBUTING.md is a guide level explanation of things, and is already too bloody long. It is the wrong place to provide reference level material about our vision for docs.
• Relatedly, we need to write these vision documents down.
• We don't have a https://rustc-dev-guide.rust-lang.org/ for Nix, and we need one desperately. We should make one and start moving things to it.
• We don't have a repo to file meta issues like I am talking about here, and we need one. Another issue that should be filed in there is "hydra notifications for failed maintained packages", for example.
• All the places that docs go have different stylesheets and don't link to each other, both as deep links and even shallow links. This gives the impression that they're not part of a coherent ecosystem with one responsible set of people.
• Our current docs splitting work is partially counterproductive due to this lack of links; but would be strongly positively improved by adding links.

I might post these things to discourse to try to get some of the things to make a "nix development guide" mdbook site happen. On a broad level, a remarkable amount of contributor frustration is caused by this communication gap. The lack of meta issue tracker is also very painful since it would be useful to ask for help for these things, but they're not written down in a coherent place to actually do them.