imported>Tule-hog: /* History */ rm detail on dead wiki (drop {as of} since main site removal implies not coming back...)

2025-04-05T02:04:10Z

History: rm detail on dead wiki (drop {as of} since main site removal implies not coming back...)

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{{Short description|Online collection of documentation on GNU and Linux}}
The '''Linux Documentation Project''' (LDP) is a dormant all-volunteer project that maintains a large collection of [[GNU]] and [[Linux]]-related documentation and publishes the collection online.<ref name="paul">{{cite journal |last=Jones |first=Paul |author-link=Paul Jones (computer technologist) |date=2005-03-22 |title=Strategies and Technologies of Sharing in Contributor-Run Archives |url=https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/handle/2142/1750 |journal=[[Library Trends]] |volume=53 |issn=0024-2594 |access-date=2019-12-10 |number=}}</ref> It began as a way for [[Hacker (programmer subculture)|hacker]]s to share their [[documentation]] with each other and with their users, and for users to share documentation with each other. Its documents tend to be oriented towards [[experienced user]]s such as professional system administrators, but it also contains tutorials for beginners.

== History ==

The LDP originally began as an [[File Transfer Protocol|FTP]] site in 1992, but it went on the [[World Wide Web]] at [[Ibiblio|MetaLab]] in 1993.<ref name=paul/> It is believed to have been the first Linux related website ever.{{cn|date=November 2022}}

Today, the LDP serves over 475 documents contributed by even more authors. About a dozen of them are book length, and most of those are available in print from major technical publishers including [[O'Reilly Media|O'Reilly]].

In 2008, LDP started ''The LDP Wiki''; the [[wiki]] has since gone offline with the last entry dating to 2016.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://wiki.tldp.org/RecentChanges
| title = RecentChanges
| date = 2016-01-29
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240502060641/http://wiki.tldp.org/RecentChanges
| archive-date=2 May 2024
| website = The Linux Documentation Project Wiki
}}</ref>

{{as of|2025|post=,}} the most recent update to an LDP guide was in March 2014.<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.tldp.org/guides.html
| title = Linux Documentation Project Guides
| access-date = 4 April 2025
| date = 6 March 2014
| website = Linux Documentation Project
}}</ref>

== Content ==
The LDP published many "HOWTO" documents that instruct a user on the specific steps to take to achieve a desired goal.<ref>{{cite web
| title=Linux Documentation Project
| url=https://www.linux.com/tutorials/linux-documentation-project/
| website=[[Linux.com]]
| date=2009-03-20
| access-date = 2019-12-10}}</ref>
These goals are sometimes very specific, such as configuring a particular modem, and sometimes very broad, such as how to administer a [[computer network|network]] for an [[internet service provider|ISP]].

Very broad topics were covered in the guides, which are book-length documents, usually on broad subjects such as security or networking.

The LDP also published Frequently Asked Question ([[FAQ]]) lists, man pages and other documents, as well as two [[webzine]]s, the [[Linux Gazette]] and [[Linux Focus]].

Much of the LDP collection is licensed under the [[GNU Free Documentation License]] (GFDL). Many other licenses are also used, as long as they are freely distributable. Current policy recommends the GFDL.

[[Linux Network Administrator's Guide]] is one book in the series.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Portal|Free and open-source software}}
{{Wikiversity|Linux Documentation Project}}
* [https://tldp.org/ The Linux Documentation Project]
* [https://nyx.net/~sgjoen/The_LDP_HOWTO_Generator_ng.html The Linux Documentation Project HOWTO Generator]

{{Linux}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:Linux documentation projects]]
[[Category:How-to websites]]

Linux Documentation Project - Revision history

imported>Tule-hog: /* History */ rm detail on dead wiki (drop {as of} since main site removal implies not coming back...)