I've heard some people saying we need it (jugg?), and I agree. The search function in the forum is no fun, and after you've searched you still need to read several threads, each one containing multiple possible solutions, no solution, or posited solutions with _no reply_ from the poster.
So perhaps we need to make a community FAQ, or better yet, a Wiki. There are some problems with a Wiki (you need a critical mass of updaters), there are some problems with the more common FAQ(The maintainer needs to be on the job). So. A) what needs to go in it, and B) How should it be presented? I typed up a quick skeleton doc, what should be changed, and what problems should go in it?

Now, you can see that there aren't any problems or solutions in it. However, these seem to be the main areas of discussion in this forum, so I figured thats what should go in it. How should the sections be changed? (If you'd like to post problems+solutions in this thread, go right ahead. I'll add 'em ;)

I'm definitely for any of those. What I think should be included is a newbie guide to litestep. What is a shell, how is it defferent from windowblinds and stuff. A short guide on setting up litestep (we have a lot of people that just grab the build of the download page, try to run the exe, and come here whining about errors)Maybe a small intro on how it works, what are each config files. Also included should be pertinent links, such as o-t-s-sourceforge.net, which I believe is a very important resource.

Edit: Looking at the stickies, almost all I said in this post is covered in them.

http://lsfaq.shellfront.org ???

Hi!
I am one of "those" newbie's everybody is talking about. After downloading the setupfile recomended I just started setup and there it was. That was about two weeks ago, and I haven't looked back. Litestep is really nice for my computer, less resources and I can set as much options that my brain wants.
I have always liked running through textsfiles and options, and always whanted to learn something new, so I haven't had those problems that you all think firsttime-users have.

But a faq is always a good thing. One you all can refer to, so the answers is the same and not depending on the masters mood.

Your faq should REALLY include what installer to use, and tell people what builds to use. Beacuse that was my first problem finding out. Everybody was OS 2 (OTS?), ama-somthing-installer and stuff but for a man / girl from the outside it doesnt really explain that much. Its like getting a car for the first time and getting explained that you need to get a new top-vaule-tightening-screw... Or something ;)

Anyway, I am really enjoying Litestep and hope more people will start using it. I will tell my friends to read your faq when you're finnished with it :)

Funkyd00d: But how many people read the stickies? And it would probably be nice to have it all in one, easy-to-scan document.

DeViLbOi: The problem with lsfaq is that their FAQ is a decent quick 'n dirty intro, but if you want to find questions and answers, you have to go to their search page and fiddle around, trying to find your question. The most recent questions are on the front page... but everything else? Having a single, downloadable document is often a good thing. Also, from what I've seen of it, the questions fielded tend to be a bit different from the ones in these forums, which tend to deal more with errors than how to use Litestep to its fullest.

Ozzy1: I don't want to engage in installer-religious wars, but I'll probably just link to Omar's installer, with a footnote that 'others are out their'. Its a *** good installer, and Austerity is an _excellent_ default theme (Though it isn't so easy on the eyes :P)

If you're going to link to any installers, then you should link to them all. While I also prefer omar's, you shouldn't try to force an installer on people. Don't forget, LS is all about choices.

True. Ok, should we make a list? *sigh*. Besides Omar's lsinstaller, there is EZ2Install, LSDistro (whose website appears to be borked), Structured Litestep, 'LiteStep 4 Da People' (Is that still around?), RetroStep... I think that covers it, including distros that are no longer being updated. :/. Any more I should add? (Does PureLS have a distro? Probably not.)

Ok, perhaps I've gone insane... but was this http://www.litestep.net/index.php?section=4&action=view&catId=1&id=1630 a sticky yesterday?

If you do that, make sure you mention that omar's is the most newbie friendly installer, and that it is highly recommended you use it. Last thing we want is newbies installing lsdistro and coming here complaining ots2 tthemes don't work =\

There's also dist.ru

Ok. Forward, always forward. What startup errors are common?
1. Win XP login delay (A fix! Two workarounds! whee)
2. My Documents infite popup (no fix :/)
3. All the various malware related problems (which may include #2. Actually, perhaps we should recommend you SCAN YOUR COMPUTER for virii-spyware-worms etc., before installing litestep.)
4. The occasional registry hack to stop Explorer from taking over.
5. ClockWorkAlwaysOnTop preventing the user from shutting down (yes, I know, its not a startup problem...)
6. A link to Autorun http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/freeware/autoruns.shtml, for the do-it yourself type.
What else?

1. Fixed
2. Can't be fixed
3. Not related to LS
4. Unnecessary after proper install
5. Module problem...
6. wth?

The problem with the FAQ is that most of the FAQs have little to nothing to do with core LS. LS is a very stable and reliable application, its bad modules and theme design that does it in. For example...I am having problems switching between applications while in LS. The problem isn't with LS...its with this other application I have running. Or how about the missing systray icons...its not an LS problem...its the fact that you have an application running on your machine that you installed that gets in the way of LS. It has no place in the LS FAQ...it has place in the Stardock FAQ.

The problem with that is, LiteStep (unfortunately) does not have the critical mass that forces distributors of software that may\may not be compatible with LS to test and document problems. So someone does- because when things fail, people blame the new element (Litestep), not the old one (trayserver.exe).
This also applies to the malware issues. In this case, it's a Good Thing(tm) that LiteStep exposes these problems, and allows users to retake their computer, but the errors they get may (seem) inexplicable. Which means we need to tell people: when in doubt SCAN YOUR COMPUTER.
I included autorun because it gets recommended alot, in these forums, especially when people have issues with unwanted apps running at boot time. I've used it, and its decent, in fact, it plugs some holes in Microsoft's admin programs.
In the end, they are all issues _related_ to using LS, even if it doesn't actually relate to a flaw in the LiteStep kernel proper. But when was the last time you saw a Linux FAQ for newbies that dealt _only with problems in the kernel_. Most of them don't even deal with kernel issues, because that isn't what the user sees, and that isn't what breaks. It's the modules that are the face of Litestep, not LS proper.

You don't consider 150,000 users to be critical mass? sh00t...

although many problems might not be directly related to ls (core), it still makes a lot of sense to include these problems into an faq, or better a wiki.

best example i have in mind right now is the workaround for vtray/systray magic pink borders. simply set iconsaturation to 254. you wouldn't normally think of that, and if i didn't know about having read of a workaround some time ago in these forums, i would rather ignore the pink borders and accept them and wait for an module update fixing it.
a wiki could contain all these tiny or huge-scripted solutions, and people could easily update them if neccessary. it would prevent people from always asking the same questions, it would be easy to keep most of everything up to date (which is more difficult in a forum, because there're quite a few threads on some topics), and ... erm ... oh, i'm finished. :)

DeViLbOi: I read somewhere that Windows had 600 million users yesterday (I couldn't find the number again, perhaps I'm off by a bit). Most of them use Explorer, both as their shell, and as their web browser. We are a small minority. Anyway, I don't want to get into a flamewar, and I agree that if your app doesn't work the way it should, it is your responsibility to fix in, not the LS communities responsibility to create a workaround. However, they aren't, so we'll just have to do it for them until they see the light ;).

ElkMonster: Thank you. I'll put it in. =)

One of the most annoying persistent bugs with Litestep was the Filemanager Blindness, which, in my knowledge, cannot be cured except by changing your filemanager to a non-explorer one.

If you put together a coherent system, I think I could help too. How are you going to accept submissions for FAQ entries etc?

I don't know. It would be cool to do a Wiki, but the hosting requirements are greater for that (I suppose), and I really have no clue how to go about setting one up. For now I suppose just post question-and-answer style in this thread, until I (or you!) figures something out.
BTW, 'filemanager blindness'? I'm unfamiliar with this particular problem :P.

Well, I found a free WIKI hosting service. I didn't finish the FAQ, not by a longshot, but if you want to jump right in and contribute... feel free =). http://www.seedwiki.com/page.cfm?wikiid=6277&doc=Litestep%20FAQ (yes, I know its an awful, untypable link...)

Guys, I havent gotten a serious FAQ-able question in a few months now. Hell, haven't even gotten someone to want to help me out with the FAQ site. A wiki would be nice however, but it would require some serious community 'policing', etc. Right now, I stop many questions that are just blatantly non-FAQ. (how to get a theme working, change a theme to customize it for a certain person, etc.).

I think the main thing is that LS changes so fast, there's an extremely limited series of FAQ's that are applicable at all times. Otherwise, someone is left just doing constant updates. (And do things that no longer apply get left in, or are people told to update to the newest version no matter what? etc.)

Many issues. :)