Creating an Admin Handbook

[Murray Stokely]

I think the time has come to split up the Handbook.  It has grown
unchecked for far too long and it has been several years since we last
moved chapters out of the Handbook (and into the Developers Handbook
in that case).

The Handbook is currently organized as 5 distinct DocBook <parts> :

* Getting Started
* Common Tasks
* System Administration
* Network Communication
* Appendices

I would like to split the Handbook into a User Handbook and an
Administrator Handbook.  The first two <parts> would belong to the
user handbook, the second two <parts> would belong to the
administrator handbook, and the appendices would be shared with both.

That is exactly the split that FreeBSD Mall has been using in Perforce
for our third edition Handbook volumes.  Volume I is the User Handbook
as defined above, and Volume II is the Admin Handbook.  I think it
makes sense for the Project to accept this work we have done in
Perforce back into the main CVS tree.

I propose that the User Handbook remain as 'handbook' in CVS, and that
the admin chapters be repo-copied to 'books/admin-handbook'.

Each of the two books would then be in the more manageable 400-600
page range in printed form.

I can perform all of this work, ask for the repo copies, update all
cross links between chapters to use new entities to link between
volumes, and update the prefaces and frontmatter for both volumes.  I
can do this in a single day so as to minimize disruption for others
working on the Handbook(s).  The preface and frontmatter of the
index.html at www.freebsd.org/handbook would contain a prominent
pointer to the new volume so that people looking for content can still
find it easily.

Is there any reason not to go ahead with such a split?

   - Murray