1 Proxmox VE Documentation
2 ========================
3 include::attributes.txt[]
5 We try to generate high quality documentation for
6 http://www.proxmox.com[Proxmox VE], and choose to use
7 http://www.methods.co.nz/asciidoc/[AsciiDoc] as base format.
9 The basic idea is to generate high quality manual pages, and assemble
10 them into a complete book, called link:pve-admin-guide.adoc[Proxmox VE
11 Administration Guide]. So we have one source, and generate several
12 documents from that. It is also possible to generate printable PDF
13 files, or ebook formats ('.epub').
15 When possible, we provide scripts to extract API definitions,
16 configuration or command line options from the source code.
18 To simplify the documentation task, we keep all Documentation within
19 this repository. It is possible to generate the docs without installing
20 any additional Proxmox packages with:
24 To update the auto-generate API definitions use:
28 NOTE: you need a fully installed development environment for that.
34 We generate a development package called 'pve-doc-generator', which is
35 used by other Proxmox VE package to generate manual pages at package
38 Another package called 'pve-docs' is used to publish generated
39 '.html' and '.pdf' files on our web servers. You can generate
40 those Debian packages using:
45 Common Macro definition in link:attributes.txt[]
46 ------------------------------------------------
48 'asciidoc' allows us to define common macros, which can then be
49 referred to using `{macro}`. We try to use this mechanism to improve
50 consistency. For example, we defined a macro called `pve`, which
51 expands to "Proxmox VE". The plan is to add more such definitions for
52 terms which are used more than once.
54 Autogenerated CLI Command Synopsis
55 ----------------------------------
57 We generate the command line synopsis for all manual pages
58 automatically. We can do that, because we have a full declarative
59 definition of the {pve} API. I added those generated files
60 ('*-synopsis.adoc') to the git repository, so that it is possible to
61 build the documentation without having a fully installed {pve}
62 development environment.
67 'asciidoc' uses a fairly simple markup syntax for formatting content.
68 The following basic principles should be followed throughout our
75 Sections are formatted using `two-line titles', by adding a line of
76 the appropriate characters and of the same length as the section title
79 Level 0 (top level): ======================
80 Level 1: ----------------------
81 Level 2: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
82 Level 3: ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
83 Level 4 (bottom level): ++++++++++++++++++++++
85 Section titles should always be preceded by two empty lines. Each word
86 in a title should be capitalized except for ``articles, coordinating
87 conjunctions, prepositions, and the word to in infinitives unless they
88 appear as the first or last word of a title'' (see
89 http://web.mit.edu/course/21/21.guide/capitals.htm[Mayfield Electronic Handbook of Technical & Scientific Writing]).
98 Numbered lists should be created using the implicit numbering format:
114 Bulleted lists should be created using the '*' symbol:
130 Labeled lists should be used to make lists of key-value style text
131 more readable, such as command line parameters or configuration options:
133 .Regular labeled lists
137 Element text paragraph
141 Another element text paragraph.
146 Element text paragraph
150 Another element text paragraph.
152 .Horizontal labeled lists
155 First Label Text:: Element text paragraph
157 Second Label Text:: Another element text paragraph.
163 First Label Text:: Element text paragraph
165 Second Label Text:: Another element text paragraph.
167 The FAQ section uses a special questions and answers style for
171 Text and Block Styles
172 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
174 'asciidoc' offers a wide range of default text styles:
176 * 'Emphasized text': created using \'text', used for emphasizing words
178 * `Monospaced text`: created using \`text`, used for command / program
179 names, file paths, in-line commands, option names and values
180 * *Strong text*: created using \*text*, used for emphasizing concepts
181 or names when first introduced in a section.
183 There are also different built-in block styles that are used in
186 Complete paragraphs can be included literally by prepending each
187 of their lines with whitespace. Use this for formatting complete
188 commands on their own line, such as:
190 pct set ID -option value
193 By surrounding a paragraph with lines containing at least four '-'
194 characters, its content is formatted as listing.
196 Use this for formatting file contents or command output.
199 Specially highlighted 'notes', 'warnings' and 'important' information
200 can be created by starting a paragraph with `NOTE:`, `WARNING:` or
205 WARNING: this is warning
207 IMPORTANT: this is important information
209 For each of these blocks (including lists and paragraphs), a block header
210 can be defined by prepending the block with a `.' character and the header
225 For example, block headers can be used to add file names/paths to file
232 Copyright (C) 2016 Proxmox Server Solutions Gmbh
234 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
235 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3 or
236 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
237 Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A
238 copy of the license is included in the link:LICENSE[LICENSE] file.