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The project is generating an open source software primer for executives.  We seem to be seeing a second wave of interest, enthusiasm, and fear about free and open source software.  It's time to pull together a basic primer to get the next set of decision makers over the How & Why of it.  

This book source is AsciiDoc and we're using the AsciiDoc tool chain.   

The primary file is OSSPrimer.asc and it pulls all other chapter/content files in as needed.  The convention is to name chapter files for content (e.g. Freeloaders.asc) rather than something like "Chapter1.asc".  The project uses .asc instead of .txt for the AsciiDoc source files.  Images are all tucked in the images directory.

Once you have a working AsciiDoc toolchain installed, one should be able to clone the repository, then utter the following at a command line prompt. 

	$ asciidoc OSSPrimer.asc   # and receive an OSSPrimer.html for one's punishment.

Likewise, one can produce other outputs using a2x.

	$ a2x -f pdf OSSPrimer.asc     # should produce the pdf file.
	$ a2x -f epub OSSPrimer.asc    # should produce the epub file.

I have discovered problems in my current Mac OS X toolchain producing "good" epub and pdf and have taken to using the verbose and no-xmllint qualifiers.  

	$ a2x --verbose --no-xmllint -f pdf OSSPrimer.asc 

Websites, tools, references, etc. can be found: 

* The http://asciidoc.org/ [_Official Ascii Doc site_]. This site contains references, cheat sheets, templates, and how-to documentation on installing and running the tool chain (asciiidoc.py, et al). 
* The http://powerman.name/doc/asciidoc [AsciiDoc Cheatsheet].
* The http://www.methods.co.nz/asciidoc/userguide.html [AsciiDoc User Guide].
* The http://asciidoc.org/INSTALL.html [AsciiDoc Installation Process].
* I actually found this to be an enormously helpful Mac OS X site for installing asciidoc and its brethren: http://www.ladysign-apps.com/developer/environment/install-asciidoc-on-the-commandline-mac-osx/  [http://www.ladysign-apps.com/developer/environment/install-asciidoc-on-the-commandline-mac-osx/]

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Developing an Open Source Software Primer eBook for Execs

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