FLOSS Manuals

{{Primary sources|date=September 2008}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}

{{Infobox organization

| name = FLOSS Manuals

| logo = Floss Manuals logo

| motto =

| type = NGO and Non-profit Foundation

| formation = {{start date and age|df=yes|2006|07}}

| location = Amsterdam, Netherlands

| key_people = Adam Hyde

| fields = Software Freedom

| services =

| num_members =

| homepage = [http://flossmanuals.net/ flossmanuals.net]

}}

The FLOSS Manuals (FM) is a non-profit foundation founded in 2006 by Adam Hyde and based in the Netherlands. The foundation is focused on the creation of quality documentation about how to use free software.

Its web site is a wiki (previously using the TWiki and Booki programs, now using Booktype) focused on the collaborative authoring of manuals. The documentation is licensed under the GPL. Although initially the manuals were covered by the GFDL, the material was relicensed to the GPL due to concerns about the limitations of the GFDL.{{cite web |url=http://fa.flossmanuals.net/bin/view/Blog/LicenseChange#BlogPosts |archive-url=https://archive.today/20170104223809/http://fa.flossmanuals.net/bin/view/Blog/LicenseChange%23BlogPosts |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 January 2017 |title=License Change |accessdate=3 October 2010 }}

Anyone can contribute to the material at FLOSS Manuals. Each manual has a maintainer – very much like the Debian maintainer system. The maintainer keeps an overview of the manual and discusses with those interested the structure, etc. The maintainer is also responsible for gathering new contributors together. Not all edits are 'live' – the edits are published to the manual when ready. This is to ensure the quality of the manuals is as high and as reliable as possible and that no new user encounters 'half finished' content.

Manuals are available as HTML online, or indexed PDF. Additionally manuals can be remixed so anyone can create their own manual and export to indexed PDF, HTML (ZIP/tar) or an 'Ajax' include.

In fall 2007, Floss manuals was awarded a 15,000 Euro prize by the Dutch Digital Pioneer fund.{{cite web |

url=http://www.digitalpioneers.org/nieuws/Mimoa-Floss-Manuals-en-Beelden-uit-ons-Verleden-winnaars-Academie-/21/index.html |

title=Mimoa, Floss Manuals and Beelden uit ons Verleden win Digital Pioneers Academy |

access-date=2 January 2017 |

archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170103002440/http://www.digitalpioneers.org/nieuws/Mimoa-Floss-Manuals-en-Beelden-uit-ons-Verleden-winnaars-Academie-/21/index.html |

archive-date=3 January 2017 |

url-status=dead }} It has also been financially supported by Google{{cite web |url=http://en.flossmanuals.net/about |title=Day 3: Word Count |accessdate=3 October 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100913055055/http://en.flossmanuals.net/About |archive-date=13 September 2010 |url-status=dead }} and NLnet.{{cite web |url=http://www.nlnet.nl/project/floss-manuals/ |title=NLNet}} FLOSS Manuals also received a Transmediale Award for its work on Booki{{cite web |url=http://www.transmediale.de/node/16312/ |title=Transmediale Awards}} and has also been featured in the Texas Linux Fest 2010.{{cite web |url=http://www.texaslinuxfest.org/talks/2010/documentation-needs-floss-manuals/ |title=Texas Linux Fest 2010 |access-date=5 October 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100717234426/http://texaslinuxfest.org/talks/2010/documentation-needs-floss-manuals/ |archive-date=17 July 2010 |url-status=dead }}