<section id="preface-overview">

    <title>Overview</title>

    <para>

        The corporate identity is always present on corporations, even

        when no intentional control is taken over it.  It is a choise

        from the corporation to define how much control to take over

        its identity.  This kind of control is expensive and not all

        corporations are able to maintain it.  However, it is

        necessary that, based on pragmatic facts, the corporation

        assume an acceptable degree of compromise with its identity in

        order to create a consistent idea of itself in a way that can

        be progresively improved through time.

    </para>

    <para>

        During the years (2003-2009), we've seen a growing interest

        inside &TC;; for helping on &TC;; development. Some people

        seem to be very clear about what the project needs are and how

        to maintain it being a very stable project, but others however

        don't to get what &TC;; is (even it is explained time after

        time) and sometimes decide to put their efforts in the wrong

        direction making everything to be a waste of time and source

        of distraction from what is really needed.

    </para>

    <para>

        &TCAR; phases the question <quote>What can I do for

        &TC;;?</quote> by identifying different work lines you can

        join in and providing automated production mechanisms that

        complement one another according to each work line needs so

        consistent results can be achieved inside a distributed

        environment under version control.  For example, consider an

        environment where there are graphic designers to produce

        images, documentors to produce documentation manuals (whose

        can use images produced by graphic designers), programmers to

        produce automation scripts (needed to standardize production

        tasks) and translators to localize source files created by

        graphic designers, documetors and programmers.  Once such

        environment has been implemented, it would be possible for

        packagers to take localized images and localized documentation

        from &TCAR; (through an automation script probably) to

        rebrand/update the content of those packages inside &TC;; that

        must include information specific to &TC;; itself (e.g., boot

        loader, distribution installer, release notes, display

        managers, release notes, web browsers default page, etc.).

    </para>

    <para>

        Most production tasks inside &TCAR; are focused on the files

        needed to implement &TC;; visual identity.<footnote>

        <para>

            Notice that, here, visual identity means everything

            perceived through the human's visual sences (i.e., the

            human eyes), but the corporate identity is a wider concept

            that extends to all human senses (i.e., visibilty (eyes),

            audition (ears), scent (nose), touch (fingers), and savour

            (tongue)), not just that one related to visual aspects.

            Nevertheless, we need to be consequent with the media

            where &TC;; manifests its existence on, as described in

            <xref linkend="identity" />. 

        </para></footnote> This includes everything from file edition

        (e.g., text width, text indentation, line numbering, text

        tabulation, etc.) up to how the web sites, distribution, and

        industrial stuff (e.g., pullovers, caps, installation media,

        etc.) look and feel.  Notice that, more specific details like

        typography, window design, icons, menu items, etc., inside

        &TC;; are already covered by &TC;; upstream provider.  In our

        effort to be 100% binary compatible with the upstream provider

        and also keeping maintainance low, we stand over those

        specific details as much as possible assuming them as default.

        However, if you feel brave enough (and prove your ability to

        keep yourself being that way) it would be possible to open a

        work line for you to maintain variants of such very specific

        details.

    </para>

    <para>

        In addition to visual manifestations, there are also emotional

        feelings (e.g., motivation) and ethical behaviours (e.g., good

        will) that must be considered as part of &TC;; corporate

        identity. A pleasant experience in this area includes

        &TCWIKI;, specifically the way it was conceived and

        administered. When the &TCWIKI; was published, &TC;; published

        a list of needs so anyone could contribute based on them.

        Not to much time after that, the list triggered some souls'

        motivations ruled by the good will of initiating the

        localization of contents published inside the wiki,

        redesigning its visual style, proposing the TreeFlower theme

        for &TC;;, and reducing to zero the contraditions of

        precoceived minds with respect, reason and passion. As result

        of this experience, we found that maintaining and extending

        the effort on covering all the visual manifestations &TC;; is

        made of would require to focalize &TC;; creative forces in

        very well defined directions,  telling it where to go and also

        providing the vehicles it needs to move on.

    </para>

    <para>

        &TCAR; extends &TCWIKI; feelings and ethicals behaviours to

        itself by identifying the visual manifestations &TC;; is made

        of and allowing people to develop them through standardized

        procedures inside a colaborative environment.

    </para>

    <para>

        Finally, if you need to do something for &TC;;,  be sure to

        define what that something exactly is and also make it a

        community effort so it can be validated as something useful to

        the community itself.  Otherwise, the effort would loose its

        initial sense soon enough so as to be considered seriously.

        Notice that the way these needs are described may take

        different forms: They can be written and organized inside a

        book, an article, or even a well documented program ;-).

    </para>

    <para>

        To make the information in this book managable, it has been

        organized in the following parts:

    </para>

    <itemizedlist>

    <listitem>

    <para>

        <xref linkend="repo" /> describes the convenctions you should

        follow to keep everything organized and consistent inside the

        repository, how to prepare your workstation to install and

        configure a working copy inside it, and a history of most

        relevant changes committed to the repository along the years.

    </para>

    </listitem>

    <listitem>

    <para>

        <xref linkend="identity" /> describes the identity work line.

        This part is closely related to graphic design and considers

        &TC;; as corporation to find the aspects that could affect its

        visual identity.

    </para>

    </listitem>

    <listitem>

    <para>

        <xref linkend="l10n" /> describes the localization work line. 

    </para>

    </listitem>

    <listitem>

    <para>

        <xref linkend="manuals" /> describes the documentation work

        line.

    </para>

    </listitem>

    <listitem>

    <para>

        <xref linkend="scripts" /> describes the automation work line.

    </para>

    </listitem>

    <listitem>

    <para>

        <xref linkend="licenses" /> organizes the licenses mentioned

        inside this book.

    </para>

    </listitem>

    </itemizedlist>

    <para>

        This manual assumes you have a basic understanding of &TC;;.

        If you need help with it, go to the 

        url="http://wiki.centos.org/Help">Help</ulink> page inside The

        CentOS Wiki for or a list of different places you can find

        help.

    </para>

</section>