Well, let’s see. @eeickmeyer does Edubuntu or Studio provide flavor specific offline help? Know if any of the other flavors do (I’m not sure who exactly to ping for all the ones)?
Ubuntu Studio used to have a link to the wiki, but since that stuff is so outdated I deleted it.
Edubuntu used to have a help manual in the GNOME Help, but it was outdated and not compatible with the current GNOME Help format. At this point, Edubuntu and Ubuntu Desktop have GNOME Help (yelp), and it’s a bit more tailored to Ubuntu.
The closest thing Kubuntu has is the KDE help.
Ubuntu Cinnamon does not.
Other can chime-in, but I’m fairly certain Xubuntu, and Ubuntu Unity do not. I know Ubuntu MATE used to have its welcome app which would provide some set of instructions, and I’m not sure if Ubuntu Budgie does or not since they had a fork of the same app.
I cannot speak for Ubuntu Kylin.
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So it looks like it’s kind of split 50/50 but our canonical (lowercase) flavor does have something. I assume that’s provided regardless of whether it’s a normal or minimal/offline or online install?
Given that this is fairly low-priority on my docket, here’s how far I was able to get:
manual$ snapcraft
Failed to run the build script for part 'manual'.
Detailed information:
:: + make -j2 install html DESTDIR=/root/parts/manual/install
:: make: *** No rule to make target 'install'. Stop.
Recommended resolution: Check the build output and verify the project can work with the 'make' plugin.
For more information, check out: https://canonical-snapcraft.readthedocs-hosted.com/en/8.6.0/reference/plugins.html
Failed to execute snapcraft in instance.
Full execution log: '/home/tsimonq2/.local/state/snapcraft/log/snapcraft-20250208-022348.218461.log'
name: lubuntu-manual
base: core24
version: '25.04-alpha'
summary: Documentation for Lubuntu
description: |
This snap contains the Manual for Lubuntu. See https://lubuntu.me for more info.
grade: stable
confinement: strict
parts:
manual:
source: https://git.lubuntu.me/Lubuntu/manual.git
source-type: git
build-packages:
- python3-sphinx
- latexmk
- texlive
- texlive-formats-extra
- python3-sphinx-rtd-theme
- python3-sphinx-bootstrap-theme
plugin: make
make-parameters: [html]
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Well there’s certainly no argument that we at least want the manual in the Snap, so that’s the right direction! Maybe the link in the description should go straight to manual.lubuntu.me?
You’re going to want an override-build: and script it out since you don’t have an install target in your makefile. Additionally, you’re probably going to want to change plugin: to dump since you will need the output of that build.
That is correct.
(And more words to reach the 20 character minimum)
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Perhaps. We can always tweak over time, this isn’t even committed yet.
what does any of this mean and how do I do this
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You’re going to want a few things:
https://snapcraft.io/docs/snapcraft-yaml-schema
https://snapcraft.io/docs/supported-plugins
Some light reading for you. 
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Then, I think we should follow suit and also offer a manual to both minimal and offline installs as much as we do normal and online ones.
How do you suggest we do that without creating a large amount of (duplicated) work for minimal installs, given that we don’t ship snapd? Do a one-time copy of the manual?
I guess ship it with the image. Again, a deb might make sense here.
No, it doesn’t.
We’d have to either a) add a PPA by default which is against TB policy or b) update documentation in a stable release on a very regular basis, which involves tons of hassle and paperwork.
The snap is truly the best option here.
Not for the minimal folks.
I thought we were talking about Minimal and no network?
Minimal with network is fine, that would just open a web browser. I don’t think it’s worth it to do a deb here.
Minimal folks won’t have Snaps. So the best we can do is provide a link for the folks with a network (which we can thankfully update) or a static manual for the folks without, which we can’t update unless that is packaged*. That’s why I’m suggesting we do the extra work of providing a deb.
Unfortunately, this is the consequence of deciding not to ship any Snap-anything in minimal. It means that anything that can really only be handled through a Snap can’t be handled. Relax that restriction and we can just do a Snap.
- FWIW I imagine there are few installs that are 100% offline. The install process might be, but I doubt the final installation is.
People don’t read manuals if they don’t have problems, and if they have problems it’s easier to read a PDF.
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With the way things are in sphinx I think one disadvantage of PDF is sometimes with pagination the screenshots feel way farther from the text.
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I’d leave it as a PDF.
I’m not a Snap hater and use default Snap without complaints.
I also prefer minimal installs so I can install only the software I want and need.
Don’t push Snap on users as a lot of users don’t care for Snap.
Pushing Snap on users is a good way to get potential Lubuntu users to not use Lubuntu imo.
The beauty of minimal install in Lubuntu is a user can install a Snap free version of Lubuntu.
Snaps / Flatpak / AppImage let the user choose what the user wants to use.
A lot of users already dislike the change from Ubuntu Forum and Lubuntu Discourse to Ubuntu Discourse.
If it were a full reference manual, then I’d have an opinion, but, if the user manual is an introduction and light weight; then no I don’t think there’s any reason for a strong opinion.