Nagios is badly documented :(

[Jason Marshall]

I'm with you, John.  I found no shortage of detailed documentation.  WAY
more than I'd ever expected to find for an open-source project like this
one.

For those of you who might have missed this, look at
http://www.nagios.org/docs/.  You have your choice of HTML docs online, or
reading/printing a 199-page PDF document.

Some products are too powerful to do what YOU want out of the box, so a
small investment of your time is required to set it up.  It's not hard --
the combination of the documentation, examples in the config files, and
this list, make it a real snap, actually.


> Interesting comment...I found the docuementation to be VERY complete...maybe
> too complete is the problem?  Of course, I read it ALL before I started.....
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: doug.moore at ibill.com [mailto:doug.moore at ibill.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, October 15, 2002 10:49 AM
> To: nagios-users at lists.sourceforge.net
> Subject: [Nagios-users] Nagios is badly documented :(
> 
> 
> yes, Nagios is poorly documented the common user. There needs to be a
> "paint-by-numbers" section on how to add services to nagios for one. How
> about a 1-2-3 to getting users proper authentication via the cgi.cfg file?
> How about a 1-2-3 on how to setup nagios for Service Check Scheduling, state
> types and time periods. 
> 
> As it stands now, a newbie has to "sift" through pages and pages of
> documentation and config files to learn this. Trial and error... mostly
> error and trial.  
> 
> There is still no documentation of the relationship of the various cfg
> files. I for one still don't 100% understand how all these thing tie
> together. 
> 
> Nagios does have adequate install documentation but  after that if falls
> very short.  I realize that docs are the last thing anyone wants to do, but
> for a product as complicated as this, it really is going to have to produce
> them to survive in the long term.  People learn by example, nagios is
> lacking severely in the example area for configuring major areas of the
> program.  
> 
> No, sorry the examples in the .cfg files don't count. Why? again, you don't
> know the dependencies between the cfg files. Yep, having a contact-group of
> novell-admins doesn't do much when it isn't documented where it appears and
> what it all effects. 
> 
> Not bashing the product, but just pointing out what every review of nagios
> states, Nagios has terrible documentation.   
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Anoop Atre [mailto:anoopa at hotmail.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, October 15, 2002 11:25 AM
> To: nagios-users at lists.sourceforge.net
> Subject: Re: [Nagios-users] config file
> 
> 
> Ok I have to object to this, I don't think nagios is that badly
> documented.
> Atleast for the initial setup and then there is -h for the plugins.
> 
> I installed it and had it up in at pretty much the speed with which I've
> setup
> other software (didn't even use rpms and I hear they work (mostly)
> pretty
> much out of the box)
> 
> It just needs a little rtfm and stfw, not that I still need some help
> with certain things
> but on the whole nagios is not as bad as quite a few people make it out
> to be.
> No I am not an 'expert' of sorts, hells I don't even code as much : )
> 
> Ethan maybe you could setup the information on the origins of the damned
> word nagios on the main nagios page (maybe a click on the word it self
> brings
> up the info..what it means, where it's from, how do you pronounce it,
> etc)
> it's just funny how every week there is that same question again : )
> 
> I would highly recomend newbies (including moi) should read the
> following text
> put together by 'da man' (have to scroll down a bit.
> http://www.tuxedo.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
> 
> ~
> ps. doesn't mean I haven't asked 'dumb' questions on this list or on
> others : )
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <doug.moore at ibill.com>
> To: <andrewm659 at hotmail.com>; <nagios-users at lists.sourceforge.net>
> Sent: Monday, October 14, 2002 4:22 PM
> Subject: RE: [Nagios-users] config file
> 
> 
> > The final part of the install process creates samples for all the .cfg
> files
> > located in /usr/local/nagios/etc
> >
> > did you run
> > make all
> > make install
> > make install-init
> > make install-config
> >
> > The "install-config" will make sample config files for all the .cfg
> files
> > you need. Now, understanding how each are inter-related is another
> story!!!
> > :)
> >
> > you need more than just the nagios.cfg file to get nagios to work.
> Almost
> > every flipping .cfg file in the nagios etc directory is dependent on
> each
> > other.
> >
> > Welcome to nagios, the *worst* documented network management program
> out
> > there! :)
> >
> >
> > Once you get past the install docs (which are ok), you have to rely on
> this
> > list for the rest. There is no "here is how you add a device, follow
> the
> > these steps... 1, 2, 3, 4 docs.
> >
> > Forget about finding a document on how each file in etc is dependent
> on each
> > other and what step-by-step changes to make when adding
> > devices/commands/services/hosts, etc.. It doesn't exist as far as I
> know.
> >
> > The guys on this list are great for support and answering questions!
> >
> > My advice, get nagios working with ONE device and service (ping is
> easy) and
> > expand out from there.  That only took me around 20 hrs!!
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Andrew Meyer [mailto:andrewm659 at hotmail.com]
> > Sent: Monday, October 14, 2002 4:56 PM
> > To: nagios-users at lists.sourceforge.net
> > Subject: [Nagios-users] config file
> >
> >
> > could anyone send me there config file please.  I am confused as of
> how to
> > set one up.
> >
> > Andrew Meyer
> >
> >
> >
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---
Jason Marshall, Unix Geek, Kelman Technologies, Inc., Calgary, AB, Canada.

  From a Sun Microsystems bug report (#4102680):
    "Workaround: don't pound on the mouse like a wild monkey."

  "I have great faith in fools: 
     Self confidence my friends call it."  -Edgar Allan Poe




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