new support document, other related changes

doc/index.mkd

@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@ fine-grained access control and many (many!) more powerful features.
 
 ## #qi quick install
 
-If you're comfortable with Unix and ssh, the following steps should work.
+**If** you're comfortable with Unix and ssh, **and** you have a relatively
+sane setup, the following steps should work:
 
   * create a user called `git`.  Login to this user.
   * copy your ssh pubkey from your workstation.  Rename it to `YourName.pub`.
@@ -15,7 +16,8 @@ If you're comfortable with Unix and ssh, the following steps should work.
         gitolite/src/gl-system-install
         gl-setup ~/YourName.pub
 
-You're done.
+You're done.  If it didn't work, well that's what the [install][] doc is for,
+especially the [if you run into trouble][insttrouble] section.
 
 **WARNING**: do **NOT** add repos or users directly on the server!  You MUST
 manage the server by cloning the special 'gitolite-admin' repo on your
@@ -192,6 +194,8 @@ Gitolite is released under GPL v2.  See COPYING for details.
   * author: sitaramc@gmail.com, sitaram@atc.tcs.com
   * mailing list: gitolite@googlegroups.com
   * list subscribe address : gitolite+subscribe@googlegroups.com
+  * IRC: #git and #gitolite on freenode.  Note that I live in India (UTC+0530
+    time zone).
 
 
 

doc/install.mkd

@@ -158,9 +158,7 @@ filename as an argument.
 
 ## #insttrouble if you run into trouble...
 
-If you run into trouble, please read the following sections.  They have
+If you run into trouble, please read the following sections.
-background information that may help you, or additional steps you can take to
-troubleshoot or fix the problem.
 
 ### common install problems
 

doc/support.mkd

@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+# F=support support for gitolite
+
+Email addresses etc are in the "contact and license" section at the bottom of
+the [main](http://sitaramc.github.com/gitolite/) document.
+
+If you're willing to read, you will only need support for the most obscure
+issues.  I often don't bother responding for silly issues that are already in
+the docs.  Seriously, folks, troubleshooting involves reading; do I really
+need to *say* that?
+
+  * For install/setup issues see the [if you run into trouble][insttrouble]
+    section of the [install][] document.
+
+    In particular, that section has two links for ssh issues.  I've yet to see
+    a problem that is not already covered by those.
+
+  * For usage issues after install, check out the [suggested reading
+    list][rtfm] and the [other docs][other_docs] section.
+
+  * If you still can't find what you need, try the [**master index/table of
+    contents**](http://sitaramc.github.com/gitolite/master-toc.html) and use
+    your browser's search function.
+
+----
+
+**Note on the online docs**: the online docs break up longer documents by
+putting less "central" concepts into subdocuments (replacing the text with a
+link so you know it's there).  I did this because the most frequent complaint
+was "TL;DR" (your documentation is too long); I do believe it is now easier to
+find things/navigate.
+
+<font color="gray">Of course, now someone complained that it took him "4
+middle-of-text clicks" to reach some section... sigh!</font>