further work on converting from rst to markdown

git-svn-id: https://reductivelabs.com/svn/puppet/trunk@1296 980ebf18-57e1-0310-9a29-db15c13687c0

1 files changed, 118 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/documentation/index.page b/documentation/index.page
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ab0edb299
--- /dev/null
+++ b/documentation/index.page
@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+---
+inMenu: true
+directoryName: Puppet
+---
+
+How to Use This Guide
+=====================
+This guide is largely a pointer to smaller, more focused guides, although it
+includes unique information when no appropriate smaller guide exists.
+
+Introduction to Puppet
+=======================
+
+Puppet is a declarative *language* for expressing system configuration, a
+*client and server* for distributing it, and a *library* for realizing the
+configuration.
+
+The Puppet [Introduction](intro.html) covers the basic architecture and design goals,
+including whether and why you should be using Puppet on your network.
+
+
+Installation
+===============
+There is an [Installation Guide](installation.html) meant for installation of
+Puppet across a network.
+
+There is also a guide for [using Puppet from source](fromsvn.html), and one for
+[testing Puppet](testing.html), to get an idea of what you can do without making a full
+deployment.
+
+Command Line Executables
+==========================
+
+This section will eventually have links to full man-pages for each executable,
+but for now the man pages can be found by running the respective executable
+with the '--help' flag (this requires the Rdoc::usage module, which is
+often missing).
+
+However, most arguments for the executables are in the form of configuration
+parameters used internally in the library.  All of the executables are
+written to accept any of these configuration parameters, and they
+are all defined in the
+[Puppet Executable Reference](puppet-executable-reference.html).
+
+puppet
+    Stand alone Puppet Site Manifest Script evaluator. Parses, evaluates,
+    and implements a Site Manifest locally.
+
+puppetmasterd
+    Puppet Site Manifest Server Daemon. Runs on each host
+    serving/providing configurations to Puppet client hosts.
+
+puppetd
+    Puppet Client Host Configuration Daemon. Runs on each host whose
+    configuration is managed by Puppet. Requests a Host Specific Manifest
+    from a Puppet Manifest Server and implements it locally.
+
+puppetca
+    SSL Certificate Authority Server used for receiving cerification
+    requests from puppet clients. Puppet Client Hosts are required to have
+    their SSL certs signed by their Puppet Manifest Server's Authority
+    before they can be authenticated and authorized to recieve
+    configurations.
+
+puppetdoc
+    Command line tool for printing Puppet Default and Local Type Library
+    reference documentation.  This is really only used internally.
+
+Type and Language Reference
+==============================
+The Puppet reference is split into two pieces:
+
+* [Language Tutorial](languagetutorial.html)
+
+  A simple description of how the Puppet language functions, with multiple
+  examples.
+
+* [Type Reference](typedocs.html)
+
+  A reference of all available Puppet Types.  The types defined in this
+  reference represent the total ability of Puppet to manage your system -- if
+  an object is not in this reference, then Puppet cannot currently manage it.
+
+* [Language Reference](structures.html)
+
+  A reference to all available language structures within Puppet.  This
+  reference presents the limits of and options for expressibility within
+  Puppet.
+
+API Documentation
+=================
+Until I have time to write tutorials on how to extend Puppet, you might find
+some benefit in perusing the [API docs](/downloads/puppet/apidocs).  They're woefully incomplete as of
+the middle of 2006, but I'll be updating them over time.
+
+Configuration
+================
+Most Puppet configuration is currently done directly through the executables
+through the use of command-line flags, although this should largely migrate to
+configuration files before 1.0.  As such, the man pages for the respective
+executables is the appropriate place to look for documentation on
+configuration (e.g., ``puppetmasterd`` for serving and ``puppetd`` for the
+client).
+
+There are some guides already, though:
+
+* [File Serving Configuration](fsconfigref.html)
+
+* [Puppet Certificates and Security](security.html)
+
+Additional Documentation
+========================
+While the above links represent the standard, recommended documentation, there
+is additional information available for those who are interested:
+
+* [Puppet Internals](howitworks.html)
+
+* [How Cfengine compares to Puppet](notcfengine.html)