3. Setting up your directory for DocBook

The DocBook software runs only under the Linux operating system. Also, the process of document creation is much, much easier with a validating XML editor. For an emacs-based validating XML editor, see XML document authoring with emacs nxml-mode. If all else fails, you can always use a regular text editor, but you will have to type every character of every tag yourself.

The make system is a great timesaver in carrying out the steps of the DocBook document development cycle. Refer to the man page for make if you are not familiar with this product.

Here is the procedure for setting up your directory:

Create the directory with mkdir if it does not already exist.
Use the cd command to move to the directory.
See Section 2, “Relevant online files” and download make-basic, model.xml, logo.png, and logo.jpg to the current directory.
Invent a name for your DocBook file that ends in .xml, and rename model.xml as that file.
For example, if your document is about dust abatement, you might call it dust.xml. The rename command for this example would be:
```
mv model.xml dust.xml
```
Rename the make-basic file as Makefile:
```
mv make-basic Makefile
```
Then, in Makefile, find this line:
```
BASENAME = your-document-base-name-here
```
and replace the part after the “=” with the name you gave your document in the previous step, without the .xml part.
For the example in the previous step, this line would now read:
```
BASENAME = dust
```

You will develop your document by editing the .xml file as described in later sections.

Writing documentation with DocBook-XML 4.3

3. Setting up your directory for DocBook