> How far back in the stack do you go?

My rule of thumb for my READMEs: there should be a list of commands, that when executed in order and in a clean machine, result in the software doing something useful. Yes, this includes `git clone`.

If there's something the user might already have, like the webserver, I add a comment "skip this if you already have a web server". If there are any shortcuts that make it not production-ready, it's time to break out the ALL CAPS.

Limiting the operations to simple commands also helps me keep honest about the instructions (no hidden assumptions), and forces the software to be minimally testable.

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mr_mitm 2 hours ago | parent [-]

Why stop at `git clone`? Why not include `apt install git` and equivalents for all OSs?

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dlkasajiewo 2 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Whenever I write documentation, my first step is to explain how silicon can be used as a transistor.

	▲	mr_mitm an hour ago \| parent [-]
		Yeah well I produce home grown silicon in super novae. 'If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe.'

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Telaneo 39 minutes ago | parent | prev [-]

If Windows/MacOS doesn't ship git by default, then yes, that should be included. On Linux, the people who are running Linux From Scratch can probably infer what the problem is.