<book>
<title>Ubuntu Unleashed 2013</title>
<edition>8</edition>
<chapter>
<number>1</number>
<title>Installing Ubuntu</title>
<text>
<paragraph><dropcap>N</dropcap>ot that long ago,the
mere mention...
</paragraph>
...
</text>
</chapter>
...
</book>This could easily be written using a simple text editor like the one installed by
default, gedit (called Text Editor in the Dash and the listings in the Ubuntu
Software Center). However, doing it that way would be tedious for most
people. A better option is to use an editor expressly designed and intended for
dealing with XML files. Because DocBook is an open source standard form
of XML that has been designed explicitly for use with documentation, many
editors that can work with one will work with both. If you only need to do
something quick, one of these should be suitable. Start with gedit, which is
installed by default. If it is not suitable, look in the Ubuntu Software Center
for other options, like the ones discussed next.
If you intend to write a lot of complicated documentation in only the
DocBook format, the most common recommendation for Ubuntu is a program
called Publican. Publican is not just an editor; it is also a publication system
for DocBook. It tests your XML to ensure that it is in a valid DocBook form
so that your output conforms to publication standards. It automates output
into multiple formats such as HTML and PDF, and it allows complete control
for custom skinning and formatting. You can install Publican from the Ubuntu
Software Center.
A more powerful option is XML Copy Editor. It is designed for editing most
markup languages, including XML, DocBook, DITA, and more. It also
features schema validation, syntax highlighting, tag completion, and spell
checking. This is the most useful option for a professional documentation
specialist. You can install XML Copy Editor from the Ubuntu software
repositories, where you can find a version for use on Windows. See
http://xml-copy-editor.sourceforge.net.