Hi,

I think a good structure for a manual was a step by step guide, 
where first was explained *what* was done and what programms 
could be used to do it, and then an example that worked, with an 
appandix where all commands are described in detail and a 
troubleshooting chapter with further hints if the step could not be 
completed.

Such a manual would not only give a user a working system (at least 
for most cases) but also the necessary knowledge to understand 
what he was doing and (hopefully) the ability to understand the 
information of man pages.

mike