DOCBOOK: 400 setup and configs later...

I am fighting to be able to get started in writing a docbook document on my
Linux Slackware and after following like 400 tutorials and guides later I
still can not make it work. I am trying to set up an sourceinstallation ( no
RPMs etc. ) but can't understand what files like docbook-dsssl-1.72.tar.gz
and docbkx412.zip as well as the entetities have to do with each other and
that might be my biggest problem. Have anyone written or is there som info
on net with a good tutorial about how these packages work and what files
like ldp.dcl and docbook.cat need to do with each other?

Cheers,

Fredrik