163 lines
9.4 KiB
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163 lines
9.4 KiB
HTML
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<!Converted with LaTeX2HTML 95.1 (Fri Jan 20 1995) by Nikos Drakos (nikos@cbl.leeds.ac.uk), CBLU, University of Leeds >
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<HEAD>
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<TITLE>1.10 Getting Help</TITLE>
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<meta name="description" value="1.10 Getting Help">
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<meta name="resource-type" value="document">
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<meta name="distribution" value="global">
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<P>
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<BR> <HR><A NAME=tex2html2268 HREF="node50.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="next" SRC="next_motif.gif"></A> <A NAME=tex2html2266 HREF="node8.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="up" SRC="up_motif.gif"></A> <A NAME=tex2html2262 HREF="node48.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="previous" SRC="previous_motif.gif"></A> <A NAME=tex2html2270 HREF="node1.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="contents" SRC="contents_motif.gif"></A> <A NAME=tex2html2271 HREF="node250.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="index" SRC="index_motif.gif"></A> <BR>
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<B> Next:</B> <A NAME=tex2html2269 HREF="node50.html">2 Obtaining and Installing </A>
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<B>Up:</B> <A NAME=tex2html2267 HREF="node8.html">1 Introduction to Linux</A>
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<B> Previous:</B> <A NAME=tex2html2263 HREF="node48.html">1.9.5 Internet mailing lists</A>
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<BR> <HR> <P>
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<H1><A NAME=SECTION003100000000000000000>1.10 Getting Help</A></H1>
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<P>
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<A NAME=secintrohelp> </A>
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<P>
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You will undoubtedly require some degree of assistance during
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your adventures in the Linux world. Even the most wizardly of UNIX wizards
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occasionally is stumped by some quirk or feature of Linux, and it's important
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to know how and where to find help when you need it.
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<P>
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<A NAME=655> </A>
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The primary means of getting help in the Linux world are via Internet
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mailing lists and USENET newsgroups, as discussed in
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Section <A HREF="node43.html#secintrosources">1.9</A>. If you don't have online access
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to these
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sources, you might be able to find comparable Linux discussion forums on
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other online services, such as on local BBS's, CompuServe, and so on.
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<P>
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<A NAME=657> </A>
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<A NAME=658> </A>
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A number of businesses are providing commercial support for Linux. This
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will allow you to pay a ``subscription fee'' which will allow you to call
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the consultants for help with your Linux problems.
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Appendix <A HREF="node234.html#appvendornum">B</A> contains a list of Linux vendors, some of
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which provide commercial support.
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However, if you have access to USENET and Internet
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mail, you may find the free support found there to be just as useful.
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<P>
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Keeping the following suggestions in mind will greatly improve your
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experiences with Linux and will guarantee you more success in finding help
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to your problems.
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<P>
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<em>Consult all available documentation...first!</em>
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The first thing you should do when encountering a problem is consult the
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various sources of information listed in
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Section <A HREF="node43.html#secintrosources">1.9</A> and
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Appendix <A HREF="node225.html#appsourcesnum">A</A>. These documents were laboriously written for
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people
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like you---people who need help with the Linux system. Even books written for
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UNIX in general are applicable to Linux, and you should take advantage of them.
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More than likely, you will find the answer to your problems somewhere in this
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documentation, as impossible as it may seem.
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<P>
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If you have access to USENET news or any of the Linux-related mailing lists,
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be sure to actually <em>read</em> the information there before posting for
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help with your problem. Many times, solutions to common problems are not
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easy to find in documentation, and instead are well-covered in the newsgroups
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and mailing lists devoted to Linux. If you only post to these groups, and
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don't actually read them, you are asking for trouble.
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<P>
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<em>Learn to appreciate self-maintenance.</em>
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In most cases, it is preferable to do as much independent research and
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investigation into the problem as possible before seeking outside help.
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After all, you asked for it, by running Linux in the first place! Remember
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that Linux is all about hacking and fixing problems yourself. It is not a
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commercial operating system, nor does it try to look like one. Hacking won't
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kill you. In fact, it will teach you a great deal about the system to
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investigate and solve problems yourself---maybe even enough to one day
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call yourself a Linux guru. Learn to appreciate the value of hacking the
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system, and how to fix problems yourself. You can't expect to run a
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complete, homebrew Linux system without some degree of handiwork.
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<P>
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<em>Remain calm.</em>
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It is vital to refrain from getting frustrated with the system, at all
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costs. Nothing is earned by taking an axe---or worse, a powerful
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electromagnet---to your Linux system in a fit of anger. The authors have
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found that a large punching bag or similar inanimate object is a wonderful
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way to relieve the occasional stress attack. As Linux matures and distributions
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become more reliable, we hope that this problem will go away. However, even
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commercial UNIX implementations can be tricky at times. When all else fails,
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sit back, take a few deep breaths, and go after the problem again when you
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feel relaxed. Your mind and conscience will be clearer.
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<P>
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<em>Refrain from posting spuriously.</em>
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<A NAME=667> </A>
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Many people make the mistake of posting or mailing messages pleading
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for help prematurely. When encountering a problem, do not---we repeat,
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do <em>not</em>---rush immediately to your nearest terminal and post a
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message to one of the Linux USENET newsgroups. Often, you will catch
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your own mistake five minutes later and find yourself in the curious
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situation of defending your own sanity in a public forum. Before posting
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anything any of the Linux mailing lists or newsgroups, first attempt to
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resolve the problem yourself and be absolutely certain what the problem
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is. Does your system not respond when switched on? Perhaps the machine is
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unplugged.
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<P>
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<em>If you do post for help, make it worthwhile.</em>
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If all else fails, you may wish to post a message for help in any of the
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number of electronic forums dedicated to Linux, such as USENET newsgroups
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and mailing lists. When posting, remember that the people reading your
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post are not there to help you. The network is not your personal consulting
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service. Therefore, it is important to remain as polite, terse, and
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informative as possible.
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<P>
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How can one accomplish this? First, you should include as much (relevant)
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information about your system and your problem as possible. Posting the
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simple request, ``I cannot seem to get e-mail to work'' will probably
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get you nowhere unless you include information on your system, what software
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you are using, what you have attempted to do so far and what the results were.
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When including technical information, it is usually a good idea to include
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general information on the version(s) of your software (Linux kernel version,
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for example), as well as a brief summary of your hardware configuration.
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However, don't overdo it---including information on the brand and type of
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monitor that you have probably is irrelevant if you're trying to configure
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networking software.
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<P>
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Secondly, remember that you need to make some attempt---however feeble---at
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solving your problem before you go to the Net. If you have never attempted
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to set up electronic mail, for instance, and first decide to ask folks on
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the Net how to go about doing it, you are making a big mistake. There are a
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number of documents available (see the Section <A HREF="node43.html#secintrosources">1.9</A>)
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on how to get started with many common tasks under Linux. The idea is
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to get as far
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along as possible on your own and <em>then</em> ask for help if and when you
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get stuck.
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<P>
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Also remember that the people reading your message, however helpful, may
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occasionally get frustrated by seeing the same problem over and over again.
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Be sure to actually read the Linux newsgroups and mailing lists before
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posting your problems. Many times, the solution to your problem has been
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discussed repeatedly, and all that's required to find it is to browse the
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current messages.
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<P>
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Lastly, when posting to electronic newsgroups and mailing lists, try to be
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as polite as possible. It is much more effective and worthwhile to be
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polite, direct, and informative---more people will be willing to help you
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if you master a humble tone. To be sure, the flame war is an art form
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across many forms of electronic communication, but don't allow that to
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preoccupy your and other people's time. Save the network undue wear and
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tear by keeping bandwidth as low as possible, and by paying as much attention
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to other sources of information which are available to you. The network
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is an excellent way to get help with your Linux problems---but it is
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important to know how to use the network <em>effectively</em>.
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<P>
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<A NAME=673> </A>
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<P>
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<BR> <HR><A NAME=tex2html2268 HREF="node50.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="next" SRC="next_motif.gif"></A> <A NAME=tex2html2266 HREF="node8.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="up" SRC="up_motif.gif"></A> <A NAME=tex2html2262 HREF="node48.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="previous" SRC="previous_motif.gif"></A> <A NAME=tex2html2270 HREF="node1.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="contents" SRC="contents_motif.gif"></A> <A NAME=tex2html2271 HREF="node250.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="index" SRC="index_motif.gif"></A> <BR>
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<B> Next:</B> <A NAME=tex2html2269 HREF="node50.html">2 Obtaining and Installing </A>
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<B>Up:</B> <A NAME=tex2html2267 HREF="node8.html">1 Introduction to Linux</A>
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<B> Previous:</B> <A NAME=tex2html2263 HREF="node48.html">1.9.5 Internet mailing lists</A>
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<BR> <HR> <P>
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<BR> <HR>
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<P><ADDRESS>
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<I>Matt Welsh <BR>
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mdw@sunsite.unc.edu</I>
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</ADDRESS>
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</BODY>
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