When using Linux you will encouter problems. Really. Some things are just
too obscure to figure out by typing in random commands to see what'll work.
The most important place to get help is often overlooked. Every Linux
distribution comes with a big set of documentation, which you should
have installed. This documentation is usually found in the
/usr/doc or /usr/share/doc directory. A good resource
are the manpages too. By typing "man <program>" you will recieve
a host of information on that program. Type "man man" for information
about the "man" (manual) program. The GNU people thought that the
man system was cripple, however. That's why they invented the "info"
system. With "info" you have the ability to follow hyperlinks, which
makes it easier to find what you want in a lot of documentation.
To start info just type "info" and it will give you a list of info
documentation installed.
Another place is IRC. Before going onto IRC you should really see if your
problem has been documented in the aforementioned places. If it is, and
you ask a question the response will probably be "RTFM" (Read The Fabulous
Manual). If you can't find the documentation, go on IRC and ask where to
find it. Most people will be happy to point you in the right direction.
Many IRC networks (even MSN's) have a channel called #linux. This is probably
where you want to be. Sometimes, a channel for a particular distribution
will have been founded too (like #debian). The "open network" is
a good place to find "gurus" and channels for help with specific Linux
distributions and programs. You can set your IRC client to
irc.debian.org to connect to it.
USENET is also a good place to get help. I don't have much experience
(nearly none) with USENET, but I would suggest your read the FAQs
posted periodically on the newsgroups, and read the answers supplied
to people with the same, or a similar, problem as yours before you post
your own question.
Mailing lists are also a good resource for information. Unfortunately I
can't provide you with the addresses (if you have them, please let me
know), but a good place to find them is on your Linux distribution's
website. Debian has a large set of mailing lists, ranging from translation
to Esperanto to security issues.
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