Debian-user is a mailing list provided for support for Debian users,
and to facilitate discussion on relevant topics.

Some guidelines which may help explain how the list works:

* The language on this mailing list is English. There may be other mailing
lists that are language-specific for example debian-user-french

* It is common for users to be redirected here from other lists - for example,
from debian-project. It is also common for people to be posting here when
English is not their primary language. Please be considerate.

* It is not primarily a discussion forum for wishlist items for Debian. If
you are looking for something to be changed within Debian, there may be
more appropriate lists.

* Although the list has some developers reading it,it is not a primary
forum for contacting Debian developers. It may be more appropriate to
use reportbug or other tools for raising bugs on the Debian bug tracker.

* If you have a problem - do try looking with a search engine to see if
someone else has had similar issues. If you can't understand what you
find, at least if you bring that search criterion to the list, we may
have a better idea of where to start. (See also how to ask questions
below.)

* The list is a Debian communication forum. As such, it is subject to both
the Debian mailing list Code of Conduct and the main Debian Code of Conduct

https://www.debian.org/MailingLists/#codeofconduct
https://www.debian.org/code_of_conduct

* This is a fairly busy mailing list and you may have to wait for an
answer - please be patient. Please post answers back to the list so
others can benefit; private conversations don't benefit people who
may be following along on the list or reading the archives later.

* Help and advice on this list is provided by volunteers in their own time.
It is common for there to be different opinions or answers provided.

* Please try to stay on topic. Arguments for the sake of it are not
welcome here. Partisan political / religious / cultural arguments
do not belong here either. Debian's community is world wide; don't
assume others will agree with your views or need to read them on a
Debian list.

* There is an FAQ on the Debian wiki derived from some questions asked on
this list at https://wiki.debian.org/FAQsFromDebianUser

* How to ask questions and read replies.

1. PLEASE use a subject line that means something - "I need help" is probably not useful. "I'm having problems with the Debian 12.12 amd64 DVD image" or similar is better - something that sets out one problem / a single issue.

2. Try and write down what steps you have taken / where you have found information. Show what you have actually done as much as what you think you have done. If it helps, write down things you do / commands you run as you do them.

3. People may ask you to run commands to establish what is happening / what hardware you have. Provide the full output if you can: if you can't provide full output - show what commands you ran and what output (if any) was the result after each command. The history command will help here.
Likewise with logs. It may be also be appropriate for you to ask what extra information is needed / may help others solve the problem and then to try
to give the extra information requested.

4. The mailing list threads replies. Don't break the thread / raise other issues needlessly . It is as easy to begin a separate email - one per issue.

Please DO NOT hijack other people's ongoing threads. Raise a separate email,
as above

5. If several people ask similar questions, it may be possible to summarise lots of information in one post.

6. Give as much useful information as you can. If you are unsure, it is fine
to ask what other information might be necessary. We cannot all read minds: we need some clues.

7. If all other things don't work: stop, write down one thing you want to
make clearer and make that clear. Slow down and think - sometimes a
deliberate approach is necessary.

8. If the problem has produced a long thread it is very useful to provide a subject title periodically with [SUMMARY] or [SOLVED] outlining how the
problem was eventually solved or showing what issues remain outstanding.

9. Unfortunately, the people on the Debian mailing lists / IRC channels cannot give good advice for every Debian-derived distribution. Each distribution changes different things and we will not have all the answers.

10. As a result, strictly speaking, Debian-derived distributions are off-topic in debian-user. Each one should have its own support channels and processes to raise issues. Debian-user is not normally the appropriate place to raise problems with non-Debian distributions though if you can reproduce the
problem in Debian we will possibly be better able to help.

* One question that comes up on almost all Debian lists from time to time
is of the form:

"I have done something wrong / included personal details in an email.
Could you please delete my name / details / remove the mail"

Practically, this is impossible: the mailing lists are archived, potentially cached by Google and so on. Unfortunately, there is nothing much we can do to ensure that all copies anywhere on the Internet are deleted. Asking to do this may only serve to draw further attention - the so-called "Streisand effect" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streisand_effect

Spam and unsolicited commercial email that doesn't belong on the list =====================================================================

Debian does have comparatively strong spam filters on the mailing lists: listmasters will remove emails that are reported as spam. The easiest
way to report spam is by using the web interface to Debian mailing lists
below https://lists.debian.org

If you quote spam email in a reply, you may end up making the spam filters
less effective. If you respond to it on list, then it becomes part of the
list conversations forever. Replying to it with angry messages won't get
back to the originators and does not help the ongoing fight against spam.

See also: https://wiki.debian.org/Teams/ListMaster/ListArchiveSpam

Problems?
=========

Complaints about inappropriate behaviour should be referred to the
Debian Community Team <community@debian.org>.

Inappropriate behaviour on the list may lead to warnings; repeated bad behaviour may lead to temporary or permanent bans for offenders.

Contributions
=============

This FAQ is now archived as a git repository. Contributions and corrections would be welcome. Contact amacater@debian.org for details.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.12
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)