Ubuntu Linux - Frequently Asked Questions

It varies from title to title, but overall it is quite good. There are many large software titles (over 2000) officially supported by Canonical. Other popular titles, such as Open Office, have large groups of programmers and developers available. As a result, tech support and bug resolution occurs more rapidly. So sticking with more popular software titles is recommended. Again, with popularity comes funds (via donations) that can make the difference between a single e-mail address, or a call center full of people who can talk on the phone with you about a technical issue. While that level of tech support isn't always necessary, it is available for major titles, including paid support from Canonical Global, or (if you live in the Topeka City Limits) directly from Dave for a much lower rate.

There are many individual programmers who make and market their own software on the Internet and in some cases that software is proprietary. This sometimes results in there being a more limited availability of dedicated tech support for a piece of software. With open source projects, any programmer can attempt to troubleshoot a problem or bug, which can partially relieve the original author of some of the burden of developing updated releases of his program. And in the spirit of open source, the typical tech support experience is open as well, usually taking place in a forum. You pose a question, and hundreds or even thousands of people will see it, and have an opportunity to help you out. While this method of solving problems over the Internet through chat forums takes a little longer, it can result in more a robust and permanent solution to a given problem. The alternative is to call up "Bob" (who may have a very thick East Indian accent) who will ask you to answer a bunch of unrelated questions, and then likely be disconnected "by accident", causing you to give up in frustration. With a chat forum, there is a visible record of the entire conversation, anybody can participate in solving a problem and there is less opportunity for misunderstandings. But for professional on-site technical support, simply give Dave a call and he'll be happy to help you out.

If you have a question about Ubuntu Linux that you would like to see answered here, please e-mail Dave with your question. Any opinions expressed in this FAQ are the sole opinions of the original author. All registered trademarks mentioned in this text are the property of their respective owners and are hereby acknowledged.