Asking Questions

Using IRC to get help

Here are a few tips on asking questions, especially in #kde on Freenode, in a way that is more likely to get answers:

• Don't ask to ask, just ask: the irc.freenode.net channel #kde is a user support channel, so we expect your questions - go right ahead .

• Be ready with any relevant details about your system: What distribution (what version?), what version of KDE you are running, how you installed it and so on. You probably won't need to give all of this information straight away, but you should have it available in case someone asks.

• Try to do some troubleshooting yourself before asking: Google is your friend (entering error messages into Google often finds something useful). You should take a look at Troubleshooting KDE Problems - the advice there is probably what you'll be told in #kde anyway, so try it first .

• Also, try to make sure that the problem you're having is a problem with KDE and not some other component of your system (for example, a problem with X or with alsa). If possible, try an alternative, non-KDE application to see whether the problem also occurs there. Of course, if you're not sure, please ask.

• Make sure that you have Read The Fine Manual and the Troubleshooting pages. Although not every question is answered there, many are. If that doesn't produce a result, try asking it on the forum. If the discussion brings up interesting information you might add it to UserBase, so that it can help others.

• Be prepared to wait! Often on IRC, someone will notice your question a little while after you ask it, so wait around for a while after you ask. There's nothing more annoying than typing out a long answer for someone, only to realise that they left 3 minutes after asking their question!

• If you don't get an answer on #kde, you can also try the channel for your distribution (eg, #suse, #kde-freebsd, etc), or an appropriate mailing list: see lists.kde.org or forum.

• Above all, be patient and polite. Remember that the people who help are all volunteers, and could be spending their time doing other things than helping.

If your problem is with sound in KDE, you might want to first read Sound_Problems.

If your question relates to development, please see this page

Operating-System-Specific Questions

For questions relating to the desktop use of KDE with a particular OS, you can try the above methods, but unless the question directly involves KDE or KDE/GNU/Linux you are unlikely to find the answer. If your question does not directly involve KDE, please do not post the question on the "normal" KDE mailing lists. Examples of questions that do not directly involve KDE: my sound card does not work. In that case, please direct your questions at sites devoted to helping users of that system. For example, for GNU/Linux questions you may try looking at www.linuxnewbie.org or www.linuxnewbie.com, or the kde-linux mailing list mentioned above.

If you are not using GNU/Linux, you might want to try the kde-nonlinux (subscribe) mailing list. Also particularly useful are searches on your favorite search engine, such as Google, and searches on the Usenet archives.

In addition, many OS distributors have their own mailing lists which can address distribution-specific issues. You can find out more about these mailing lists at your distribution's website.

If you are searching for packages you may consider checking the ftp servers for your distribution, including the "contrib" sections, as well as indexing servers such as rpmfind.net.

Reporting KDE Bugs

Please report all KDE bugs and feature requests at bugs.kde.org. The site has a nice bug-reporting "wizard" and will permit far easier tracking of bugs than an email to a list.

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How to open a console

Typically when reporting a problem in IRC or on a mailing list, your helpers will ask you to open a console. A console is a text-based window that you can use to give commands for your computer to execute. You can open a console by typing ALT_F2. An input box opens. Type the following to open a console:

konsole

If this does not work, you may not have it installed. In this case, type ALT_F2 and input:

xterm

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