Asking Questions

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: #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're 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 you think that your question is a common one that others would like the answer to, you might want to suggest it to community-wg@kde.org with a view to getting it included on the wiki.

Be prepared to wait! Often, 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.

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

konsole

And a console will open. If this does not work, you may not have it installed. In this case, type ALT_F2 and call

xterm