Maximum PC

Welcome to Alt.OS.Abode. If this is among your first attempts to leave the Microsoft universe, you may find the following tips helpful to getting helpful answers as quickly as possible.

When encountering errors
Please try to be as exact as you can. Eg., please post more information than "Installing Linux, graphics don't work... plz help!!" Instead, please try to include as much of the following information as possible:

• Distribution of your OS (this applies to all GNU systems, such as BSD, not just Linux)
  
• The exact software you are dealing with; for instance, if you're using vim, don't say "text editor". Also mention what desktop environment you are using (KDE/GNOME).
  
• The hardware specifications of said machine, including the CPU, motherboard model, memory, and graphics card
  
• Precisely what you were doing when you encountered the problem
  
• *Exact* error messages, as they appear on screen; "I think it started with 0xf" is not helpful. Screenshots are welcome, but please trim them down or use a thumbnail.
  
• Also, read the "When seeking advice" section

When seeking advice
If you're here for tips on what methods of automating a task, what software to use, etc., then you've come to the right place. To get the best feedback, please consider the following:

• Always state what hardware the machine will be running. Resource availability is almost always a very important factor
  
• Please do not criticize anyone for having an opinion. The fact that you are 1337 enough to prefer terminal applications does not give you the right to flame respected members for recommending GUI frontends, for instance
  
• Please be as specific as possible; example: "What should I use to deal with audio?" is not as precise as "What application would be best suited to edit audio tracks on a SuSE system running a 433Mhz processor and 128MB of RAM?"
  
• Remember that no one here is compelled to offer you assistance; each of us volunteer during our spare time, so we may not always have time to answer your question right away.
  
• Do not bump your thread unless it has been unanswered for at least 7 days
  
• Also, please respect those offering help by not criticizing their tips and opinions

Can't we all just get along?
The alt.os.abode forum is for giving and receiving assistance and discussing non-Microsoft operating systems in a calm, mature, adult manner. Please do not flame.

If you do choose to participate in a flamewar (i.e. KDE vs. GNOME vs. XFCE...), please keep it contained in a single thread and DO NOT take it to threads where people are attempting to get help.

If someone posts an unhelpful comment, please just ignore it; feeding monsters makes them bigger.

And finally..
We may not all be literature majors, but each of us can take the time to clearly define the intentions of our messages. To the best of your ability, please use correct spelling (Firefox 2 helps!) and grammar, and avoid lengthy posts. This makes it much easier for those reading your messages. Remember: the easier it is for them to read about your situation, the more likely they will respond.

Congratulations on expanding your horizons. Have fun!

Clarified a bit and stickified.

Also, feel free to visit the MaximumPC IRC channel: irc.freenode.net #maximumpc

For chatzilla users: irc://irc.freenode.net/maximumpc

Just drop in and ask your question. If nobody answers right away, please wait at least 10 minutes before leaving, not everybody is glued to IRC 100% of the time.