From: Linux_help@
Subject: No Free Linux Help, Buy Support for BSD, Unix, Linux, Internet etc.
Sender: PayMe@ToSupportLinux

I append http://www.berklix.com/~jhs/std/no_free_linux_support.txt
See Also http://www.berklix.com/~jhs/std/no_free_bsd_support.txt
See Also http://www.berklix.com/~jhs/std/no_free_time.txt

Ref. your request for Linux help:

Yes, Linux is another Unix-like OS (=Operating System), & yes,
I've been working with various Unix(es) for 30+ years, but I'm
afraid I'm very busy, & use BSD by choice (yet another Unix,
http://www.FreeBSD.org ), & I only work on
Linux for companies paying commercial consultancy rates.

However, there are many ways you can help yourself:

If you don't know much about Linux & other Unixes, you may be best
of staying with the Linux you already have installed, but if you
really fancy looking at BSD, look at http://www.pcbsd.org , based
on FreeBSD, & aimed to be easier for beginners.  Free of course,
as are all the other OS's also listed on http://www.berklix.com/free/

All BSDs & Linuxes etc that I know of have international (& some
also have local language) support mail lists & web sites & user
forums. Often each has an official web site (with source code,
binaries & CD & DVD images to download, manuals, mail lists to
subscribe & web forum interfaces etc) many free OS software projects
also have a wiki web site, & also several unofficial web sites where
one can also post help requests etc often without needing to (free)
subscribe to lists.

eg for Ubuntu Linux there is 
	http://www.ubuntu.com
	http://www.ubuntu.com/community

For any other OS, just do a search (& remember there's also lots of 
search engines you can use from your browser, not just your usual, list here:
	http://www.berklix.org/search/

Big cities like Munich Germany often have several LUGs = Local User Groups
for various Linux & BSD & Solaris & other Unix etc versions, eg
	Munich Linux:		http://www.muc-lug.de/
	Munich Ubuntu Linux:	http://www.glatzor.de/photos/ubuntu/lug-munich/
	Munich BSD:		http://www.berklix.org/bim/
	Munich Gentoo Linux	http://www.mglug.de
	Others in Munich:	http://www.berklix.org/bim/other_clubs.html

Mid size towns have LUGs too, under various names & organisations, eg
	There's LUGs for MS & Mac & Linux users in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, UK 
	http://extranet3.kent.gov.uk/clubs/clubdetail.cfm?clubref=3755
	http://u3atunbridgewells.pbworks.com/w/page/5424336/Computing
	http://kentlug.org/
	http://linux-user-group.meetup.com/cities/gb/g5/tunbridge_wells/
		(caution: meetup.com charges group organisers 3 to
		 5 Euro /month at Aug. 2016)
	http://web.archiveorange.com/archive/v/d97TgmM3uJB8e32z9YR2

Do join a LUG for a monthly coffee / beer / whatever, a great way 
to chat about problems, & help others & build an informal contact circle
for mutual self help support.

Post your problem to an appropriate mail list or forum, & describe all of:
	- your printer manufacturer & model number
	- OS name & version number
	- any updates or local customisations or relevant settings
	- name & version numbers of any drivers in use
	- name & version numbers of programs you are using eg to
	  generate printer images or whatever.
	- manufacturer name & model number of hardware eg printer
	  or scanner if appropriate.
	- Precise _exact_ error messages (often you can get a copy by eg:
		cd /var/log
		ls -ltr
		vi file_name_that_seem_appropriate
Do be absolutely precise. Cries for help get answered quickest &
with best answers then. Vague descriptions get ignored or if you'r
lucky you might wait for readers to demand you better define your issue.

If eg a printer is intermittent, think laterally:
	It may not even be your PC OS at fault !

	If its USB connected, you might have a hub with a failing
	power supply.

	Printer, scanner, or disk power &/ or signal cable may have
	bad contacts.

	Many printers have a test cycle, some you can initiate by
	holding several buttons down on printer while you power the
	printer up.  Have a look in printer handbook.  If you have
	no handbook, many manufacturers offer PDF manuals on the
	web.

	With that printer self test, you might prove the printer
	problem has nothing to do with whatever software printer
	is running.

	You could connect your printer to another PC (eg a visiting
	guests laptop) & test it, or boot your PC with another OS,
	booted either from a Live CD or another Fdisk partition or
	external USB disk.

	(Be careful if you install a 2nd OS using eg Fdisk, always
	make Full backups first, many is the tale of woe, even
	from us skilled professionals, who have on occasion been
	bitten by Fdisk & its ilk).

Join either or both a LUG & national or international groups, they're
usually free, & work on the basis they help you with what you don't
know, & you should help others with what they don't know.

No one on the planet knows it all, or knows nothing, we all
know more about some things & less about other things so mutual
help through web sites & user groups is the way to go.

Good luck, I hope some of the pointers above help.

http://www.berklix.com   		Computer Consultancy
http://www.berklix.com/~jhs/cv/ 	My Resume - English & German
http://www.berklix.com/~jhs/contact/	Contact - German for business also OK.
http://www.berklix.com/free/    	Free Software
http://www.berklix.org    		Free Organisations & Clubs