What's This Page For ?

The Ubuntu users mailing list is for Ubuntu user technical support. Some questions come up often, so it's handy to have a place to put a definitive set of 'good' answers that are easy to point people at. This is that place.

Not all these FAQs are technical, and that's quite deliberate. Some of the less than technical discussions have generated a lot of entries, and maybe this FAQ can present the common opinions in a concise way that keeps us from rehashing the same differences of opinion over and over again

Please note that since these really are frequently asked questions - the answers are already more than likely on the Ubuntu Community Wiki or the net at large somewhere. This section isn't for new material - it's for presenting one line summaries and links to the definitive answers.

Non Technical FAQs

• Mailing List Ettiquette - Really, it comes down to be nice and bottom post. Read the link for the official position and gory details.

• Better Searches for Answers - Before you ask the world, take the time to search for the answer on your own. Here's some great places to start

• Asking Good Questions - Take the time to make a good question, and members will take the time to make a good answer!

• Unanswered Questions - This link about the Ubuntu Forums, but it applies exactly to the mailing lists too.

• Mailing Lists vs Forums vs IRC vs ... - Both full of good people, but different crowds. Pick the one you feel most comfortable with, or hang out in both! Or even try IRC.

• What Other Ubuntu Mailing Lists Are There? - Here are the ubuntu hosted lists. Google will find you more if you like.

Technical FAQs

• Anything to do with the root user account - Please read this link until you understand it. Then review the literally thousands of posts in the mailing list archives about it. Then make up your own mind. This topic has been beaten to death over and over and over again.

• General Wireless Issues - The WiFi How To can be helpful. If you do ask on the mailing list, please be very verbose about what you have and what you've tried. It's a big complicated range of possible problems.

• Network Manager Stinks - That's not a question. :-) Try Debug Network Manager or just replace it with WICD which is really becoming a popular choice on the mailing list.

• Multimedia Issues - Lots of good info on the linked multimedia summary page, just drill down to what you need.

• Why won't Ubuntu Play My Media File X? - Start with the linked restricted formats page. Avoid fix it scripts like Easy Ubuntu and Automatix. They aren't required and can be harmful.

• When Will Version X of Program Y Be Out For My Version Of Ubuntu? - Read the opening paragraph of the Ubuntu Backports page carefully. Every piece of software in a given Ubuntu release will stay at the same version forever. Updates are only for security issues and patch fixes, and aren't version updates. If it's really required, you could try Backports, but it's not recommended lightly.

• Will Removing The Ubuntu Desktop Package Hurt My System? - Nope. See the common questions page for more info. It's just a 'meta package'. Many people like to reinstall the meta package before upgrading.

• How do I duplicate my current software on another computer? - See Cloning and Backups

• What Can I Use To Backup My Computer - There are many possiblities. Backup software is a very personal choice. See the link for some of many options.

• Do I Need An AntiVirus Program? - Only rarely. This is also a very frequently discussed topic. See the link for more info.

• How Do I Upgrade From Older Versions of Ubuntu - For versions older than 8.04LTS (Hardy). Note the link on that page to the Upgrade Notes and how to deal with upgrading from End Of Lifed versions of Ubuntu.

• What File System Should I Use? - Stick with ext3 unless you have a special condition - see the link for a slightly longer answer.

• How do I secure a new Ubuntu installation? - By installing Ubuntu you are pretty much done...

• Reporting Bugs - That community page is a great summary. This isn't a FAQ as much as a common annoyance as using the Debian bug reporting tools (used to?) send the output to the mailing list. And yes, we filed bugs about that :-)

• Pulse Audio Issues - Pulse Audio is powerful, but tough to get a handle on - this forum link seems to be the definitive place to go for Pulse Audio issues in Ubuntu.

See Also

List of pages in CategoryFaq

List of pages with "Faq" in the Title

CategoryFaq