This post was published 2 years 1 month 6 days ago and as such probably does not reflect my current opinions, knowledge or ability.In my previous post I wrote about how, despite the fact geeks are known for hiding away on their own, Linux and Open Source software has a huge community surrounding it. Here I hope to give some more practical advice and links to help newer users get involved.
Forums
There are hundreds of Open Source related forums all over the internet, some for a specific program or Linux distribution, others aimed at new users and yet more dealing with anything and everything. If there is something relating to Linux you want to discuss, there will be a forum out there where you can talk about it.
The best part is, all you need to do is sign up and immediately you can read through a whole lot of useful information, get help, and talk with other Linux users.
Some Popular Forums:
Mailing Lists
Mailing lists tend to be more specific than forums, dealing with only a particular geographical area or an application. Users communicate through email, with every one you send being shared with every other person in the group. Writing to one can be a great way to meet people and get support.
Some Mailing Lists:
Linux User Groups
User groups can be a good way to meet other Linux users in person, or talk to people near you through a mailing list. Meeting other new users can really help you see that you are not alone with your problems, and get some tips from more experienced users.
Some User Group Sites
- A List of User Groups by Country
- UK User Groups
- Dundee and Tayside Linux User Group and Abertay Linux Society.
I hope that this post will help some newer users become part of the vast and active Open Source community. If you’ve joined a group and are now looking for technical help, I’ll be following this up with a guide to finding solutions and asking questions in the next couple of days.
If you have any other tips and links you’d like to share, please share them in the comments.
[...] Go to the author’s original blog: Welcome to the Community – An Overview for New Linux Users. [...]
Something that is maybe a little quicker but slightly more complex would also be IRC channels, a lot of application and distribution specific channels exist and I have got a lot of good advice and help from them, however the whole IRC thing can be a bit daunting.
All in all the vastness of the community aspect of Linux is probably a bit daunting. The point that would have to be made is that you can belong to these communities and not take part in a lot and people will rarely mind. You can make filters on your email account to route all your Linux mailing list to a separate folder and not get bogged down too much with constant streams of emails. You can leave your forum account for months without reading a single post.
They are still there. If you get a problem you can just ask and you are very likely to get a good reply. Of course it’s expected that if you come across a question yourself that you can answer and you have the time to then you help out.
My point – Just because these things exist and you sign up for them doesn’t mean that you have to dedicate a lot of time to them. Think of it as the same as commercial tech support you would normally pay for – You get answers when you need them – only with this you don’t need to pay (although most places accept donations)
I didn’t mention Linux IRC channels, mostly because the ones I’ve been in either only offer technical support – no way to really talk to other users, or don’t mention Linux at all.
As you say, ‘Lurking’ on forums and mailing lists, just reading and rarely talking is acceptable and even encouraged. It will make sure you get a feeling for how things work and who the other users are before you say anything.