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<!doctype linuxdoc system>
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<article>
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<title>Online Troubleshooting Resources HOWTO
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<author>Howard Mann, <tt/howardm@xmission.com/
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<date>v0.5, 18 September 1999
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<abstract>This document will direct Linux users to resources available on the Internet
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that provide access to a vast amount of Linux-related information useful in troubleshooting
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problems. </abstract>
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<toc>
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<sect>Introduction
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<p>The traditional means of troubleshooting computer-related problems involves consulting
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user's manuals, books, friends - probably enticed with goodies - and, when all the former do not
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yield a solution, calling the technical support service of the vendor of the product in question.
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And, we all know pleasant and reliably efficacious the latter stratagem is. Unfortunately, this is
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the norm in the sphere of commercial proprietary products.
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In contradistinction, Linux, and related distributions, utilities and applications software, has
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largely been developed according to the <url url="http://www.opensource.org" name="Open Source">
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model, wherein developers have used electronic communication over the Internet - typically in the
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form of publically-accessible Mailing Lists- to collaborate with their peers in the refinement of
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the associated source code. Such collaboration has also traditionally involved the online
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publication of user's manuals, lists of Frequently-Asked-Questions ( FAQ's ) , knowledge bases,
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release notes, formal guides such as this document (HOWTO's) and tutorials. In addition, users
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often assist others through the forum of Usenet and other newsgroups and the posted messages are
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readily accessible in the form of searchable archives. These linux-related newsgroups are
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renowned for their high level of user participation. In significant measure, Linux may be
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considered a product of the Internet.
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Considered together, these resources enable access to a large, ever-expanding factual database, and
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my intent is to encourage and direct the reader to utilize these repositories when faced with an issue not
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addressed in the documentation that is included with each distribution of Linux. Linux veterans who assist
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newcomers through the forum of Usenet soon become aware of the frequency with which certain technical
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questions are repeatedly posted - questions the answers to which are readily available in one or more of
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the existent online repositories. So, to diminish the likelihood of being "flamed" in response to your posted
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question on Usenet or irc , read further!
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Armed with a browser, Linux users may rapidly become adept at troubleshooting their systems. The
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key is knowing how and where to look. My objective is to guide the user - particularly the Linux
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newbie - in this quest.
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<sect1>Document updates
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<p>The latest version of this document will always be available at <url
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url="http://www.newbielinux.com">, my website for Linux newbies.
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<sect1>Copyright and License
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<p>Copyright (c) 1999 , by Howard Mann.
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This document is governed by the provisions of the LDP Copying License, the terms of which are
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detailed here:<url url="http://www.linuxdoc.org/copyright.html">
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<sect1>Feedback and Corrections
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<p>I always welcome feedback and constructive criticism.In particular, I wish to be notified about
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any errors in this document and resources deserving of mention, but not presently covered herein.
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In anticipation, Thanks.
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<sect>HOWTO's and mini-HOWTO's
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<p>These documents are associated with the <url url="http://www.linuxdoc.org" name="Linux
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Documentation Project">. There is an <url url="http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/HOWTO-INDEX-3.html"
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name="Index page"> that I suggest you bookmark in your browser.
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These HOWTO's are written by Linux users and are periodically updated by the authors. Many authors
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provide the latest version at a personal website and a hyperlink to the latter is typically provided
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in the document . This version may be newer than that available at the <bf>LDP</bf> website.
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The document may be published online before its inclusion into the <bf>LDP</bf> database.
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Note also that other HOWTO's are available, the authors of which have not submitted them to the
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<bf>LDP</bf>. It is definitely worthwhile trying to find these using an Internet search engine as I
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describe in a subsequent section.
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These documents are particularly useful when you decide to provide or access a new service
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with your Linux system, or when you embark on a technically complex project. For example, you may
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have the option of accessing the 'net with an <bf>ADSL</bf> or <bf>Cable Modem</bf> service -
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excellent guides are available in the form of HOWTO's.
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In addition, authors often include references and links to sites that they have found useful. You
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may find the information you need at one of these hyperlinked sites rather than in the HOWTO
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itself. For example, I found <url url="http://cesdis1.gsfc.nasa.gov/linux/drivers/" name="Linux
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Network Drivers"> , the primary site for information about Network Interface Card drivers , in the
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<bf>Ethernet HOWTO</bf>.
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<sect>Frequently-Asked-Questions ( FAQ's)
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<p>A list of FAQ's is a traditional accompaniment to Linux-related applications, utilities, and the
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like. An FAQ is typically provided online by the developer/s of the product in question, and
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enterprising users sometimes host an "unofficial" FAQ as well. Search for the latter with an
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Internet search engine.
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The FAQ is the first document to peruse when troubleshooting a particular application. In addition,
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FAQ's exist for Linux distributions, window managers, and the so-called desktop environments ( KDE
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and Gnome ).
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For Linux newbies, I provide links to three FAQ's that collectively address <it>many</it> of the
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questions posted to the Usenet newsgroups :
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<enum>
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<item>The Linux FAQ at <url url="http://www.fokus.gmd.de/linux/FAQ/Linux-FAQ.html">
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<item>The XFree86 X - Window System FAQ at <url url="http://www.xfree86.org/FAQ">
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<item>The Linux Kernel mailing list FAQ at <url url="http://www.tux.org/lkml/">
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</enum>
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<sect>Online Support Sections
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<p> These sections are typically found at the websites of Linux distributions, and often contain a
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variety of helpful documents with information not easily encompassed within a FAQ. Look for
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sections with one or more of the following titles:
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<itemize>
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<item>Installation Support
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<item>Knowledge or Solutions Databases.
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<item>Tips and Tricks
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<item>Errata, Fixes and Updates
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<item>White Papers
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<item>Technical Guides
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<item>Hardware Guide or Compatibility List
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<item>Security Information
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</itemize>
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Some websites provide a site search engine that will facilitate your quest for a solution.
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If you have a problem with a newly installed distribution, look here first as bugs and their fixes
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are typically posted here. You may find a detailed guide that will help you accomplish a task such
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as upgrading your kernel or the version of the XFree86 X - Window System you are using.
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I recommend you spend some time at the website familiarizing yourself with what is available.
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<sect>Usenet Newsgroup Archives
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<p>The ability to search for and retrieve information from archived posts to the linux-related
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(Usenet) newsgroups represents a powerful means of troubleshooting in Linux.
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Search engines permit one to search the archives by stipulating the forum, keywords, authors,
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dates, language and combinations thereof. Because the number of linux-related newsgroups is large,
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the likelihood of finding useful information is high.
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I would like to relate a brief anecdote to demonstrate the efficacy of this approach. The first
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time I attempted to build a kernel, I was presented with this error message when I
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invoked a "make" command:
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<tscreen><verb>
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make[1]: as86: Command not found
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make[1]: *** [bootsect.o] Error 127
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make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/linux/arch/i386/boot'
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make: *** [zImage] Error 2
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</verb></tscreen>
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I had no idea what <bf>as86</bf> was, but I entered it as the keyword in the <bf>SUBJECT</bf> field
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of the Power Search utility at <bf>deja.com</bf> ( see below) , and was presented with a large
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number of posts from folks who had encountered the same problem. Respondents had provided the
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reason and solution: I did not have an assembler/linker necessary to create machine code, and the
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<bf>bin86</bf> package provided it. I downloaded and installed a RPM package of the latter and was
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on my way. This entire process took about 10 minutes ( I do have an ADSL connection to the
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'net ! ) .
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There are two websites that provide access to Usenet archives using a search engine as described in
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the following sections.
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<sect1>Power Search at deja.com
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<p>This is the pre-eminent site for all things Usenet, and the <bf>Power Search</bf> utility is at :
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<url url="http://www.deja.com/home_ps.shtml">. Spend some time at this site learning how to use the
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search engine effectively, including an appreciation of the
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<url url="http://www.deja.com/help/help_lang.shtml" name="Search Language "> nuances. In
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particular, note the value of using the <bf>wildcard</bf> symbol. You will be repaid time and again
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for your efforts. I typically enter the following for a "routine" search:
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<tscreen><verb>
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LANGUAGE : English
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SUBJECT : try different keywords, thinking of a subject line you would use for a post.
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FORUM : *linux* or comp.os.linux.*
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</verb></tscreen>
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There is another nice interface to the <bf>Power Search</bf> utility at :
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<url url="http://www.exit109.com/~jeremy/news/deja.html">. Customize this page to your liking ( I
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like the " DejaClassic" option ), and then choose " Save Settings."
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You may also be interested in using the <bf>DejaSearch utility</bf>, available at : <url
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url="http://homemade.hypermart.net/dejasearch/"> , that will print out the retrieved posts in one
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HTML file for your perusal. By using this, you will not have to page back and forth in your
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browser.
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<sect1>Searchlinux.com (CNET Linux Help)
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<p>This is a relatively new site with many of the same features as deja.com. It has "basic" and "advanced"
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search options. The latter does not have as many options as the <bf>Power Search </bf>feature at
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deja.com. It has a nice one-click option whereby one may view one's own posts and associated
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replies. It is found at : <url url="http://www.searchlinux.com">
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<sect>Internet Search Engines
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<p>I frequently use a Search Engine to retrieve helpful or necessary information from the 'net.
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These engines catalogue pages from commercial, personal and academic websites, as well as Mailing
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Lists and the like.
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Of course, there are a large number of available Search Engines, and I suggest you try several
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before giving up on a particular quest. Research has shown that any one of them catalogues but a
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small portion of existent web pages. It is worthwhile becoming very familiar with the operational details
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of at least one non-directory engine to maximize the efficiency and efficacy of your search
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efforts. You probably already have a favorite - I like <bf>Google.com</bf>, and will discuss it in
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a little more detail.
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<sect1>Google.com
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<p>This engine has several novel features that are described at :
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<url url="http://www.google.com/why_use.html">. In particular, the engine often returns the most
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useful pages first ; in fact, I have often found that the first listed page contains the
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information I need. Because it caches web pages, it is relatively fast at displaying requested
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items. It has a so-called <bf>GoogleScout (TM)</bf> feature that provides additional relevant links
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with each item returned.
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In addition, it has a specialized Linux search engine at : <url url="http://www.google.com/linux">
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that I use as my primary Internet search tool. It searches the database of linux-related pages at
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<bf>Google.com</bf> further promoting search efficiency. Try it- I am confident you will bookmark
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it immediately.
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<sect>Mailing List Archives
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<p>As you might expect, there are a very large number of linux-related Mailing Lists that enable
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developers and users to communicate and collaborate on projects. These Lists cover every
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conceivable aspect of Linux, from the technical arcana of kernel development to the relatively
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unfocused discussion of issues at the newbie level. Subscribers to a particular Mailing List are
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generally very knowledgeable in the List's topic, and detailed and useful information is often
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retrievable. The communications are publically accessible through Internet search engines and in the
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form of online Mailing List Archives. You will typically see archived pages when you conduct a
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search using an Internet search engine.
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Not all Mailing Lists are associated with an online archive, but this is increasingly the
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case. Similarly, not all archives have an associated search engine.
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Initially, try locate the Mailing List Archive you are interested in by typing a keyword/s and
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"mailing list archive" in an Internet search engine.
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For a listing of linux-related Mailing Lists, peruse websites such as the <bf>Linux Resource
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Exchange</bf> at : <url url="http://www.linuxrx.com/Lists/Lists.perl"> and the <bf>Linux Online
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Mailing Lists</bf> at: <url url="http://www.linux.org/help/lists.html">.
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You may also find Mailing List archives at the following locations :
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<enum>
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<item>The website of the distribution of Linux you use.
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<item>The website/s of the Window Manager and/or Desktop Environment you use.
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<item>The website dedicated to the application or project in question.
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<item><bf>The Mail Archive </bf>at : <url url="http://www.mail-archive.com/lists.html">
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<item><bf>Mailing List Archives</bf> at :
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<url url="http://www.uwsg.indiana.edu/hypermail/">
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<item><bf>Linux Mailing List Archives</bf> at :
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<url url="http://kernelnotes.org/lnxlists/">
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<item><bf>Tux Mailing List Archives</bf> at :
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<url url="http://www.tux.org/hypermail/">
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</enum>
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This is not a complete listing of archives and you may find additional sites with an Internet
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search engine. But, this should certainly get you going.
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<sect>Online User's Manuals
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<p>Some of the major Linux distributions and Window Managers/Desktop Environments publish their
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user's manual online. If the entire manual is not online, installation and configuration guides are typically
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found at the relevant website . This also applies to major applications like the
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<bf>Gimp</bf> ( GNU Image Manipulation Program).
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So, for those users who do not have the printed manual, a wealth of installation and configuration
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guidance is generally available online.
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<sect>Online Unix Tutorials
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<p>As Linux is a Unix-like operating system, a general familiarity with fundamental Unix concepts
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such as the Unix directory hierarchy and file permissions is essential. Fortunately, there are many
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Unix tutorials online that collectively cover everything a user might need to know to use Linux. I
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suggest you bookmark the following as an online reference library :
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<enum>
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<item>A large well-organized reference at :
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<url url="http://www.dicamp.univ.trieste.it/du96/unix/TOC.html">
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<item>Unixhelp at <url url="http://www.ucs.ed.ac.uk/~unixhelp/servers.html">
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<item>Unix is a Four Letter Word... at
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<url url="http://www.linuxbox.com/~taylor/4ltrwrd/title.html">
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</enum>
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<sect>Miscellaneous Resources
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<p>In this section, I provide a number of links to websites that I have found useful while learning
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to use Linux. This is an eclectic collection, but keep these handy.
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<sect1>Release Notes and Available Documentation related to the XFree86 X - Window Server.
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<p>This documentation accompanies each version of XFree86, and is available at:
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<url url="http://www.xfree86.org/">. Whenever you have trouble with your X environment, peruse the
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notes applicable to your videocard/chipset. These typically provide details about the configuration
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of the X - window system relative to your card, and will enumerate any "options" you have to
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include in the <tt>XF86Config</tt> file that governs X.
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<sect1>GNU Texinfo pages
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<p>A great collection of pages is available at :
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<url url="http://www.geek-girl.com/unix.html#texinfo">. Included are links to pages on the
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following:
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<itemize>
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<item><bf>Bash </bf> - The Bourne-again shell
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<item><bf>Configure </bf> - used when compiling programs from source code
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<item><bf>G++ </bf> - the GNU C++ compiler
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<item><bf>Gcc</bf> - the C compiler
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<item><bf>Libc</bf> - the GNU C library
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<item><bf>Make</bf> - a program for directing recompilation
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</itemize>
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Note that some of these are included in the "docs" that come with Linux distributions. In general,
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these are detailed technical documents of particular interest to developers. However, if like me,
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you are not a programmer, you may peruse the introductory sections of these documents to get
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insight, for example, into those <tt>configure</tt>and <tt>make</tt> commands you use when
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installing applications from source code.
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<sect1>GNU Software and Manuals
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<p>Many important programs that are frequently utilized by the Linux user are GNU utilities - for
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example, the <bf>tar</bf> (archive) and <bf>gzip</bf> ( compression ) programs. Descriptions of
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these programs are located at :
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<url url="http://www.gnu.org/software/software.html#DescriptionsOfGNUSoftware"> and online manuals
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for many of these are found at : <url url="http://www.gnu.org/manual/manual.html">.
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These manuals typically provide a lot more information than is found in the corresponding
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<bf>man</bf> page on your system. For example , compare the <bf>man</bf> page and online manual for
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the <bf>tar</bf> utility.
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<sect1>Glossary of Linux-related terms
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<p>This online guide at :<url url="http://www.firstlinux.com/guide/"> has a nice collection of
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terms and definitions, sorted alphabetically. Go here if you encounter a term that you have not
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seen before or do not understand.
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<sect1>An online dictionary of computer and technology terms
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<p>The <bf>Webopedia</bf> website at : <url url="http://www.pcwebopedia.com/"> consists of a large
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online dictionary of computer-related terms and a search engine that provides links to documents
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that discuss each item in more detail. For example, I used this site to learn the differences
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between <bf>ISA</bf> and <bf>PCI</bf> buses.
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<sect1>A detailed Guide to Personal Computers
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<p>The Topic Index to this voluminous hardware guide at :
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<url url="http://www.PCguide.com/topic.html"> will give you a great idea of the contents of this
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website. I used it quite frequently when first installing Linux and configuring the X Window
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System. I learnt a lot about videocards and monitors, including the concepts of screen resolution,
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color depth etc., useful when troubleshooting X - display problems.
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<sect1>Gary's Encyclopedia
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<p>Gary Momarison's website at <url url="http://members.aa.net/~swear/pedia/index.html"> contains a
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very large number of sorted Linux-related links. You may use the "find" function in your browser to
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find links in a particular category. Peruse this website to appreciate what it has to offer.
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<sect>Concluding Comments
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<p>If you are a Linux newbie, you may want to create a <bf>Troubleshooting</bf> folder in your
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browser's bookmark list, into which you put the hyperlinks I have included in this document, as well
|
||||
as those pertinent to the distribution of Linux and the Window Manager/Desktop Environment you
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use.
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As you use these links , you will quickly become adept at troubleshooting online.
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Cheers and happy searching !
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</article>
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