How to ask

If you have a problem and want to ask an expert for help, here are the short guidelines.

1. Please describe the problem as accurate, precise and complete as you can. Specify program versions, quote related configuration files, provide the exact commands you have type and their output — copy/paste it or do a screenshot. Every minor detail can be important, every little mistake in your description can be fatal.

2. Please describe the big, main, major problem that you have, but not that little obstacle that you stumble upon while trying to solve the big problem. There is a chance that you are solving you big problem in the wrong way, that's why start with the big one.

3. Please re-read what you have written, and assess if an outside expert (who doesn't know your specifics) could understand that. Maybe you omitted something important — such as a network topology, a little configuration detail, a phase of the moon, the fact that the problem appeared after you've done some changes.

4. Be ready to answer additional questions, provide more details, perform some actions, in some cases — give an access to your system. Stay online (say, don't leave IRC 10 minutes after asking your question). Be prepared to wait — an expert may not have enough free time at the moment.

5. Don't try to be smarter than you are — more to say, if you asked for help, turn the «dumb mode» on, strictly follow the instructions given by an expert, do not mix actions you do as asked and the ones you do on your own. Otherwise you can change the state of the system to the point nobody can find out the cause of the initial problem. Example: unless asked to, do not reboot the machine, do not restart the program, do not change configuration files, do not reload a module.

See also

• How to ask questions a smart way? by ESR