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<title>Ubuntu Help and Support</title>
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<para><emphasis role="strong">Objectives</emphasis></para>
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<para>In this lesson, you will learn how to seek help with Ubuntu from various
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<para>In this lesson, you will learn how to seek help for Ubuntu from various
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sources such as system documentation, online documentation, commercial support, community support, Launchpad
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and the Fridge.</para>
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<instructornote><title>Instructor Notes:</title><para><emphasis role="italic">This session includes an optional hour. You can devote this
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hour to elaborate on certain topics already covered in the previous sections. Or you may
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choose to select something from the optional material (The section on partitioning and
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booting) to teach during this hour. The first half of the session shall focus on the help and
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resources available to Ubuntu users.</emphasis></para>
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<instructornote><title>Instructor Notes:</title><para><emphasis role="italic">This lesson includes an optional hour. In addition to covering
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the lesson content, you can devote this hour to elaborate on topics already covered in the previous lessons or select something from
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the optional material, such as partitioning and booting or sections from the music and video lesson.
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<title>Introduction</title>
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<para>Help and support on Ubuntu is readily available
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<para>Help and support for Ubuntu is readily available
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through a number of sources so you need not panic if you run into a problem. Essentially
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there are two channels for accessing support:</para>
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<imagedata fileref="images/Lesson10_images_002.png" format="PNG" />
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</imageobject></mediaobject>
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<para>New to Ubuntu? This section introduces you to the wonderful world of Ubuntu including an easy to use guide if you are migrating from Microsoft Windows to Ubuntu. Also in this section, the help guide will explain how to use your desktop, the role of the administrator and basic computer skills. A great resource for any newcomers and top up to this desktop course.</para>
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<para>New to Ubuntu? This section introduces you to the wonderful world of Ubuntu including an easy to use guide if you are migrating from Microsoft Windows to Ubuntu. Also in this section, the help guide will explain how to use your desktop, the role of the administrator and basic computer skills. A great resource for any newcomers and a top up to this desktop course.</para>
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<para>Some applications do also offer access to the help system through the <emphasis>Help</emphasis> menu or keyboard shortcut <emphasis>F1</emphasis>.</para>
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<para>One of the great features of the system documentation is the ability to search the documentation to help solve the problem you have. Simply type in the term you are looking for and the system will search all the documents and guides for any information related including documents from the different applications installed on your system (an example would be the GNOME Desktop User Guide).</para>
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<para>One of the great features of the system documentation is the ability to search the documentation to help solve the problem you have. Simply type in the term you are looking for and the system will search all the documents and guides for any related information including documents from the different applications installed on your system (an example would be the GNOME Desktop User Guide).</para>
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<title>Online Documentation</title>
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<emphasis role="strong">Titles</emphasis> will restrict the search of your term to the
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pages titles only. If a search via titles does not produce any results a
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full <emphasis role="strong">Text</emphasis> search may find the right page.</para>
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<para>In addition to the two types of documentation available on the
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Ubuntu Web site, you can find some relevant information on the
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<emphasis role="strong">CommonQuestions</emphasis> page. Access the
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<para>You can also find relevant information on the <emphasis role="strong">CommonQuestions</emphasis> page. Access the
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<emphasis role="strong">CommonQuestions</emphasis> page by
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clicking the <emphasis role="strong">Common Questions</emphasis>
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link on the community documentation page.</para>
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a non-profit organization. Just like the Open Source movement the Creative
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Commons promotes collaborative creation and public sharing of cultural, scientific
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and educational content.</para></note>
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<instructornote><title>Instructor Notes:</title>
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<para><emphasis role="italic">If the learners want to know more about the
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Creative Commons Licenses, share the following information with them:</emphasis></para>
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<para><emphasis role="italic">The Creative Commons have released an alternative
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licensing system known as Creative Commons licenses, which allow the creators of
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intellectual property, such as authors, educators, artists and scientists,
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to mark their work with the freedom that they want it to carry.</emphasis></para>
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<para><emphasis role="italic">Under the Creative Commons licenses, the
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copyright holders can legally allow certain uses of their work.
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They can even release their work in public domain for others to innovate
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upon and create entirely new works. In simpler terms, the Creative Commons
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licenses aim to avoid the prohibitions imposed by the current copyright laws
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on sharing of information. Instead, they intend to establish a middle way
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between the extremes of strict copyright prohibitions and the uncontrolled
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exploitation of intellectual property.</emphasis></para></instructornote>
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<title>Community Support</title>
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<para>The vast and ever growing Ubuntu community also offers a range of
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appropriate boxes and then click the <emphasis role="strong">
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Subscribe</emphasis> button.</para>
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<para>When you subscribe to a mailing list, a confirmation mail is
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sent on your provided e-mail address to verify that it is your address.
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sent on your provided e-mail to verify that it is your address.
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To activate this mailing list, you need to first open your e-mail account
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and then click the link provided in the confirmation e-mail.</para>
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<figure><title><emphasis role="italic">Confirmation Mail</emphasis></title>
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search. It is more than likely that you will find your desired information
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in these postings.</para>
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<para>However, if you do not find the required information in the
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questions that have already been asked, you can go ahead and create
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a new posting on the Web forum. In all probability, you will soon be
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questions that have already been asked, you can create a new posting on the Web forum. In all probability, you will soon be
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flooded with hundreds of responses from the zealous community
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members, which will help sort out your problems.</para>
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members, providing assistance.</para>
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<sect2 id="irc-channels">
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<title id="title-irc-channels">IRC Channels</title>
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#edubuntu and #xubuntu are also available. In addition,
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channels related to bugs, development, LoCo teams,
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accessibility and documentation are also available.</para>
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<tip><title><emphasis role="strong">Nice to Know:</emphasis></title>
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<para>IRC is mainly designed for group communication in discussion
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forums, called channels. It also allows one-to-one communication
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through private message.</para></tip>
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<note><title><emphasis role="strong">Note:</emphasis></title>
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<para>To see a list of IRC channels and clients, go to
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<ulink url="https://help.ubuntu.com/community/InternetRelayChat">https://help.ubuntu.com/community/InternetRelayChat</ulink>.
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<para>There are many ways to connect to an IRC channel and one of
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them is by using the Pidgin instant messenger. Connecting to Pidgin was covered in Lesson 4.
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But to cover how you can access various IRC channels once in Pidgin:</para>
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Once in Pidgin, you can access various IRC channels by:</para>
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<orderedlist numeration="arabic">
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<para>Open the <emphasis role="strong">Buddies</emphasis>
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<sect2 id="loco-teams">
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<title id="title-loco-teams">LoCo Teams</title>
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<para>The Ubuntu LoCo (short for 'local')teams comprise a vital resource for providing
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localised support. With the the incredible success of Ubuntu around the world, the
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<para>The Ubuntu LoCo (short for 'local') teams comprise a vital resource for providing
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localised support. With the incredible success of Ubuntu around the world, the
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Loco project helps groups of Ubuntu fans and enthusiasts work together in their regional teams
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to help advocate, promote, translate, develop and otherwise improve Ubuntu.You can access
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<para>Launchpad is a Web-based suite that helps people develop directly or contribute to the development of free
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and open source software. It is a collaborative system developed by
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Canonical primarily for collaboration on open source software. Ubuntu is the most popular project hosted
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on Launchpad. You can use the Shipit with your Launchpad ID and
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on Launchpad. You can use Shipit with your Launchpad ID and
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order Ubuntu CDs, report a bug, assist in translation of Ubuntu and more. We will cover
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the Launchpad Technical Answers section, Launchpad Bug Tracking, and Shipit (ordering Ubuntu CDs).</para>
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the Launchpad Technical Answers section, Launchpad Bug Tracking, and Shipit (ordering Ubuntu CDs) in this section.</para>
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<para>You can visit Launchpad at <ulink url="https://launchpad.net">https://launchpad.net</ulink>.
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The following screenshot displays the home page of the Launchpad site:</para>
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<figure><title><emphasis role="italic">The Launchpad Page</emphasis></title>
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<para>On this page, all answers specific to the Ubuntu project are listed
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under various categories. You can type your question in the
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<emphasis role="strong">Search</emphasis> field to search an
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<emphasis role="strong">Search</emphasis> field to search for an
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answer in the existing questions. Alternatively, you can click the
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<emphasis role="strong">Ask a question</emphasis> button to display
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the <emphasis role="strong">Ask a question</emphasis> page.</para>
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<title>Paid For Commercial Services</title>
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<para>Canonical provides professional support across the globe. You can purchase this support by
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contacting the Professional Support Services team on the Ubuntu Web
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contacting the Global Support Services team on the Ubuntu Web
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site at <ulink url="http://www.ubuntu.com/support/paid">
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http://www.ubuntu.com/support/paid</ulink>. These professional support
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services can be obtained either directly from Canonical through their
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Global Support Services team or through the network of companies and
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http://www.ubuntu.com/support/paid</ulink>. Professional support
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services can also be obtained through the network of companies and
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partners listed in the Canonical Marketplace.</para>
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<title>Professional Support Services from Canonical</title>
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<para>Canonical Global Support Services are deployed to enable 24x7
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assistance to customers. The Global Support Services team at
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Canonical utilises its vast experience and knowledge base to identify
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the challenges that customers frequently face when installing and
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assistance to customers. The Global Support Services team utilises its vast experience and knowledge base to identify
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the challenges that customers may face when installing and
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maintaining new platforms and applications. From optimising your
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small office set-up to providing guidance on very large deployments,
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the Global Support Services team is always ready to help you get the
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present in the left <emphasis role="strong">Navigation</emphasis>
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pane to purchase support for your Ubuntu desktop. If you are a company employee, ask your I.S. team for details
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of your support options as this will vary from company to company.</para>
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<figure><title><emphasis role="italic">AboutUs Page</emphasis></title>
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<figure><title><emphasis role="italic">About Us Page</emphasis></title>
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<mediaobject><imageobject>
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<imagedata fileref="images/Lesson10_images_034.png" format="PNG" />
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</imageobject></mediaobject>
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<title>The Canonical Marketplace</title>
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<para>The Canonical Marketplace lists a number of companies and
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partners located in various regions of the world. These companies and
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partners provide local support for desktops and servers running Ubuntu.
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partners located in various regions of the world which provide local support for desktops and servers running Ubuntu.
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To receive localised support for your Ubuntu desktop, you can search a
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company close to you by selecting your region from the provided
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<ulink url="http://www.ubuntu.com/support/commercial/marketplace">http://www.ubuntu.com/support/commercial/marketplace</ulink>.
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<para>Selecting your region from the list provided will lead you to a
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comprehensive list of all the Local Support Services providers in that
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region. To get localised support for Ubuntu, you can contact the
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company or partner closest to your location.</para>
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<para>The following screenshot displays a list of all the Local Support
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comprehensive list of all the Local Support Service providers in that
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region. The following screenshot displays a list of all the Local Support
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Services providers existing in Africa:</para>
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<figure><title><emphasis role="italic">Local Support Services Page</emphasis></title>
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<mediaobject><imageobject>
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</imageobject></mediaobject>
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<note><title><emphasis role="strong">Note:</emphasis></title>
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<para>If your company is providing Ubuntu-related services then you too have the option to be
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<para>If your company is providing Ubuntu-related services then you too have the option of being
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listed in the Canonical Marketplace as a Local Services Provider.
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To do this simply click the <emphasis role="strong">
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send us your information</emphasis> link at the bottom of
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<para>Canonical provides professional support across the globe,
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which you can purchase by contacting the Professional Support
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which you can purchase by contacting the Global Support
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Services team.</para>
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<para>Professional support services can be obtained either through
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the Global Support Services team or through the companies and
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<para>Professional support services can also be obtained through the companies and
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partners listed in the Canonical Marketplace.</para>
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that are listed in the Canonical Marketplace.</para>
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<para><emphasis role="strong">Question 4</emphasis></para>
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<para>What is the Canonical Marketplace?</para>
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<para><emphasis role="strong">Answer 4</emphasis></para>
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<para>The Canonical Marketplace is a Web site that lists a number of
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companies and partners, which provide local help and support for the
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Ubuntu desktop and servers.</para>
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<para><emphasis role="strong">Question 5</emphasis></para>
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<para>What are the different platforms through which the Ubuntu
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community extends its help and support?</para>
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<para><emphasis role="strong">Answer 5</emphasis></para>
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<para><emphasis role="strong">Answer 4</emphasis></para>
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<para>The different platforms through which the Ubuntu community
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extends its help and support are:</para>
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<listitem><para>The Ubuntu wiki</para></listitem>
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<para><emphasis role="strong">Question 6</emphasis></para>
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<para><emphasis role="strong">Question 5</emphasis></para>
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<para>What are IRC channels?</para>
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<para><emphasis role="strong">Answer 6</emphasis></para>
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<para><emphasis role="strong">Answer 5</emphasis></para>
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<para>IRC channels are a form of real-time Internet chat that allows
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users to talk directly to one another.</para>
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<para><emphasis role="strong">Question 7</emphasis></para>
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<para><emphasis role="strong">Question 6</emphasis></para>
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<para>What help and support do the LoCo teams provide to Ubuntu
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<para><emphasis role="strong">Answer 7</emphasis></para>
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<para>The LoCo teams are primarily involved in providing free,
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face-to-face, local support, such as one-on-one troubleshooting, group
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<para><emphasis role="strong">Answer 6</emphasis></para>
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<para>The LoCo teams are primarily involved in providing free
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local support, such as one-on-one troubleshooting, group
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sessions and presentations about Ubuntu. Simultaneously, these teams
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are actively engaged in providing non-English support to the Ubuntu
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<para><emphasis role="strong">Question 8</emphasis></para>
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<para><emphasis role="strong">Question 7</emphasis></para>
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<para>What is Launchpad?</para>
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<para><emphasis role="strong">Answer 8</emphasis></para>
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<para><emphasis role="strong">Answer 7</emphasis></para>
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<para>Launchpad is a Web-based suite that helps people develop free
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and open source software. It is a collaborative system developed by
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Canonical and is primarily used to track many aspects of open source
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development.</para>
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<para><emphasis role="strong">Question 9</emphasis></para>
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<para><emphasis role="strong">Question 8</emphasis></para>
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<para>As an Ubuntu user, why do you need to use Launchpad?</para>
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<para><emphasis role="strong">Answer 9</emphasis></para>
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<para><emphasis role="strong">Answer 8</emphasis></para>
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<para>As an Ubuntu user, you can use Launchpad to search
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Ubuntu-related information, report and track bugs in Ubuntu and place
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mailing orders for Ubuntu CDs.</para>
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<para><emphasis role="strong">Question 10</emphasis></para>
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<para>Which is the bug-tracking tool available with Launchpad?</para>
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<para><emphasis role="strong">Question 9</emphasis></para>
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<para>What is the name of the bug-tracking tool available with Launchpad?</para>
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<para><emphasis role="strong">Answer 10</emphasis></para>
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<para><emphasis role="strong">Answer 9</emphasis></para>
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<para>Malone is the bug-tracking tool available with Launchpad.</para>