Whether you're an individual looking for free support or a corporation willing to pay extra for 24/7 tech help, Linux has plenty to offer.
If you purchased a commercial copy of a Linux distribution from a company such as Red Hat or Caldera, you're entitled to 90 or 30 days (respectively) of free installation support via email.
Community
Help
Run into problems later
on? You still don't have to open your wallet. The Linux
Documentation Project maintains dozens of how-to files covering every
imaginable subject, including installation, DOS emulation, networking,
and using Cyrillic characters.
Check
Out Newsgroups
Still can't find what you
need? Check out the wide variety of Linux-based Usenet newsgroups, including
comp.os.linux.misc, comp.os.linux.setup, comp.os.linux.questions, and alt.os.linux.
If someone hasn't already asked and answered your question, you can always
post it yourself. Linux users have a good track record of answering questions
for newbies. There's even a Linux mailing list for beginners. Just send
email to majordomo@vger.rutgers.edu
with linux-newbie in the body of the message. You'll find a wide assortment
of other Linux lists at Linux
Online, too.
And speaking of Linux Online, there are several great sites loaded with additional Linux information. A couple of our favorites? Slashdot and Linuxberg.
Shell
Out Cash
If that's not enough help
for you, it's time to spend some money. If your company needs Linux support--even
around the clock--it's available. Both Red Hat and Caldera offer full-time,
phone-based tech support help, either on a per-incident or annual contract
basis. Other Linux support operations are beginning to crop up, too. LinuxCare
offers a variety of support options, including its free, searchable Linux
Knowledgebase. You can purchase tech support, consulting, and development
services from the company as your needs progress.
Other
Linux Users
It also pays to think local.
Linux user groups have cropped up around the globe (Yahoo
has a pretty good list of them. If you have one in your area, you could
hook up with local gurus to get their help with your Linux problems. Some
of these groups even hold "Install Fests"--combination tech support sessions/pizza
parties where Linux experts help newbies get the OS up and running.
So no matter how stuck you
get, you're bound to find somebody who can help.
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