{{Header}}
{{#seo:
|description=Various Ways to get Help with {{project_name}}. Free and Professional Support available.
|image=https://www.whonix.org/w/images/9/98/Support-487515640.jpg
}}

== Free Support ==
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| type    = notice
| image   = [[File:Ambox_notice.png|40px|alt=Info]]
| text    = '''Tip:''' User questions are likely to have been asked and answered before in either the Whonix/Qubes/Debian documentation, Whonix/VirtualBox forums, Qubes/{{project_name_short}} bug trackers, Debian/Qubes/KVM/Tor mailing lists, stackexchange, or other community/developer portals.
}}
In the first instance, users should search the following free resources for their issue(s).

=== Computer Security ===
* General questions about computer security can be discussed at [https://security.stackexchange.com Information Security Stack Exchange].

=== General ===

* [[Documentation]].
* When [[Tor_Browser#Tor_Browser_Downloader_by_{{project_name}}|Tor Browser Downloader]] is failing, refer to the [https://forums.whonix.org {{project_name}} User Forums]. Since many users are affected when it breaks, there is probably already an existing topic and documented solution.
* Linux/Debian related questions are welcome <ref>http://meta.unix.stackexchange.com/questions/1461/would-you-be-happy-to-welcome-whonix-gnu-linux-users-on-unix-se</ref> on [https://unix.stackexchange.com Unix and Linux Stack Exchange].
** Add the {{Code2|whonix}} tag <ref>https://tor.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/whonix</ref>, which will alert {{project_name}} developers and followers.

=== Tor ===

For general questions about about Tor configuration, specs, and technical issues. 

* [https://www.torproject.org/docs/documentation Documentation Main Page].
* [https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/wiki Wiki].
* [https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/wiki/TracGuide Trac Guide].
* [https://www.torproject.org/docs/faq.html.en FAQs].
* [https://torproject.org/docs/tor-manual.html.en Tor-stable Manual].
* [https://torproject.org/docs/bridges Bridges].
* [https://bugs.torproject.org/tor Bug Tracker].

For general Tor questions not directly related to {{project_name}} like "What are end-to-end correlation attacks?", use:
* [https://tor.stackexchange.com Tor Stack Exchange];
* The [https://lists.torproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/tor-talk tor-talk mailing list]; or 
* [irc://irc.oftc.net/tor IRC] ([https://webirc.oftc.net:8443/?channels=Tor Webchat]).

For Tor-on-host questions unrelated to {{project_name}} such as "How do I configure bridges?", see:
* [https://www.torproject.org/about/contact.html Tor Project contact page];
* [https://tor.stackexchange.com Tor Stack Exchange]; 
* [https://lists.torproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/tor-talk tor-talk mailing list]; and 
* [irc://irc.oftc.net/tor IRC]. 
* Also available: [https://webirc.oftc.net:8443/?channels=Tor Webchat] or e-mail to help@rt.torproject.org

For {{project_name}}-specific Tor questions, see:
* [https://tor.stackexchange.com Tor Stack Exchange]. Add the {{Code2|whonix}} tag, <ref>https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/whonix</ref> which will alert {{project_name}} developers and followers. <ref>{{project_name}} users [http://meta.tor.stackexchange.com/questions/119/would-you-be-happy-to-welcome-whonix-gnu-linux-users-on-tor-se are welcome] to post in this forum.</ref>
* For {{project_name}}-specific questions that are unsuitable for the stackexchange Q/A format, use the [https://forums.whonix.org {{project_name}} User Forums].

=== Qubes OS ===

* [https://qubes-os.org/doc Documentation]
* Enhancements and community bug tracker - Github [https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues qubes-issues].
* Various daily questions and/or problems - Google Groups [https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/qubes-users qubes-users]. 
** HCL reports.
** Installation problems.
** Hardware compatibility problems.
** General, how do I...?
* Mailing lists and other [https://qubes-os.org/support Help and Support] resources.
* Also see: [https://forums.whonix.org/t/what-to-post-in-this-qubes-whonix-forum-and-what-not What to post in this [[{{q_project_name_short}}|{{q_project_name}}]] forum and what not].

=== Additional Support Resources ===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
For additional support resources,<ref>VirtualBox, KVM, Debian and OpenVPN support resources</ref> please press on Expand on the right.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

=== VirtualBox ===

For general questions on VirtualBox configuration, settings, and troubleshooting.

* [https://www.virtualbox.org/manual/UserManual.html User Manual].
* [https://forums.virtualbox.org/ Forums].
* [https://www.virtualbox.org/manual/ch12.html Troubleshooting].
* [https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Bugtracker Bug Tracker].

=== KVM ===

General questions on using KVM.

* [https://www.linux-kvm.org/page/KVM_Features Features].
* [https://www.linux-kvm.org/page/HOWTO Howto's ...]
* [https://www.qemu.org/documentation/ QEMU Documentation].
* [https://www.linux-kvm.org/page/FAQ FAQ].

=== Debian ===

Support resources ranging from beginners questions to Debian development.

* [https://www.debian.org/support Support Main Page].
* [https://www.debian.org/doc/ Documentation].
* [https://wiki.debian.org/ Wiki] - Howto's, guides, tips....
* [http://forums.debian.net/ Forums].
* [https://www.debian.org/MailingLists/ Mailing Lists].
* [https://www.debian.org/Bugs/ Bug Tracker].

=== OpenVPN ===

Any questions related to OpenVPN setup, configuration and technical issues.

* [https://community.openvpn.net/openvpn/wiki Community Wiki].
* [https://forums.openvpn.net/ Support Forum].
* [https://community.openvpn.net/openvpn/search Search Engine].
* [https://community.openvpn.net/openvpn/report Bug Tracker].

</div>
</div>

=== Chat ===
* [[File:1024px-Telegram_2019_Logo.svg.png|25px|link=https://t.me/Whonix_Chat]] [https://t.me/Whonix_Chat {{project_name}} Telegram Chat]
* [[File:Matrix_logo.svg.png|50px|link=https://matrix.to/#/!ldUrkJMMqFScVZBdYN:tchncs.de?via=matrix.org&via=tchncs.de&via=privacytools.io]] [https://matrix.to/#/!ldUrkJMMqFScVZBdYN:tchncs.de?via=matrix.org&via=tchncs.de&via=privacytools.io {{project_name}} Matrix Chat]
{{Anchor|IRC}}
* [irc://irc.oftc.net/{{project_name_short}} #{{project_name}} on irc.oftc.net] ([https://webirc.oftc.net:8443/?channels={{project_name_short}} {{project_name}} Webchat]). 

=== Other Resources ===
* Help others by [[Contribute#Answer_Questions|subscribing]] to {{project_name}} support channels.
* If an anonymous email address is needed for signing up at [https://forums.whonix.org {{project_name}} User Help Forums], then [[#Creating_an_Anonymous_Email_Account_for_Support|click here]].
* [[Forum Best Practices|{{project_name}} Forum Best Practices]].
* [[Policy of Whonix Website and Whonix Chat|{{project_name}} Policy of Whonix Website and Whonix Chat]].
* [[#Professional Support|Professional Support]].

== Safety Advice == 

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| image   = [[File:Ambox_warning_pn.svg.png|40px]]
| text    = '''Warning''': Be careful what you say, especially in public places that are archived!
}}
What is said may reveal personal information such as: 

* Location / IP Address.
* Personality.
* Skills, Aims, Goals.
* Personal Details.
* ...

To keep the IP address hidden, visit these websites anonymously over Tor, using either the {{workstation_product_name}} or [https://www.torproject.org/projects/torbrowser.html.en Tor Browser] from The Tor Project. To delink questions from an existing email or OpenID, it is advisable to create a separate email address, OpenID, and user name/s just for this purpose.

Be careful with the advice received from public places. Always get a second opinion and do not run commands or perform steps which you do not understand. Never post any custom code or output that pertains to your system or onion service specifically.

== General Advice == 

{{mbox
| type      = notice
| image   = [[File:Ambox_notice.png|40px|alt=Info]]
| text    = '''Tip:''' Do not accidentally substitute {{Code2|Tor}} for a question related to {{Code2|Tor Browser}}, as this causes confusion. Further, the correct terminology is Tor, not TOR.
}}

* [http://www.catb.org/esr/faqs/smart-questions.html How to Ask Smart Questions] 
* [http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/bugs.html How to Report Bugs Effectively] 
* [http://mywiki.wooledge.org/XyProblem XyProblem]

== Free Support Principle ==
=== Brief Recommendations ===

It is recommended to follow these steps in order:

# Check the [[Documentation]] to see if the question has already been discussed. Use the {{project_name}} internal search engine and external search engines (DuckDuckGo, Startpage).
# Search the [https://forums.whonix.org {{project_name}} User Forums] and [https://phabricator.whonix.org issue tracker] for the problem. 
# If possible, search for a solution without the {{project_name}}-specific part of the question, as it may have been answered in mainstream Linux fora.
# Check if the problem can be replicated in vanilla operating system environments like [https://www.debian.org/ Debian] <code>{{Stable project version based on Debian codename}}</code>, XFCE, inside the virtualizer, or over [https://www.torproject.org Tor].
# See [[#General Advice|General Advice]].
# After completing steps 1-5, a specific support request should be made if the user cannot locate a similar reference for their problem. Suitable options may include Debian user forums, unix stackexchange, VirtualBox forums, KVM mailing lists, Qubes' issue tracker, Tor mailing lists, software-specific community / developer forums (for example, LibreOffice), and so on.
# See also [[Reporting_Bugs#Support_Request_Policy|Support Request Policy]].
# In case {{Project name}} specific issues or feature requests see also [[Reporting_Bugs|Bug Reports and Software Development]].
# If no solution is found, the user should create a new post in the [https://forums.whonix.org {{project_name}} User Forums].
# If a solution is provided, please consider editing the [[Documentation|{{project_name}} Documentation]] as a small contribution and/or providing a complete answer in the {{project_name}} User Forums.

=== Free Support Principle Rationale ===

In an ideal world, all free support requests would be answered with minimal to no effort or systems would run flawlessly, thus negating the need for asking questions. Unfortunately, real world systems are flawed and developer time and knowledge is limited. This is further elaborated in chapter [[Reporting_Bugs#Policy_Rationale|Policy Rationale]].

{{project_name}} will always be free in price as well as in freedom ([[Why_{{project_name_short}}_is_Freedom_Software|Why?]]). In order to create a solid open source software solution, {{project_name}} has adopted the approach of {{Code2|treating users as co-developers}}. <ref>
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cathedral_and_the_Bazaar#Lessons_for_creating_good_open_source_software
</ref> This concept is further elaborated below.

==== The User Co-developer Concept ====

The majority of common questions have been answered in the available [[Documentation]]. If the solution to an issue is already documented, users will usually receive just a link to the documentation in response to their question.

{{project_name}} is a Linux distribution, with {{project_name}} developers and users playing the role of integrators. {{project_name}} itself is based on several components and software distributions developed by other projects; it is standing on the shoulders of giants. 
ffaq
In simple terms, {{project_name}} is based on: <ref>This is explained in more detail on the [[About]] page.</ref>

* A [[Supported_Platforms|supported platform]] ([https://www.debian.org/ Debian]).
* Two software packages produced by [https://www.torproejct.org The Tor Project (TPO)] - [https://www.torproject.org Tor] and [[Tor Browser]].
* A host of other software packages.

It is impossible for the [[Contributors|{{project_name}} contributors]] to be aware of the solution to each and every problem that is encountered. Users are therefore encouraged to first consider if their problem is general, and unspecific to {{project_name}}. 

Putting this principle into action means rephrasing the question, seeking solutions in other arenas, and preferably documenting this solution in the [[Documentation]]. Experience has shown that for some questions, this is the only realistic way to solve them.

Users might [[Linux User Experience versus Commercial Operating Systems|expect {{project_name}} to provide a unified experience]] similar to a Windows machine. While the {{project_name}} developers make every effort to meet user expectations, limited funding and human resources makes meeting these expectations impossible. <ref>
A problem all Linux distributions face.
</ref>

==== {{project_name}} Reliance on Debian ====

{{Based on Debian}}

An example of an inappropriate question seeking {{project_name}} support would be "How do I save a document in Libre Office as a PDF?". The solution is easily found by use of Internet search engines. Even if a solution was difficult to find, LibreOffice would behave identically on Debian and other operating systems. Logically, the recipient for the question should be the LibreOffice community. 

On the other hand, in the unlikely event this hypothetical problem only occurred in {{project_name}}, then it would constitute an appropriate support referral, for example: "I know how to save a document in LibreOffice as a PDF. It doesn't work in {{project_name}}. How can I make it work in {{project_name}}?"

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== Creating an Anonymous Email Account for Support ==
Users can try [https://danwin1210.me/mail/ Danwin1210.me],  [https://www.anonymousspeech.com/ Anonymous Speech] or [https://protonmail.com ProtonMail]. This is not an endorsement! Users should not trust the providers with any of their personal information, but only use them for creating the forum account.

As a last resort, Lilias_Sorcha or BlackMug can be contacted on [[#IRC|IRC]] with the desired user name and password. An account can then be created which does not require e-mail verification.

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== Professional Support ==
{{Professional_Support}}

== Footnotes ==

{{reflist|close=1}}

{{Footer}}

[[Category:Documentation]]
