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{{Title|title=
Self Support First Policy for {{project_name_long}}
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|description=Definition of the Self Support First Policy for {{project_name_short}}
|image=Self-support.jpg
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{{intro|
"Self Support First Policy" is usually employed by small open source teams with limited resources. It means '''utilizing all of your options from public sources first''', then search engines, already existing content and answers, then sources inside [https://forums.{{project_clearnet}} the forum] and only then consider reaching out in the forum and through direct [[Support|support]].
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= Overview =

{{Self Support First Policy Short}}
After completing these steps, 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, 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_short}} 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.{{project_clearnet}} {{project_name_short}} User Forums].
* If a solution was found, please consider editing the [[Documentation|{{project_name_short}} Documentation]] as a small contribution and/or providing a complete answer in the {{project_name_short}} User 

= Self Support First Policy 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_short}} will always be free in price as well as in freedom ([[Reasons for Freedom Software|Why?]]). In order to create a solid open source software solution, {{project_name_short}} 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 ==

Most common questions have already been addressed in the available [[Documentation]]. When a solution to a question exists in the documentation, users typically just receive a link to the relevant section.

{{project_name_short}} is a Linux distribution. Both {{project_name_short}} developers and users serve as integrators. {{project_name_short}} builds upon various components and software distributions from other projects, essentially standing on the shoulders of giants.

In essence, {{project_name_short}} is built upon: <ref>
For a more detailed explanation, see the [[About]] page.
</ref>

* [https://www.debian.org/ Debian].
* Numerous other software packages.

The [[Contributors|{{project_name_short}} contributors]] cannot possibly know the solution to every encountered problem or answer every question exhaustively. Therefore, users are encouraged to first determine if their issue is general and not specific to {{project_name_short}}.

Applying this principle entails rephrasing the question, searching for solutions in different places, and ideally documenting the found solution in the [[Documentation]]. Past experience indicates that for some questions, this approach is the only realistic approach to solve them.

Some users may [[Linux User Experience versus Commercial Operating Systems|anticipate that {{project_name_short}} offers a unified experience]] akin to a Windows system. While {{project_name_short}} developers strive to fulfill these expectations, constraints in funding and manpower make it impossible. <ref>
This is a challenge common to all Linux desktop distributions.
</ref>

== {{project_name_short}} Reliance on Debian ==

{{Based_on_Debian}}

An example of an inappropriate question seeking {{project_name_short}} 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_short}}, 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_short}}. How can I make it work in {{project_name_short}}?"

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