3 Self Support First Policy for Kicksecure 4

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"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 the forumarchive.org iconarchive.today icon and only then consider reaching out in the forum and through direct support.

2 Warning: Display title "3 Self Support First Policy for Kicksecure 4" overrides earlier display title "Self Support First Policy for Kicksecure". 5

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11 "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 the forumarchive.org iconarchive.today icon and only then consider reaching out in the forum and through direct support. 12

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Introduction

15 ​ 16 {{mbox 17 |icon=fa-solid fa-info cs-blue 18 |text= 19

The Kicksecure team is promoting the "Self Support First Policy". It is a policy, 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 the forumarchive.org iconarchive.today icon and only then consider reaching out in the forum and through direct support.

  1. Self support is often easier and more effective than suspected. It saves the user time and helps the developer team concentrate on improving the product
  2. Please Use Search Engines And See Documentation First and read the FAQ. Most questions have already been answered.
  3. Use the Kicksecure internal search engine and external search engines like DuckDuckGo and Startpage which the additional keyword "Kicksecure".
  4. Search the Kicksecure User Forumsarchive.org iconarchive.today icon and issue tracker for the problem.
  5. If possible, search for a solution without the Kicksecure-specific part of the question, as it may have been answered in mainstream Linux fora.
  6. Check if the problem can be replicated in vanilla operating system environments like Debianarchive.org iconarchive.today icon bookworm, Xfce.
  7. See General Advice.
  8. See documentation introduction, user expectations, footnotes and references.

20 }} 21 ​ 22 To save time please do NOT ask very basic questions, e. g.: "How do I update Kicksecure?", "How is Kicksecure run on Windows?", "How does VirtualBox work?", "How do I do X on operating system Y?" etc 23 ​ 24 First consider whether someone else has likely raised the exact same question or issue. Experience has shown that most topics have already been discussed within the Kicksecure community and often been documented. 25 ​ 26 ONLY 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. 27

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  • If a solution was found, please consider editing the Kicksecure Documentation as a small contribution and/or providing a complete answer in the Kicksecure User

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Specific suggestions - Searches, Forums, AI

33 ​ 34 {{mbox 35 |icon=fa-solid fa-magnifying-glass cs-blue 36 |text=We recommend using these specific search engines for good results. 37 }} 38 ​ 39

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43 ​ 44 {{mbox 45 |icon=fa-regular fa-comments cs-blue 46 |text=We recommend using our documentation and forums. 47 }} 48 ​ 49 Search for your problem keywords, read related threads etc. 50 ​ 51

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53 ​ 54 {{mbox 55 |icon=fa-solid fa-comments cs-blue 56 |text=Also check other related forums. 57 }} 58 ​ 59

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  • etc.

62 ​ 63 {{mbox 64 |icon=fa-solid fa-robot cs-blue 65 |text= 66 We like to notify you of the following popular AI services. 67 ​ 68 ! Note: 69

  1. We do not endorse any of these services specifically. There are other options available.

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  1. We recommend treating AI tools as "less formal" search engines and NOT as primary sources!

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  1. Always ask AI for primary sources and rely your knowledge and actions on the primary sources, NOT on the AI.

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  1. Keep in mind that AI can hallucinate, so again always verify the information using primary sources.

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Self Support First Policy Rationale

80 ​ 81 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 Policy Rationale. 82 ​ 83 Kicksecure will always be free in price as well as in freedom (Why?). In order to create a solid open source software solution, Kicksecure has adopted the approach of treating users as co-developers. [1] This concept is further elaborated below. 86 ​ 87

The User Co-developer Concept

88 ​ 89 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. 90 ​ 91 Kicksecure is a Linux distribution. Both Kicksecure developers and users serve as integrators. Kicksecure builds upon various components and software distributions from other projects, essentially standing on the shoulders of giants. 92 ​ 93 In essence, Kicksecure is built upon: [2] 96 ​ 97

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  • Numerous other software packages.

99 ​ 100 The Kicksecure 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 Kicksecure. 101 ​ 102 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. 103 ​ 104 Some users may anticipate that Kicksecure offers a unified experience akin to a Windows system. While Kicksecure developers strive to fulfill these expectations, constraints in funding and manpower make it impossible. [3] 107 ​ 108

Using Search, Forums and AI

109 ​ 110 Existing resources should be consulted for several reasons: 111 ​ 112

  • Kicksecure is a technological means to security, but staying safe necessitates complete behavioral change; it is a complex problem without an easy solution. The more you know, the safer you can be.

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  • Available Documentation can provide answers to some of these questions.

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    • Documentation answers are generally of higher quality than information posted in a casual setting (like forums or chat).

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  • Some questions/topics are generic in nature and out of scope for Kicksecure -- in these cases the questioner must acquire a basic prerequisite knowledge of computing elsewhere before attempting further procedures.

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117 ​ 118 Developers have made significant efforts to configure safe defaults, but operational security (opsec) is not realized by merely using a suitable platform. Staying safe requires a change of mindset and necessary skills are normally developed via trial and effort, experimentation, and general education. 119 ​ 120 Computing security is complex subject, which means it is improbable that volunteers can assist with every step of the journey and learning curve. Or course advanced questions about Kicksecure are welcomed, particularly for undocumented use cases. [4] 121 ​ 122

Kicksecure Reliance on Debian

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Info Tip: Since Ubuntu is a Debian derivative, online help for Ubuntu most often works for Kicksecure.

In oversimplified terms, Kicksecure is just a collection of configuration files and scripts. Kicksecure is not a stripped down version of Debian; anything possible in "vanilla" Debian GNU/Linux can be replicated in Kicksecure.

Likewise, most problems and questions can be solved in the same way. For example: "How do I install VLC Media Player on Kicksecure?" -- "The same way as in Debian apt install vlc."

Kicksecure does not break anything, limit functionality, or prevent installation of compatible software. 125 ​ 126 An example of an inappropriate question seeking Kicksecure 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. 127 ​ 128 On the other hand, in the unlikely event this hypothetical problem only occurred in Kicksecure, 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 Kicksecure. How can I make it work in Kicksecure?" 129 ​ 130

See Also

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Footnotes

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  1. ↑ 84 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cathedral_and_the_Bazaar#Lessons_for_creating_good_open_source_softwarearchive.org iconarchive.today icon 85
  2. ↑ 94 For a more detailed explanation, see the About page. 95
  3. ↑ 105 This is a challenge common to all Linux desktop distributions. 106
  4. ↑ Time permitting and when developers have sufficient interest.

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Notification image
Your support makes
all the difference!

We believe security software like Kicksecure needs to remain Open Source and independent. Would you help sustain and grow the project? Learn more about our 13 year success story and maybe DONATE!

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Overview

The Kicksecure team is promoting the "Self Support First Policy". It is a policy, 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 the forumarchive.org iconarchive.today icon and only then consider reaching out in the forum and through direct support.

  1. Self support is often easier and more effective than suspected. It saves the user time and helps the developer team concentrate on improving the product
  2. Please Use Search Engines And See Documentation First and read the FAQ. Most questions have already been answered.
  3. Use the Kicksecure internal search engine and external search engines like DuckDuckGo and Startpage which the additional keyword "Kicksecure".
  4. Search the Kicksecure User Forumsarchive.org iconarchive.today icon and issue tracker for the problem.
  5. If possible, search for a solution without the Kicksecure-specific part of the question, as it may have been answered in mainstream Linux fora.
  6. Check if the problem can be replicated in vanilla operating system environments like Debianarchive.org iconarchive.today icon bookworm, Xfce.
  7. See General Advice.
  8. See documentation introduction, user expectations, footnotes and references.

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.

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 Policy Rationale.

Kicksecure will always be free in price as well as in freedom (Why?). In order to create a solid open source software solution, Kicksecure has adopted the approach of treating users as co-developers. [1] 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.

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

In essence, Kicksecure is built upon: [2]

  • Debianarchive.org iconarchive.today icon.
  • Numerous other software packages.

The Kicksecure 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 Kicksecure.

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 anticipate that Kicksecure offers a unified experience akin to a Windows system. While Kicksecure developers strive to fulfill these expectations, constraints in funding and manpower make it impossible. [3]

Kicksecure Reliance on Debian

Info Tip: Since Ubuntu is a Debian derivative, online help for Ubuntu most often works for Kicksecure.

In oversimplified terms, Kicksecure is just a collection of configuration files and scripts. Kicksecure is not a stripped down version of Debian; anything possible in "vanilla" Debian GNU/Linux can be replicated in Kicksecure.

Likewise, most problems and questions can be solved in the same way. For example: "How do I install VLC Media Player on Kicksecure?" -- "The same way as in Debian apt install vlc."

Kicksecure does not break anything, limit functionality, or prevent installation of compatible software.

An example of an inappropriate question seeking Kicksecure 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 Kicksecure, 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 Kicksecure. How can I make it work in Kicksecure?"

Notification image
Your support makes
all the difference!

We believe security software like Kicksecure needs to remain Open Source and independent. Would you help sustain and grow the project? Learn more about our 13 year success story and maybe DONATE!

  1. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cathedral_and_the_Bazaar#Lessons_for_creating_good_open_source_softwarearchive.org iconarchive.today icon
  2. ↑ For a more detailed explanation, see the About page.
  3. ↑ This is a challenge common to all Linux desktop distributions.
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