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diff --git a/chapter02/askforhelp.xml b/chapter02/askforhelp.xml new file mode 100644 index 000000000..d71997bda --- /dev/null +++ b/chapter02/askforhelp.xml @@ -0,0 +1,72 @@ +<sect1 id="ch02-askforhelp"> +<title>How to ask for help</title> + +<para>If you have a problem while using this book, you'll find that most +of the people on Internet Relay Chat (IRC) and the mailing lists will be +willing to help you. You can find a list of the LFS mailing lists in +<xref linkend="ch01-maillists"/>. To assist us in helping though, you should +make sure that you have as much relevant information as you can +available. This will assist in diagnosing and solving your problem. +This part of the book will guide you as to which sort of information +will be useful.</para> + +<sect2> +<title>Basic Information</title> + +<para>First of all we need a brief explanation of the problem. +Essential things to include are:</para> + +<itemizedlist> +<listitem><para>The version of the book you are using, which is &version;</para></listitem> +<listitem><para>Which package or section you are having problems with</para></listitem> +<listitem><para>What the exact error message or symptom you are recieving is</para></listitem> +<listitem><para>If you have deviated from the book at all</para></listitem> +</itemizedlist> + +<para>Note that saying that you've deviated from the book doesn't mean +that we won't help you, after all, LFS is all about choice. It'll just +help us to see the possible other causes of your problem.</para> + +</sect2> + +<sect2> +<title>Configure problems</title> + +<para>When something goes wrong during the stage where the configure +script is run, look at the last lines of the +<filename>config.log</filename>. This file contains possible errors +encoutered during configure which aren't always printed to the screen. +Include those relevant lines if you decide to ask for help.</para> + +<sect2> +<title>Compile problems</title> + +<para>To help us find the cause of the problem, both screen output and +the contents of various files are useful. The screen output from both +the ./configure script and when make is run can be useful. Don't +blindly include the whole thing but on the other hand, don't include too +little. As an example, here is some screen output from make:</para> + +<screen>gcc -DALIASPATH=\"/mnt/lfs/usr/share/locale:.\" -DLOCALEDIR=\"/mnt/lfs/usr/share/locale\" -DLIBDIR=\"/mnt/lfs/usr/lib\" -DINCLUDEDIR=\"/mnt/lfs/usr/include\" -DHAVE_CONFIG_H -I. -I. -g -O2 -c getopt1.c +gcc -g -O2 -static -o make ar.o arscan.o commands.o dir.o expand.o file.o function.o getopt.o implicit.o job.o main.o misc.o read.o remake.o rule.o signame.o variable.o vpath.o default.o remote-stub.o version.o opt1.o -lutil job.o: In function `load_too_high': +/lfs/tmp/make-3.79.1/job.c:1565: undefined reference to `getloadavg' +collect2: ld returned 1 exit status +make[2]: *** [make] Error 1 +make[2]: Leaving directory `/lfs/tmp/make-3.79.1' +make[1]: *** [all-recursive] Error 1 +make[1]: Leaving directory `/lfs/tmp/make-3.79.1' +make: *** [all-recursive-am] Error 2</screen> + +<para>In this case, many people just include the bottom section where it +says <screen>make [2]: *** [make] Error 1</screen> and onwards. This +isn't enough for us to diagnose the problem becuase it only tells us +that <emphasis>something</emphasis> went wrong, not +<emphasis>what</emphasis> went wrong. The whole section as +quoted above is what should be included to be helpful, because it +includes the command that was executed and the command's error +message(s).</para> + +</sect2> + +</sect1> + |