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How to Answer

Welcome to LinuxExchange!

Thanks for taking the time to contribute an answer. It’s because of helpful peers like yourself that we’re able to learn together as a community. Here are a few tips on how to make your answer great:

Pay it forward

Saying “thanks” is appreciated, but it doesn’t answer the question. Instead, vote up the answers that helped you the most! If these answers were helpful to you, please consider saying thank you in a more constructive way – by contributing your own answers to questions your peers have asked on Linux and Open Source.

Have the same problem?

Still no answer to the question, and you have the same problem? Vote up the question, so it gets more attention. Help us find a solution by researching the problem, then contribute the results of your research and anything additional you’ve tried as a partial answer. That way, even if we can’t figure it out, the next person has more to go on.

Answer the question

Read the question carefully. What, specifically, is the question asking for? Does your answer provide that – or a viable alternative? The answer may be “don’t do that”, but it should also include “try this instead”.

Be Complete

Any answer that gets the asker going in the right direction is helpful, but do try to mention any limitations, assumptions or simplifications in your answer. Brevity is acceptable, but fuller explanations are better. Provide context for links

A link to a potential solution is always welcome, but please add context around the link so your fellow users will have some idea what it is and why it’s there . It’s also a good idea to quote the most relevant part of an important link, in case the target site is unreachable or goes permanently offline.

Style matters

Nobody’s perfect — but answers where the author at least attempted to use correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar are easier to read. They also tend to get upvoted more frequently. Remember, you can always edit your answer to improve it at any time.

Always be polite and have fun

It’s fine to disagree and express concern, but please be civil. There’s a human being on the other end of that network connection, however misguided they may appear to be. We’re here to learn from our peers, not yell at each other.

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