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+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-1"?>
+<!DOCTYPE preface PUBLIC "-//Samba-Team//DTD DocBook V4.2-Based Variant V1.0//EN" "http://www.samba.org/samba/DTD/samba-doc">
+
+<chapter lang="en-US">
+<title>Samba Support</title>
+
+<para>
+<indexterm><primary>support</primary></indexterm>
+One of the most difficult to answer questions in the information technology industry is, <quote>What is
+support?</quote>. That question irritates some folks, as much as common answers may annoy others.
+</para>
+
+<para>
+<indexterm><primary>customers</primary></indexterm>
+The most aggravating situation pertaining to support is typified when, as a Linux user, a call is made to
+an Internet service provider who, instead of listening to the problem to find a solution, blandly replies:
+<quote>Oh, Linux? We do not support Linux!</quote>. It has happened to me, and similar situations happen
+through-out the IT industry. Answers like that are designed to inform us that there are some customers
+that a business just does not want to deal with, and well may we feel the anguish of the rejection that
+is dished out.
+</para>
+
+<para>
+One way to consider support is to view it as consisting of the right answer, in the right place,
+at the right time, no matter the situation. Support is all that it takes to take away pain, disruption,
+inconvenience, loss of productivity, disorientation, uncertainty, and real or perceived risk.
+</para>
+
+<para>
+<indexterm><primary>provided services</primary></indexterm>
+<indexterm><primary>services provided</primary></indexterm>
+<indexterm><primary>customer expected</primary></indexterm>
+One of the forces that has become a driving force for the adoption of open source software is the fact that
+many IT businesses have provided services that have perhaps failed to deliver what the customer expected, or
+that have been found wanting for other reasons.
+</para>
+
+<para>
+<indexterm><primary>consumer expects</primary></indexterm>
+<indexterm><primary>problem resolution</primary></indexterm>
+In recognition of the need for needs satisfaction as the primary experience an information technology user or
+consumer expects, the information provided in this chapter may help someone to avoid an unpleasant experience
+in respect of problem resolution.
+</para>
+
+<para>
+<indexterm><primary>free support</primary></indexterm>
+<indexterm><primary>paid-for support</primary></indexterm>
+<indexterm><primary>commercial support</primary></indexterm>
+In the open source software arena there are two support options: free support and paid-for (commercial)
+support.
+</para>
+
+ <sect1>
+ <title>Free Support</title>
+
+ <para>
+<indexterm><primary>user groups</primary></indexterm>
+<indexterm><primary>mailing lists</primary></indexterm>
+<indexterm><primary>interactive help</primary></indexterm>
+<indexterm><primary>help</primary></indexterm>
+<indexterm><primary>mutual assistance</primary></indexterm>
+<indexterm><primary>assistance</primary></indexterm>
+ Free support may be obtained from friends, colleagues, user groups, mailing lists, and interactive help
+ facilities. An example of an interactive dacility is the Internet relay chat (IRC) channels that host user
+ supported mutual assistance.
+ </para>
+
+ <para>
+<indexterm><primary>mailing list</primary></indexterm>
+<indexterm><primary>deployment</primary></indexterm>
+<indexterm><primary>subscription</primary></indexterm>
+<indexterm><primary>IRC</primary></indexterm>
+<indexterm><primary>project</primary></indexterm>
+ The Samba project maintains a mailing list that is commonly used to discuss solutions to Samba deployments.
+ Information regarding subscription to the Samba mailing list can be found on the Samba <ulink
+ url="https://lists.samba.org/mailman/">web</ulink> site. The public mailing list that can be used to obtain
+ free, user contributed, support is called the <literal>samba</literal> list. The email address for this list
+ is at <literal>mail:samba@samba.org</literal>. Information regarding the Samba IRC channels may be found on
+ the Samba <ulink url="http://www.samba.org/samba.irc.html">IRC</ulink> web page.
+ </para>
+
+ <para>
+<indexterm><primary>free support</primary></indexterm>
+<indexterm><primary>qualified problem</primary></indexterm>
+<indexterm><primary>requesting payment</primary></indexterm>
+<indexterm><primary>professional support</primary></indexterm>
+ As a general rule, it is considered poor net behavior to contact a Samba Team member directly
+ for free support. Most active members of the Samba Team work exceptionally long hours to assist
+ users who have demonstrated a qualified problem. Some team members may respond to direct email
+ or telephone contact, with requests for assistance, by requesting payment. A few of the Samba
+ Team members actually provide professional paid-for Samba support and it is therefore wise
+ to show appropriate discretion and reservation in all direct contact.
+ </para>
+
+ <para>
+<indexterm><primary>bug report</primary></indexterm>
+<indexterm><primary>problem report</primary></indexterm>
+<indexterm><primary>code maintainer</primary></indexterm>
+ When you stumble across a Samba bug, often the quickest way to get it resolved is by posting
+ a bug <ulink url="https://bugzilla.samba.org/">report</ulink>. All such reports are mailed to
+ the responsible code maintainer for action. The better the report, and the more serious it is,
+ the sooner it will be dealt with. On the other hand, if the responsible person can not duplicate
+ the reported bug it is likely to be rejected. It is up to you to provide sufficient information
+ that will permit the problem to be reproduced.
+ </para>
+
+ <para>
+<indexterm><primary>purchase support</primary></indexterm>
+ We all recognize that sometimes free support does not provide the answer that is sought within
+ the time-frame required. At other times the problem is elusive and you may lack the experience
+ necessary to isolate the problem and thus to resolve it. This is a situation where is may be
+ prudent to purchase paid-for support.
+ </para>
+
+ </sect1>
+
+ <sect1>
+ <title>Commercial Support</title>
+
+ <para>
+ There are six basic support oriented services that are most commonly sought by Samba sites:
+ </para>
+
+ <itemizedlist>
+ <listitem><para>Assistance with network design</para></listitem>
+ <listitem><para>Staff Training</para></listitem>
+ <listitem><para>Assistance with Samba network deployment and installation</para></listitem>
+ <listitem><para>Priority telephone or email Samba configuration assistance</para></listitem>
+ <listitem><para>Trouble-shooting and diagnostic assistance</para></listitem>
+ <listitem><para>Provision of quality assured ready-to-install Samba binary packages</para></listitem>
+ </itemizedlist>
+
+ <para>
+<indexterm><primary>commercial support</primary></indexterm>
+<indexterm><primary>country of origin</primary></indexterm>
+ Information regarding companies that provide professional Samba support can be obtained by performing a Google
+ search, as well as by reference to the Samba <ulink
+ url="http://www.samba.org/samba/support.html">Support</ulink> web page. Companies who notify the Samba Team
+ that they provide commercial support are given a free listing that is sorted by the country of origin.
+ Multiple listings are permitted, however no guarantee is offered. It is left to you to qualify a support
+ provider and to satisfy yourself that both the company and its staff are able to deliver what is required of
+ them.
+ </para>
+
+ <para>
+<indexterm><primary>commercial support</primary></indexterm>
+ The policy within the Samba Team is to treat all commercial support providers equally and to show no
+ preference. As a result, Samba Team members who provide commercial support are lumped in with everyone else.
+ You are encouraged to obtain the services needed from a company in your local area. The open source movement
+ is pro-community; so do what you can to help a local business to prosper.
+ </para>
+
+ <para>
+<indexterm><primary>unsupported software</primary></indexterm>
+ Open source software support can be found in any quality, at any price and in any place you can
+ to obtain it. Over 180 companies around the world provide Samba support, there is no excuse for
+ suffering in the mistaken belief that Samba is unsupported software &smbmdash; it is supported.
+ </para>
+
+ </sect1>
+
+</chapter>
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