Ubuntu Desktop Training
308 / 335
As an Ubuntu user, you can also contribute to the wiki content and edit any of the pages on this site. However, you must observe the Ubuntu code of conduct while editing any content.
Although the official Ubuntu wiki is available only in English, many wikis exist through the LoCo Web sites. For instance, the French wiki URL is http://wiki.ubuntu-fr.org. You can find other LoCo teams in https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LoCoTeamList.
For more information on editing the Ubuntu wiki, visit https://wiki.ubuntu.com/HelpOnEditing.
9.5 Launchpad
Launchpad is a collaborative Web-based suite that helps people develop directly or contribute to the development of free and open source software. It is a collaborative system developed by Canonical, with Ubuntu as the most popular project hosted on it. You can use Shipit with your Launchpad ID and order Ubuntu CDs, report a bug, assist in translation of Ubuntu and more. This course covers the Launchpad Technical Answers section, Launchpad Bug Tracking and Shipit (ordering Ubuntu CDs).
You can visit Launchpad at https://launchpad.net. The following screenshot displays the home page of the Launchpad site:
Figure 9.22: The Launchpad Page
Information stored on Launchpad can be retrieved anonymously. To submit information on Launchpad, you need to first create an account on Launchpad. You can create a Launchpad account by clicking the Register link at the top-right corner of the home page and filling the required details under the Not registered yet? section. Click Register to complete the registration process. You may also use an OpenID login to access Launchpad. For more information on on OpenID see the project website at: http://openid.net.
Ubuntu Desktop Training
309 / 335
Figure 9.23: Registration Page
After you register, you can log on again and return to the home page to search the required information. You can do this by either asking a fresh question or searching the relevant information within the existing answers on the Launchpad site.
9.5.1Launchpad Technical Answers
To search for an answer in the existing questions, click the Answers icon on the right. This displays the Questions and answers page. To obtain information about a specific project, such as Ubuntu, you can select the project name from the Most active projects list. This displays the Question for Ubuntu page on Launchpad.
Nice to Know
Many applications on Ubuntu provide the Get Help Online menu entry in their Help menu. This can be used as a shortcut to visit the Technical Answers section in Launchpad.
Ubuntu Desktop Training
310 / 335
Figure 9.24: Questions and Answers Page
On this page, all answers specific to the Ubuntu project are listed under various categories. You can type your question in the Search field to search for an answer in the existing questions. Alternatively, you can click the Ask a question button to display the Ask a question page.
Figure 9.25: Questions for Ubuntu Page
You can ask a question by selecting your preferred language and then typing the summary of your question in the Summary field. Clicking Continue displays a list of questions that may be similar to what you asked.
Ubuntu Desktop Training
311 / 335
Figure 9.26: Ask a Question Page
If you still do not find the required answer, go ahead and type the description of the problem in the Description field. You can then click Add to add the question to the main Launchpad database.
Figure 9.27: Question Page
When your question is answered, you will receive an e-mail notification, stating that your question has been replied to.
9.5.2Launchpad Bug Tracker: Malone
Note:
Malone is a Web-based, collaborative, bug-tracking tool available with Launchpad. It provides you with a location to report any bugs that you find in Ubuntu and its various applications. It also enables you to track the bugs during their life, right until they have been resolved.
Ubuntu Desktop Training
312 / 335
If you find any problems in Ubuntu and its related applications, you can report it on Launchpad by clicking the Bugs icon on home page. This displays the Bug tracking page of the Launchpad Web site.
The Bug tracking page displays all the recently reported and recently fixed bugs. Before reporting a new bug on Launchpad, you must run a search in the existing bug reports to ensure that this bug has not been reported already.
Figure 9.28: The Bug Tracking Page
You can report a fresh bug on the Report a bug page, which can be displayed by clicking the Report a bug button on the Bug tracking page.
Type a small description of the bug in the Summary field, and click Continue to report the bug.
Figure 9.29: Report a Bug Page
When you click the Continue button, the bug tracker displays a list containing similar bugs reported earlier on Launchpad. If you do not find your bug listed here, you can still report the bug as a fresh bug by clicking the No, I’d like to report a new bug radio button at the bottom of this page. This displays a new section at the bottom of the page.