Paid Linux Support For Individual Users?

Frustrated and Disappointed asks: "I have been using Linux for a decade, but sometimes I just don't know how to solve a problem. What's more, I don't have the time (or interest) to teach myself enough about some obscure subject to debug it myself. Are there companies or freelancers out there willing to provide paid support for individuals on a problem-by-problem basis? I don't need yearly maintenance or weekly support, just a couple times a year. This time around, for example, I can't get a desktop box to play sound. The HOWTOs are years out of date, there are no man pages, the mailing lists are silent, and the #debian channels were nothing but insults. While I don't mind doing some of my own problem solving -- I'm a very technical person -- I have a job and other responsibilities, and I'm not interested in hacking sound drivers to begin with. I don't have the option of installing a whole new distro just to qualify for a vendor's support plan."

Comments

debian help

[abrotman]

if you try again in #debian you may get different results .. it depends on the time of the day and if everyone had a good lunch :) ...

Also

http://www.debianplanet.org/

Re:debian help

[yuri benjamin]

I find local LUG mailing lists are most helpful. Plus you get to meet the other subscribers to the list from time to time - and you'll discover it's a small world when you start to see names of people you've been acquainted with in other circles start showing up on the local LUG mailing list.
Then there's the annual installfests that many LUGs run, and a good LUG will also run a workshop every few months where you can bring along your PC to get a tricky sound card or other peripheral configured properly.
This is peer-to-peer support at its best.

Google Answers!

[JusTyler]

Google Answers can be your friend. There are a number of Linux-head researchers over there, like myself. You also tend to get reliable help for way cheaper than you could anyplace else.

LUGs

[Zaffle]

I've found the best place for Linux support is either google, or failing that, Linux User Groups (LUGs). There are local LUGs everywhere. The LUG mailing lists can be very helpful, especially if you explain your problem properly. I know LUG guys who'll fix your PC problem (if they think they can) if you bring it over to them, for free.

I've had potential clients ring me up and ask if I do personal linux support (as opposed to supporting a company). I say, yes I do, but I charge so much it would be far cheaper just to ask on the LUGs. I pointed out that I read the LUGs, and may well end up helping you, but I do the LUG thing for free.

Re:Email, Not IRC

[DumbparameciuM]

Thats the smartest thing you could do, other than changing your Distro. It's well documented that many Debian users tend to insult people (The former Debian users excluded =) that are new, or have questions, which is quite a shame.

Re:And a lone idea shall lead them to the Holy Lan

[NateTech]

Hmm, actually what you describe is peer support.

Paid support could never act like that.

Peers will never have rules of conduct on how they treat their "customers" and shouldn't.

What stands in the way isn't the peer support going on, it's the lack of a really good quality paid support company.

Example: RedHat's paid support pretty well sucks, and they're probably one of the "better" ones around. Granted I only had to deal with them on a single issue on the phone, one time -- but that was enough to make me realize I'd never recommend them again for service.