Hey folks, forgive me if this has already been discussed, but I was wondering if there’s any way to make it mandatory to post the garuda-inxi output in the Issues & Assistance category by way of a custom field to the post with some kind of verification check to ensure that the output is complete? If the “Post your garuda-inxi output here” field is blank or doesn’t pass the verification check, it simply wouldn’t allow you to post and will remain in drafts until all the required fields have been filled and verified?
I appreciate how frustrating it can be, both to new users who don’t fully understand the need and etiquette of this process as well as more seasoned forum users who’d like to be able to help, despite the fact that it’s in the template when you attempt to make a new post.
Anyway, just thinking out loud… I do see that the Discourse platform does permit custom fields for posts, so thought I’d bring up the idea.
How does it check the correct garuda-inxi?
You can type what you want there, but my English is bad, tool is experimental and much over my mind
Maybe @dr460nf1r3 will try it?
I don’t know enough about how these features work…but, say the requirement is to paste your garuda-diag link - couldn’t there be some kind of basic validation check to confirm that it’s correct? At least, to avoid people posting with a non-valid entry in that field. Perhaps validate that the link domain is correct or something?
Forgive me, as I’m not at all familiar with the underlying code nor full capabilities of this platform, but I know for a fact that other legacy forum platforms like phpBB have field validation capabilities. Considering Discourse is an open source platform, I imagine it wouldn’t be too difficult to include some kind of validation process.
I wish to reiterate that the goal isn’t to verify the garuda-inxi, but validate that the entry in the required field matches something that should be valid. Like, a regex that validates the string contains https://bin.garudalinux.org/ or perhaps a script that confirms that the link exists and doesn’t result in a 404 error. Or, if we’re not going to leverage the garuda-diag link, then perhaps the garuda-inxi output has to include some kind of string that can then be validated via regex to show it’s been included and is complete. Another idea would be to have garuda-inxi gpg-sign the output and include that in the post - this could also easily be validated as a legitimate output.
This is not meant to be prescriptive, just to get us thinking toward a solution that would help everyone.
I appreciate how much work and effort the Garuda team puts into not just the distribution, but infrastructurally as well, and I understand this is no small effort. If I coded, I would have very happily contributed my efforts in that way. Unfortunately, that is not within my skillset.
That said, we clearly need something more than what we have now, as the default text in the post field for the Issues & Assistance category is clearly not enough.
By the way, we have been discussing this in the forum and within the team for about 6 years. Pictures, kick off, other “template”…
If everyone consistently refrained from suggesting solutions when garuda-inxi was missing from the opening post, the problem would be solved, by self, but unfortunately…
I truly say this with the utmost respect, but if this is still a topic of discussion after 6 years, then something’s not working.
Refraining from offering solutions doesn’t make the pain-points disappear, and furthermore, nobody is obligated to participate in the discussion, so if someone is frustrated by yet another suggestion to solve a pain-point, a very simple thing would be to just ignore it.
This is coming from a good place, as I want to continue to see Garuda thriving, and if the last few weeks’ trends are any indicator + the fact that Windows refugees are flying to linux distros in droves (some of which we know found refuge in Garuda - myself included), getting ahead of this can’t be a bad idea.
In rani can there not be a button on the main page? It has a button under help to take you to the forum main page but could it not just open a help ticket in issues, and auto populate your inxi. idk if it can be done in terminal as well like a garuda-inxi -forum and it has the same thing happen.
Cant say this is possible but, if it is in any way it could be a solution tell upstream gets off their buts.
My goal was to bring up the topic and I did offer some ideas that could lead to a solution. The solution has to be decided upon by the powers-that-be in a way that feels like it’s in-line with Garuda’s mission and how those who will be responsible for it will be able to maintain. If y’all are happy to constantly castigate users for not including their output every time they post to the forum, and reassign it to other categorical topics, then by all means, keep at it - it’s really no sweat off my back.
And respectfully, you can’t hear my tone, and you’re projecting your own internal voice on the words I typed. If you choose to shift your internal monologue into a polite inflection and “re-read” what I wrote, you’ll find the tone to be much more agreeable. You don’t have to agree or like my response, but don’t be tone-policing when there’s literally no way to hear or discern a tone.
I posted this truly as a way to have respectful, open, and honest discourse with other invested members of this distribution and forum. I’m sorry that it’s rubbing you the wrong way, it was not the intention, and I took great pains to wording things in such a way as to avoid being read as inflammatory. The rest is up to the reader to extend a good-faith reading.
I would like to add my 2 cents worth to the discussion. I have been doing online Linux support for like a decade now, and here’s my take on posting to ephemeral paste bin type services. I would always prefer to see all logs posted in a permanent location, not one that goes away after thirty days (or whatever).
The ephemeral links are OK for the odd person too paranoid to post their details in public. However, the vast majority of posted logs should be of a permanent nature. I say this because there are many times that the only way a complex problem is resolved is by searching online for obscure error messages.
If the error messages are not stored permanently this greatly reduces the usefulness of any thread that has been solved and saved as a future reference source.
I personally really detest the use of self deleting logs, because they severely diminish the usefullness of a solved thread for future search purposes. It may be very difficult to find a solution to a problem described in very general terms, but many error messages are so obscure that they easily identify the problem at hand.
Removing all those logs as a reference source is a bad idea IMO.
I completely agree with your approach, and especially with the perm logs exactly for the reasons you mentioned.
My suggestion to leverage garuda-diag was strictly to help lubricate/ease the implementation with existing -ish tools without having to create yet another utility and process.
how about some short video implementation how to post correctly in this Topic with an youtube link or whatever to pick up people who are confused what the garuda-inxi is and helping. Not everyone is nativ english or even understand it ? just an idea
