| 1 | <html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1"><title>Chapter 46. Samba Support</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="../samba.css" type="text/css"><meta name="generator" content="DocBook XSL Stylesheets V1.73.2"><link rel="start" href="index.html" title="The Official Samba 3.2.x HOWTO and Reference Guide"><link rel="up" href="Appendix.html" title="Part VI. Reference Section"><link rel="prev" href="ch-ldap-tls.html" title="Chapter 45. LDAP and Transport Layer Security"><link rel="next" href="DNSDHCP.html" title="Chapter 47. DNS and DHCP Configuration Guide"></head><body bgcolor="white" text="black" link="#0000FF" vlink="#840084" alink="#0000FF"><div class="navheader"><table width="100%" summary="Navigation header"><tr><th colspan="3" align="center">Chapter 46. Samba Support</th></tr><tr><td width="20%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="ch-ldap-tls.html">Prev</a> </td><th width="60%" align="center">Part VI. Reference Section</th><td width="20%" align="right"> <a accesskey="n" href="DNSDHCP.html">Next</a></td></tr></table><hr></div><div class="chapter" lang="en-US"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title"><a name="id470609"></a>Chapter 46. Samba Support</h2></div></div></div><div class="toc"><p><b>Table of Contents</b></p><dl><dt><span class="sect1"><a href="ch46.html#id470724">Free Support</a></span></dt><dt><span class="sect1"><a href="ch46.html#id470922">Commercial Support</a></span></dt></dl></div><p>
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| 2 | <a class="indexterm" name="id470618"></a>
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| 3 | One of the most difficult to answer questions in the information technology industry is, “<span class="quote">What is
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| 4 | support?</span>”. That question irritates some folks, as much as common answers may annoy others.
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| 5 | </p><p>
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| 6 | <a class="indexterm" name="id470633"></a>
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| 7 | The most aggravating situation pertaining to support is typified when, as a Linux user, a call is made to
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| 8 | an Internet service provider who, instead of listening to the problem to find a solution, blandly replies:
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| 9 | “<span class="quote">Oh, Linux? We do not support Linux!</span>”. It has happened to me, and similar situations happen
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| 10 | through-out the IT industry. Answers like that are designed to inform us that there are some customers
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| 11 | that a business just does not want to deal with, and well may we feel the anguish of the rejection that
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| 12 | is dished out.
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| 13 | </p><p>
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| 14 | One way to consider support is to view it as consisting of the right answer, in the right place,
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| 15 | at the right time, no matter the situation. Support is all that it takes to take away pain, disruption,
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| 16 | inconvenience, loss of productivity, disorientation, uncertainty, and real or perceived risk.
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| 17 | </p><p>
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| 18 | <a class="indexterm" name="id470657"></a>
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| 19 | <a class="indexterm" name="id470663"></a>
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| 20 | <a class="indexterm" name="id470670"></a>
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| 21 | One of the forces that has become a driving force for the adoption of open source software is the fact that
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