Subforum suggestion

CaffeineAddict said:
It's better than nothing but threads will still be lost with time and lose visibility.
Click to expand...

That'd happen with a how-to forum. As the sub-section filled up, things would end up multiple pages deep.

I think the best solution might be what I already mentioned.

Each sub-section (that has how-to content) can have a thread 'stickied', that is pinned to the top, and that thread can contain links to the various sub-forums. This gives a more permanent visibility and means that it doesn't add much to our workload. It means you can go through to find the threads and add them.

To keep it organized, I'd keep all the how-to links in the first post in the thread. If others help by finding more threads, you can then continue to update the first post in the thread.
 


KGIII said:
Each sub-section (that has how-to content) can have a thread 'stickied', that is pinned to the top, and that thread can contain links to the various sub-forums. This gives a more permanent visibility and means that it doesn't add much to our workload. It means you can go through to find the threads and add them.

To keep it organized, I'd keep all the how-to links in the first post in the thread. If others help by finding more threads, you can then continue to update the first post in the thread.
Click to expand...
It's not bad idea at all, we just have to find a victim who will do it :)

I wrote zero such threads, or maybe 1 IDK, and don't even recall what it was about.
I think people who wrote them should bring attention to mods each for their own thread, simply by reporting them.

edit:
But now that we have howto prefix, it may be enough that anyone who cares to edit their thread with prefix, then searching for threads will be much easier.
 
CaffeineAddict said:
It's not bad idea at all, we just have to find a victim who will do it :)
Click to expand...

It was more or less you that got this started. I think that makes you a good candidate to see it through. Maybe someone will help, and you can divide the work up with each person doing their own sub-section.

The 'howto' prefix would be more useful if you could click on it and see other threads with that prefix. Though, as mentioned in an above post, the dominating majority of visitors are merely checking out one page before they leave. This is called 'bouncing'. They're finding their information via a search engine and not our search feature. They view a single page and leave. A very small amount will view multiple pages. An even smaller amount will interact with the site by registering. A smaller portion still will be those that go beyond registering and actually start posting.
 
KGIII said:
Each sub-section (that has how-to content) can have a thread 'stickied', that is pinned to the top, and that thread can contain links to the various sub-forums.
Click to expand...
Personally I'm not a fan of stickies, a broad topic like "networking" can have many how-to and very few will be suitable for a lot of users. Stickies potentially pile up and make it more difficult to see what's new in a sub-forum, if you browse the sub-forum like that (which I think is the most regular way). Also, it does sound like a lot editorial work for what could be automated.

KGIII said:
The 'howto' prefix would be more useful if you could click on it and see other threads with that prefix.
Click to expand...
I tried search with it:

If you consider adding a search term and imagine it added to already existing how-to, it may be just right. For the search results it would be great, if existing articles that match a how.to could also be added the tag. The editorial effort for this, i.e. remind to assign the HOWTO tag or apply it, should be less than maintaining a sticky post with links per sub-forum. Or not?
 
Trml said:
If you consider adding a search term and imagine it added to already existing how-to, it may be just right. For the search results it would be great, if existing articles that match a how.to could also be added the tag. The editorial effort for this, i.e. remind to assign the HOWTO tag or apply it, should be less than maintaining a sticky post with links per sub-forum. Or not?
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, no such features exist (as far as I know). I'd already pondered this.

Trml said:
Personally I'm not a fan of stickies, a broad topic like "networking" can have many how-to and very few will be suitable for a lot of users. Stickies potentially pile up and make it more difficult to see what's new in a sub-forum, if you browse the sub-forum like that (which I think is the most regular way). Also, it does sound like a lot editorial work for what could be automated.
Click to expand...

I think you may have mistaken my intentions. My intent would be to have just one single 'how-to' sticky per sub-section. That would contain, in the top-most post, all of the stickies in that sub-forum.

They'd be updated in a similar manner to this thread:

craigevil

Thread 'Craigevil's Giant Sources.list Resurrected'

Last Updated August 10, 2025
Code: 
# Craigevil's Giant Sources.list last updated  August 10, 2025

# Official Debian Repos
# Bullseye is now OldOldStable and Bookworm is OldStable. Trixie is Stable.
# Trixie released https://www.debian.org/News/2025/20250809

# Debian Bullseye has been moved to archive.
# https://archive.debian.org/debian/README

# Bullseye LTS will be supported from August 15th, 2024 to June 30th, 2026.
# https://wiki.debian.org/LTS/Using

# OldOld Stable 
# Bullseye https://wiki.debian.org/DebianOldStable
# Bullseye moved to archive see...
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CaffeineAddict said:
Yeah I started this but nobody wants to do hard work, me included. o_O
Click to expand...

LOL You liked the idea when it was someone else doing the work!

It's all good. The task of going back through the individual sub-sections would be an ordeal. The time it'd take would be measured in days. It's a task that could be done, but it'd require a bunch of time.

It'd be less of an issue if it was a 'from here and moving forward', but that does a disservice to the many existing threads.
 
KGIII said:
LOL You liked the idea when it was someone else doing the work!
Click to expand...
Actually moving existing threads was not my original idea, my original idea was subforum where user tutorials could be posted.
Making a subforum is not that much of a work.

Existing threads don't really need to be moved but that idea floated in my mind later, it's optional.
 
CaffeineAddict said:
Existing threads don't really need to be moved
Click to expand...

Yeah, it'd have to very much be a 'going forward' type of thing.

Without further categorization, I'm not entirely sure how useful that'd be. It'd just be a sub-forum full of how-to posts without any categorization. After about 60 of those (20 per page), it'd just be an unorganized mess. (Or so I'm picturing.)
 
So, in a short summary to date

Establish a thread, to be stickied up the top of the forums page somewhere, Which may simply have the title HOWTO.... That thread would contain a list of links (url's) which would take you to a place where you would find info telling you how to carry out whatever you are searching for.....for example, you may be searching for 'how to make a bootable usb stick'
The answers would include:

Jarret B

Thread 'How to Install and Use Ventoy (1.1.04) for Bootable USBs on Linux'

Ventoy turns a USB stick into a multi-boot drive. You install Ventoy once, then just copy ISO/WIM/IMG/VHD(X)/EFI files onto the USB and boot them from Ventoy’s menu—no re-imaging each time. It works with BIOS and UEFI, supports optional Secure Boot, and can use persistence via plugins.

I've done an article before on using Ventoy, but I didn't get into it too deeply. So, we should try it.

There are many additions you can use for Ventoy, so we can cover these.

Downloading Ventoy

To get Ventoy, you can go to the main website download page at...
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linux-tips.us

How Do I Install Linux (A General Guide) • Linux Tips

Today, I will try to answer one of the most common questions asked by the newcomer to Linux; “How do I install Linux”
linux-tips.us linux-tips.us

Condobloke

Post in thread 'Installing Mint 22.1 Linux to your computer.'

Q. Is it necessary to disable secure boot when installing Linux mint

ChatGPT said:​


Disabling Secure Boot is not strictly necessary to install Linux Mint, but it can simplify the process in certain cases. Here's why:


When Secure Boot is Enabled:​


  • Secure Boot is a security feature designed to ensure that only signed, trusted software can run during the boot process. It works to protect against malware and unauthorized OS...
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The answers are not limited to the above, and nor should they be. Those shown are just examples. Some of them requite cleaning up (where necessary) ...the links provided should at a minimum be accurate and not misleading
This "work" does not need to be heart breaking/soul destroying. There is no rush for this to happen.

If a suitable how to is found somewhere on the forum, then perhaps the member finding it needs to post it in another thread to be scrutinized by ??? ...in other words to give it the OK. ...OR ...post the link, in the stickied thred, and if others find it to be seriously unsuitable , then they can report it ? ....The how to does not have to have ALL the answers, it doesnt need to be so voluminous as to frighten the heck out of the person seeking the info. It simply needs to be accurate. The aim is not to create a monster/something else to debate endlessly. There are enough of those topics already.

I would make a recommendation that the first link needs to be a how to concerning the "" Switching to Linux from Win11..... thus : How to switch to Linux from Windows 11 (from @Rob's thread, HERE

Someone here needs to put their thinking cap on and start typing. Keep in mind there are a few (!!) possibilities.
Those who wish to dual boot
Those who have no wish to dual boot, just a simple install

It is not as simple a topic as it would seem at first glance...eg; should secure boot be disabled or not ?...fastboot ?... the answer must be there ...and put as simply as possible so as to not confuse newbies

any others ?
 
Last edited:
That post up above ^^^^^^...is not meant to be the be all and end all...it is simply a brief outline, and the actual end result may be a work in constant progress.
 
Actually, I just saw a post from our head admin that made me aware of something.

If you assign the 'howto' prefix, you can then filter search results via that prefix.
 
I tried that last night, but didnt have time to go through the many many pages.

I will look further into that today.

My thought earlier today was to simply get the message out to all members here to keep an eye out for content, as opposed to searching for content that may be out of date and need rewriting anyway
 
Here, try this..

I've posted a test thread using the HOWTO prefix.

  • Go to Linux Gaming.
  • Click Filters in the top/right (under Mark read / Watch)
  • Under Prefix choose HOWTO in the dropdown
  • Click Filter

Now, you will only see the posts with the HOWTO prefix
 
Yes, that works.

So far there are no howto's in Mint, General Linux Questions, Desktop, General Computing,

It doesnt appear in Linux beginner Tutorials, or Linux Intermediate Tutorials....will assume nor in the Adanced, and assume the same in Linux original Content

I know I posted a how to re installig Linux Mint....AGES ago. It is not picked up using the howto thingie

Is it possible to put two filters in....howto ...as well as how to ..?
 
bob466 said:
...I have some how-to's in the Mint section of this Forum but you'd never know especially those that are a few years old.
1762465398199.gif
Click to expand...

Bob, Rob and David G and I have been talking about filter mechanisms that are already in place.

If you dig me up a couple of yours, I can see whether that applies and then disseminate the information.

TIA

Chris
 
When using the filter, it's only going to show the threads that have the HOWTO prefix, like my test one.

That is, when you create a new thread you have the option of using a thread prefix. We've used this in the past to mark threads as 'solved'. So, if someone goes and creates a 'how-to' thread, they can use this new HOWTO prefix. People can also go back to any threads they've started in the past, edit and set the thread prefix.
 
My bad, when I wrote my last Post, I had not caught up with the latest. :oops:
 
Rob said:
So, if someone goes and creates a 'how-to' thread, they can use this new HOWTO prefix
Click to expand...
people will use different grammar/letters etc to voice what they are doing/intending...

howto vs HOWTO (does capitalization make any difference to the filters ability to filter ??)

how to

how-to

etc
 
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