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Getting Help

We know you'll have questions about how things work at omegaUp—technical questions, process questions, and more. This guide will help you get better answers faster.

Before Asking

1. Search Existing Resources

Before posting a question, search these resources:

Documentation

Community Resources

  • Discord Search - Search message history in our #dev_training channel
  • Discord has a powerful search feature—many questions have been asked before
  • Search by keywords related to your question

External Resources

  • Google - For general questions about Git, Docker, PHP, JavaScript, etc.
  • If your question isn't omegaUp-specific, Google likely has the answer

Search Tips

Try different keyword combinations. Often, someone has asked a similar question before.

Asking Questions Effectively

Where to Ask

Post your question in the #dev_training channel of our Discord server.

Public Channels Only

  • ✅ Post in public channels (not DMs)
  • ✅ Tag the appropriate channel
  • ❌ Don't send direct messages
  • ❌ Don't tag specific people unnecessarily

How to Ask

Follow these guidelines to get better answers:

1. Provide Context

Explain what you're trying to do:

I'm trying to set up my development environment on macOS, and I'm getting
an error when running `docker compose up`.

2. Describe the Problem

Include: - What you expected to happen - What actually happened - Steps you followed - Error messages (copy-paste the full error) - Relevant code snippets (if applicable) - Logs (if applicable)

3. Show What You've Tried

Mention what you've already attempted:

I've already tried:
- Reinstalling Docker
- Checking the documentation
- Searching Discord history for similar issues

4. Include System Information

If relevant, include: - Operating system and version - Docker version - Node.js version (if applicable) - Any other relevant environment details

Example Good Question

Hi! I'm setting up the development environment on Ubuntu 22.04 and getting
an error when running `docker compose up`.

**Expected:** Containers should start successfully
**Actual:** Getting "port already in use" error

**Steps I followed:**
1. Installed Docker and Docker Compose
2. Cloned the repository
3. Ran `docker compose up`

**Error message:**
ERROR: for frontend Cannot start service frontend: driver failed programming external connectivity on endpoint omegaup-frontend-1: Bind for 0.0.0.0:8001 failed: port is already allocated 
**What I've tried:**
- Checked if port 8001 is in use: `lsof -i :8001`
- Found process using the port and killed it
- Still getting the same error

Any help would be appreciated!

Example Bad Question

docker not working help pls

Why This Is Bad

  • No context about what "not working" means
  • No error message
  • No system information
  • No indication of what was tried

Following Up

If Your Question Gets Answered

  1. Thank the person who helped you
  2. Confirm the solution worked
  3. Update the thread with what fixed it (if different from the suggested solution)

This helps future people with the same problem!

If You Solve It Yourself

If you figure out the solution:

  1. Update the thread explaining how you solved it
  2. Mark it as resolved (if the platform supports it)

This prevents others from wasting time trying to help after you've already solved it.

If Your Question Was Asked Before

If you find an existing thread with your question:

  • Reply to that thread instead of creating a new one
  • Add new information if your situation differs
  • Ask follow-up questions in the same thread

This keeps related information together and makes it easier to find.

Helping Others

We encourage you to help your peers with their questions!

Why Help Others?

  • Learning: Explaining concepts helps you understand them better
  • Community: Building a helpful, inclusive community
  • Recognition: We take helpfulness into account when selecting GSoC candidates

How to Help

  • Read questions posted by others regularly
  • Answer questions you're familiar with
  • Share resources that might help
  • Be patient and kind - everyone is learning

What to Avoid

❌ Don't Do These Things

  1. Don't send DMs - Post in public channels so others can benefit
  2. Don't tag specific people - Post publicly so anyone can help
  3. Don't repost questions - Search first, reply to existing threads
  4. Don't ask the same question multiple times - Be patient for responses

✅ Do These Things

  1. Search first - Check documentation and Discord history
  2. Post publicly - Use appropriate channels
  3. Be specific - Provide context, errors, and what you've tried
  4. Follow up - Update threads when issues are resolved
  5. Help others - Answer questions you know the answer to

Additional Resources

Learning to Ask Better Questions

We recommend reading: - How to Ask Questions the Smart Way - Excellent guide on asking effective questions

omegaUp-Specific Resources

Community Channels

Summary

  1. ✅ Search first - Documentation, Discord history, Google
  2. ✅ Ask publicly - Use appropriate channels, not DMs
  3. ✅ Be specific - Provide context, errors, steps, system info
  4. ✅ Follow up - Update threads when resolved
  5. ✅ Help others - Answer questions you can help with

Still need help? Join our Discord server and ask in the #dev_training channel!