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Board rules are being printed in large, bold letters on this thread. Explanations and additional information is supplied in regular font size. This thread is locked - you can not reply to it.
This thread has been created as a summary/replacement for the cluttered thread "Board rules".


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1. Read the documentation first!
The documentation that comes with coppermine should answer most newbie questions.

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It is mandatory to read the documentation before being allowed to post a question in the first place. If your questions shows that you haven't read the docs, you will probably only get a short answer that contains a link to the docs.

2. Read the FAQ

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There is a reason why there is a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): they get asked very often. Hence, we have created one document that contains both the questions as well as the answers to common issues. Please read the FAQ before asking for help. Supporters are reluctant to post the same answer over and over again.

3. Search the board
The search facility on the forums is probably your best friend when having a problem, there is a good chance that someone else has had the problem you are having and that a solution has been posted before, so to try and get an answer straight away use this tool. If at first you don't seem to find what you are looking for try again with different words.

4. Read the stickies
Threads marked with a pin are listed at the very top of each board. They contain answers to many questions that were posted over and over again, or they may contain important announcements from the dev team. They also contain information what kind of postings are allowed on a particular sub-board and what information supporters need to answer your questions. Make sure to read the stickies on a board before posting to it.

5. Choose the proper board for your posting
All boards have a brief description of what its threads should contain. Make sure to post in the board that fits your issue most.

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Only post your question on the support board that corresponds to your version of coppermine.

6. Use a meaningfull subject line
When posting on a support board, it's very likely that you need help, as much as everyone else who looks for help there, so don't use subject like "Help me please" or "Newbie needs help". Other "bad" subject lines are "Important", "I have a little question" etc.
Instead, use a short phrase that describes your problem - this will make things easier for supporters as well as other users who might encounter a similar problem and browse the board for relevant postings.

7. Be detailed
Post as many details as possible on the issue you're facing; for a start, you should post a link to your gallery and a test user account (without admin privileges). If the page in question can't be accessed by "regular" users (e.g. admin pages), post a screenshot.

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There is a thin line between posting as much details as possible and cluttering a thread with too many unneeded details. Only post debug_output if a supporter explicitely asks for it.
Posting a link to your gallery is always mandatory.

8. Post links
When posting a support request, it's helpfull for supporters in most cases to see what the actual page looks like, that's why it's mandatory that you always post a link to your coppermine gallery page when asking for support. If your site contains adult content, make sure to post a warning together with your link!

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Supporters might get into issues if they accidentally visit a page that interferes with their employer's internet policy. If your site contains adult content (even mild nudity even falls into this category), post the words "not safe for work" next to the link.

9. Add attachments
You can add files (some file types at least) to your posting on the board. When composing a message, click on "Additional options" at the bottom left of the screen and use the "upload attachment" function there. For security reasons you can not post executables or php files - rename them to txt or put them into a zip archive instead.

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Do not hotlink images (as the link might go down later, leaving your entire thread useless for others with similar issues), but attach the images (e.g. screenshots) to your posting. To accomplish this, click "Additional Options..." when composing your message. Then use the "Attach"-field to browse your local files and attach the image(s) to your posting.

10. One question per thread
We have a strict "One question/issue per thread rule", which helps both supporters/moderators to keep track of open/closed issues as well as users who search the board or browse it, looking for answers to their question. Don't try to "hijack" other's threads by posting unrelated questions to an existing thread.

Bla, bla.