System specs as a new user

[docmartini]

Hola, I just my first issue resolved though this community, and I’m very thankful for the help. I saw the Ubuntu Support Template, which I thought was excellent. However, I had no idea how to get some of this information, so I posted my question without any of this information. I got a response that came across as pretty snarky, asking me to provide this information without information about how to get it, and directing me to a how-to article that I’d already read. Based on this, I think it would be good to consider providing instructions about how to get the system information for the support template. This could be either within the template itself, or in a prominent place in the Support and Help section.

Ubuntu Support Template

Ubuntu Version:
Example: 22.04 LTS, 24.04, 25.10

Desktop Environment (if applicable):
Example: GNOME, KDE Plasma, XFCE, Budgie, etc.

Problem Description:
Describe what you’re trying to do and what happens instead.
If you can easily reproduce the problem, include the steps so others can try.

Example:

Open Settings → Displays
Try to change resolution
Screen goes black

Relevant System Information:
Include any details that might help (e.g., hardware, drivers, or special configurations).

Screenshots or Error Messages:
If applicable, paste error messages or screenshots.
We prefer copy-pasted text and screenshots instead of photos of screens.

For multi-line text or logs, wrap them in triple backticks like this or highlight the text and use </> in the composer:

sudo dmesg | tail -20

What I’ve Tried:
List the solutions or workarounds you’ve already attempted.

Before Posting:
Please check if similar issues have already been reported and resolved.

[ian-weisser]

Keep in mind that everyone you have interacted with is an enthusiastic volunteer who might be from a different culture or have a very different set of experiences. So we advise against reading too much emotional intent from their printed text.

The Ubuntu Code of Conduct addresses this directly: “Assume good intentions”

I have moved your suggestion to the Site Feedback category.

We welcome improvements that help new users.

[rubi1200]

In order to clarify what exactly you read, is this the topic?

Ubuntu Support Template: A Brief Explanation

The following section assumes you are running commands from the terminal. On Ubuntu or flavours, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Alt + T or search the Applications menu. This is the easiest and usually most accurate way to gather the information that the volunteer helpers need to assist other users. Below is a concise explanation for each section of the Ubuntu Support Template with commands that should work on all Ubuntu versions and flavours (including Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Xubuntu, Lubuntu, Ubu…

The support template is a work in progress and feedback is welcome.

In the coming days, we will be working towards makings its usage easier and hopefully more intuitive.

Thanks

[docmartini]

Certainly good points made here, that I fully agree with. I’m also very aware that “tone of voice” does not always come across well in email and other written messages. That’s why I specified that it came across that way. I think it’s quite plausible that no snark was intended. I do a whole lot of email communication at work, and getting feedback about how my messages come across helps me to improve clarity in my future messages. And indeed, your message here tells me that I did not communicate as I intended.

There was also some stress on my part, because there is so much new terminology that it’s like trying to decipher a foreign language to make decisions that have real consequences. A bit overwhelming to be honest.

[docmartini]

I didn’t see this part in particular, and It didn’t even occur to me that there would be a guide for the template.

I would say that there needs to be very concrete directions within the template about how to obtain and post the system information. Something like: “press Ctrl Alt T to open the terminal. Type sudo … into the terminal. Paste the results below. Highlight these results, and press the </> button above.” When there are longer or more complex tasks, I’d suggest a link that goes to a page that gives directions only for that particular area.

When I’m writing my psychological reports, I always aim to write so that anyone reading it will understand every piece of information without using any outside resources, and I think new Ubuntu users like myself need things written in a similar way. So to be a bit blunt about it, the template should not have a guide, because the template explains everything well enough that a 10 year old could do it with ease. To put it another way, you should not have to hope that the new user will think to look for the guide, or accidentally stumble upon it.

[ian-weisser]

The template and the guide were also created by community volunteers.

ANY volunteer willing to put in the work is welcome to make specific edit suggestions to improve either or both. At the moment, as you have likely surmised, no volunteer seems willing to overhaul the entire template on their own.