help.ubuntu.com does not tell you how to determine which version you have

We can add a line:

"To find the version you are using, click System -> About Ubuntu."

You could have this information from the server logs and suggest an option.

ehm, or a js script....

That's why I used the word "suggest", you can allways say something like, "The computer you are using has ubuntu jaunty installed if you want help for this version of ubuntu go here if not...."

On Thu, Jun 11, 2009 at 6:44 PM, <dougthegreenie> wrote:
> Every time we suggest adding JavaScript someone pops up and complains about
> an alternative for non-js. Also, what if I was on a Jaunty system looking
> for information on Hardy?
>
> That's more work than just telling people where to find it.

You should really know what you are putting on your computer before you do.

sighK, that's not always the case, unless you assume only system administrators/builders are using help.ubuntu.com. Perhaps someone has bought a machine with pre-installed Ubuntu, or is using someone else's machine, or a machine installed at a lab running Ubuntu. This is a definite bug in the website. However, since it's not actually part of the Ubuntu distribution, I'm not sure it meets the criteria for One Hundred Paper Cuts. Marking Invalid.

This is certainly a paper cut. The version of Ubuntu and the kernel should be available in the GUI. Users should not have to resort to Google and the command line to find out what version they're running.

"System > About Ubuntu" command should resemble the "System > About GNOME" window and display the output of:
 lsb_release -a
 uname -r
in a text box which can easily be copied to the clipboard.

Fear of the command line is what kept normal users away from linux for so long. Sending them to the command line is intimidating and potentially dangerous.

With respect, "sending" users to the command line is not dangerous - neither of those commands require elevated rights.

@Pedro:
 "Thank you for your interest in Ubuntu 9.04 - the Jaunty Jackalope - released in April 2009."

I copy-pasted the above from The "About Ubuntu" menu item.
So it is already available,
but 'uname -r' is not necessary for using help.ubuntu.com

For further info about papercuts criteria , pls read > https://wiki.ubuntu.com/PaperCut

Removing myself from this bug.

Now that we have reached the LTS, a simple javascript can be made to capture the User agent [1] from a browser, for example considering new users use firefox as their browser, this is the packet of information is send out (this one is my details) :

Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; en-US; rv:1.9.1.5) Gecko/20091109 Ubuntu/9.10 (karmic) Firefox/3.5.5

And the last part of this string tells us what release it is. I can make a script that captures this information and only returns the release karmic, then you guys can decide on how to use this on help.ubuntu.com. I propose something like this as one of the first lines: You are using Ubuntu 9.10- the Karmic Koala

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_agent

Alright so here's a simple script that does this job, we basically have two options:

1. Have it written on a side of the page, what version they are running
2. A button that says find the Ubuntu version you are running.

I used option 2 and made a button which onClick() identifies the Ubuntu version based on the user agent. Do you guys like this implementation or would you rather prefer option 1

Alright so here's a modified version of the script, I am attaching a diff and the modified index page. It works perfectly on firefox

Vikram,

Thanks for your work on this. It's a clever solution, but would require us to do some extra work to redirect the user to the relevant version. I also don't have the technical knowledge to determine whether this is full proof enough for a wide variety of browsers used and probably the code would need review by the Canonical security team to ensure that it is suitable for the website.

I wonder if the simpler solution for now isn't just to provide a short explanation of how to determine the version for those users who are not already familiar with that. E.g. "To find out which version of Ubuntu you are using, click System->About Ubuntu".

What do others think?

Coincidentally, I was discussing this privately with someone else a few weeks ago, and suggested pretty much what Vikram has implemented here. :-) The main difference is that I suggested showing the link to the help for your Ubuntu version larger and in bold, with other versions downplayed but still present (in case you're looking up the help for someone else). And if you're not using Firefox or not using Ubuntu, don't chatter about it on the page, just show the help links as help.ubuntu.com does now. (There are all sorts of reasons why you might be using a Windows PC to look up help about Ubuntu.)

Ideally, the User-Agent detection would be done server-side so that it doesn't require JS to be on.

@Matthew Paul Thomas: Alright, I can modify what I wrote and achieve what is needed :) its a pretty basic script so do you want me to change it and then you can push it to the website

I don't run help.ubuntu.com and I don't know who does, sorry.

Sir/ Madam

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________________________________
From: Matthew Paul Thomas <email address hidden>
To: <email address hidden>
Sent: Wed, April 7, 2010 8:47:39 PM
Subject: [Bug 381650] Re: help.ubuntu.com does not tell you how to determine which version you have

I don't run help.ubuntu.com and I don't know who does, sorry.

--
help.ubuntu.com does not tell you how to determine which version you have
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/381650
You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to ubuntu-
docs in ubuntu.

Status in One Hundred Paper Cuts: Invalid
Status in “ubuntu-docs” package in Ubuntu: In Progress

Bug description:
Binary package hint: ubuntu-docs

The very first thing you see on the help.ubuntu.com page is to choose your version, but what if you don't know the version? How do you find that out? The information on how to determine which version should be on the front page. That way you go to the correct version of your documents.

This is an easy fix if we just add an "I don't know which version I'm running" link which redirects to instructions on how to find out. Matt, when during the release cycle do you normally update the h.u.c front page? We can make the change then, i guess.

Phil - we can make the change at any time but I generally touch the website just prior to release to add the new version. The details for how to update help.ubuntu.com are set out here - https://wiki.ubuntu.com/DocumentationTeam/SystemDocumentation/BuildingDocumentation

mpt - the docteam has access to the website but I'd still like the concerns in comment 15 to be addressed. I don't have the knowledge to test this, and I don't think we can go ahead and upload a script without it being cleared by the Canonical security team.

I've created a wiki page with instructions on checking your version here:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/CheckingYourUbuntuVersion

Could you add a link to that when you update the h.u.c. front page please, Matt?

At 12:42 +0000 4/13/10, Phil Bull wrote:
>I've created a wiki page with instructions on checking your version
>here:
>
>https://help.ubuntu.com/community/CheckingYourUbuntuVersion
>

Very nice. It even answers my problem with subdirectories named by strange animals that I can never associate with a version year/month.

What I'd really like though is a -d (distribution) option in the uname tool that provides the numeric and taxonomic names of the current system. I'd think about writing that but I don't know where to look for the answer.

--
--> Give me liberty or give me Obamacare <--

I've updated our bzr branch with a link to Phil's solution and the website should pull from that shortly.