33
votes
Accepted
Is it OK to ask question about etymology of command names?
I hesitate to post this as an answer, but since this is a discussion, here goes. I can see some value in gathering historic information at U&L, if there are people who know (or know people who ...
- 66.7k
25
votes
Which is the best StackExchange site for Debian related questions?
If we only consider Stack Exchange, the best venue for Debian questions is Unix.SE.
There aren’t many distribution-specific Stack Exchange sites; I’m only aware of Ask Ubuntu and elementary OS.
- 423k
25
votes
What's the best site to post a question about weird bash prompt behavior when using ANSI colors?
StackOverflow? (which has a bunch of programming questions on ANSI colors)?
No, since this is not a programming question, but a question about general computing software. It might be tolerated ...
- 71.2k
20
votes
Are 'bug report' kind of questions welcome to Unix & Linux?
Off-topic: “When I do X, Y happens. It shouldn't. Fix it.” (Even if you happen to know that the maintainer hangs around here, this is not a bug tracker.)
Off-topic: “When I do X, Y happens. It ...
19
votes
Since when are questions about dual-booting off-topic?
As the windows tag's info page says:
Questions about Windows itself are off-topic on this site. If Windows knowledge is required to answer your question, you are more likely to reach an appropriate ...
- 92.1k
19
votes
What is the Linux tag for?
In my opinion, this tag should only be used for cases where a question is asking about how a Linux OS works. Not when the OP just happens to be using Linux, and not as a way of stating that the OP is ...
terdonMod
- 238k
18
votes
Accepted
Closing votes on a historic question about Plan 9
FWIW: I don't see the point in taking questions on historical design decisions as "opinion-based" either.
As you say, there's usually a factual answer as to why the choice was made, even if it's ...
- 135k
18
votes
Accepted
Which programming languages are appropriate here?
Addressing specifically the scope of answers, I note that the scope of the site is defined in terms of questions, it doesn’t limit answers.
So when answering, I would say that anything that’s helpful ...
- 423k
17
votes
Accepted
Are 'bug report' kind of questions welcome to Unix & Linux?
I don't see why not. Of course, this site shouldn't be used to actually report bugs. Those should be reported using whatever bug tracking system the relevant project uses, but asking for a workaround ...
terdonMod
- 238k
17
votes
Accepted
Are WSL related questions off-topic?
I'm afraid we've already decided it's on topic and even had a nice discussion about what tag to use. And, admittedly, that's the right call. While it is running in a Windows environment, it really is ...
terdonMod
- 238k
17
votes
Accepted
Windows installer using GRUB - is on topic?
My first instinct is that it wouldn't really be on topic, no. GRUB isn't a *nix thing, as such, it acts before the operating system so isn't really a part of any OS. Yes, it is a tool more commonly ...
terdonMod
- 238k
15
votes
Which programming languages are appropriate here?
Stack Exchange does not divide up by topic, it divides up by readership.
This is something that people stumble over, but if you look at all of the site descriptions in the drop-down list of "...
- 67.7k
12
votes
A question which might fit in Ask Ubuntu, here or SuperUser
Your question does fit the scope of all three sites, since you are using Ubuntu, so it's up to you to decide where to ask. Ubuntu questions are not unwelcome here, Linux questions are not unwelcome on ...
- 71.2k
12
votes
Is question about executable memory layout on-topic?
I think it's probably on topic here, let me explain — you actually seem to be asking several things, and really ought to focus on one thing per question.
You state a goal of reducing executable size ...
- 108k
11
votes
Accepted
Are questions about how Linux handles specific hardware details on topic?
I'm going to suggest that programming questions are in-scope at Stack Overflow. It seems to me that you're "below" the level of the API, which was covered a few years ago in:
What is the current ...
- 66.7k
11
votes
Are questions about other Linux communities and, for example distributors, on topic on U&L?
As two of our esteemed moderators have said, I think questions explicitly about processes are off-topic here. As you mention yourself, Open Source might be a better fit.
However there are questions ...
- 423k
10
votes
Justify whether history questions are on-topic or not at /help/on-topic
I agree that questions about the history of Unix should be on-topic.
I agree that the help/on-topic page is vague on the subject,
and it wouldn't hurt to clarify it. Or not.
I'm not sure we need to ...
9
votes
Should software-rec tag be migrated to softwarerecs.SE?
No, they shouldn't, for a variety of reasons:
Old questions cannot be migrated. We can only migrate questions that are less than 60 days old. So in most cases, we don't even have the option of ...
terdonMod
- 238k
9
votes
Are distribution-choice questions on topic here?
Your question was closed as "Primarily opinion based", not "off topic". Distribution choice is more often decided by personal preference (some say religion) than any objective criterion. The truth is ...
terdonMod
- 238k
8
votes
How to take a question off "on hold"?
Your question seems to have very little to do with Linux. It doesn't matter that you're developing on a Linux machine; the question is about how something in C# works. As explained in the Help Center:
...
- 92.1k
8
votes
Accepted
Are questions about using XCB or X11 client implementations in general on topic?
Great question; thank you for asking on the Meta site first!
Starting from the starting point, our Help Center says, in What topics can I ask about here?:
UNIX C API and System Interfaces ( within ...
- 66.7k
8
votes
What is the Linux tag for?
We can discuss anything we want, but without the effort to actually enforce a meaning for linux, we are wasting our time. If anyone wants a definitive solution, that is, one that will not be a ...
- 35.7k
7
votes
Are questions about the SMTP protocol on topic?
Protocols tend to fall between the gaps between Stack Exchange sites.
Super User and Server Fault are fine for questions about configuring software to support a protocol, but questions about the ...
7
votes
Should software-rec tag be migrated to softwarerecs.SE?
No, software-rec questions should not be migrated from Unix & Linux to Software Recommendations. The Software Recommendations site was created because some Stack Exchange sites ban software ...
7
votes
Which is the best StackExchange site for Debian related questions?
In my experience AskUbuntu is good for anything that is from the perspective of using Ubuntu as a GUI based desktop.
If my question relates to command line or is something general across linux ...
- 9,966
7
votes
Why are questions about OS X in particular on-topic?
If I understand you correctly, you read the text as saying "of underlying Unix foundations, only those of OS X and embedded systems/handheld devices are on-topic".
I believe the intent is to say that ...
- 13.1k
7
votes
Accepted
Where is best to ask my Linux-related question?
There is a slight overlap between the sites, most so between U&L and AskUbuntu.
If your question is primarily about programming (not shell scripting) or if it requires specialist programming ...
KusalanandaMod
- 327k
7
votes
Which programming languages are appropriate here?
This is a site for Unix/Linux questions.
If they are about programming, then so is it. The requirement is that it has to be Unix/Linux related. There is no requirement about any language/platform, but ...
- 9,671
6
votes
Why are questions about OS X in particular on-topic?
The help center is actually clearer than that. You are quoting the on topic page which states (emphasis mine):
Unix and Linux Stack Exchange is for users of Linux, FreeBSD and other
Un*x-like ...
terdonMod
- 238k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible