Troubleshooting Algorithm 

Before elaborating sophisticated troubleshooting schemes, remember that 99% of computer problems are end user related (did not pay attention, enter wrong command, typo, etc). Once you made sure that is not end user related - proceed though the following algorithm:  

  1. REPRODUCE the steps leading to the problem
  2. READ the error message (most people do not bother, computers are almost 100% accurate, they do not care about your mood)
  3. SEARCH Google by placing howto in front of your keywords e.g. howto install nvidia debian squeeze
  4. Go to IRC #Freenode #debian or at OFTC # Debian and ASK the QUESTION (there are thousand of people there - do not greet - write your question clearly stating the hardware, OS version and the problem you face) e.g. "I run Debian GNU/Linux version 6.0 AMD64 installed in a dual core AMD64 with NVIDIA VGA card - I would like to use 3D features of Compiz - how can I do that ?"
  5. In case none of the above works, contact ACU Corporation, we will be glad to help.

TECHNICAL SUPPORT FOR OPEN SOURCE/GPL BASED SOLUTIONS

ACU Corporation provides affordable technical support and services for those currently employing Open Source IT infrastructures, or contemplating migration from proprietary (e.g. Microsoft or Apple) to Free/Libre Open Source solutions.

The offer is extended to anybody, from institutions in need to migrate the workstations and server infrastructure, to end users who need help in using Free/Libre Open Source applications, and get rid from the fear of viruses, and continuous and expensive upgrades.

The following table illustrates few aspects of support and services we provide:

Support for Workstation Hardware and Software

 Tech Support for Network & Servers

Desktop Support
  •  Debian GNU/Linux and Derivatives (e.g. Ubuntu)
  • GNOME
  • KDE
  • X server graphic card configurations
  • ALSA and PULSE audio installation and configuration
  • Printer and scanner configuration
  • Migration from Microsoft Windows to Debian GNU/Linux (or Ubuntu)
Applications
  • OpenOffice.org - Impress Presentation, Write Document Editing
  • Ekiga,
  • LinPhone
  • Skype
  • TeamViewer
  • VNC remote desktop
  • VLC
  • GIMP
  • Inkscape
  • KDEnlive
Scientific Computing
  • Bioinformatics -  EMBOSS, TM4, Pymol, Coot, Autodock, ImageJ
  • Mathematics - Sage
  • Electronics Kicad & GeDA 
     
Local Area Network
  • Modem and router configuration
  • Firewall configuration
  • Port Forwarding
  • Securing Wireless Network
Wide Area Network & Internet
  • Virtual Network Computing
  • Remote ssh and ftp connections
  • Virtual Private Network
Debian GNU/Linux Servers
  • File Sharing through Samba
  • Kerberos
  • LDAP
  • KVM Server Virtualization
  • Integration & Migration from Microsoft Windows to Linux
Web, Mail and FTP Servers
  • Apache HTTP
  • Postfix
  • ProFTPD
Course & Content Management Servers
  • Plone
  • EZPublish
  • Moodle

THE FEE STRUCTURE for Technical Support and Services is based on the nature of the job, location, duration and it can be per hour, per job, or as a maintenance contract.

As a ball park, the DESKTOP TECH SUPPORT FEE starts at USD 35.00/hour while SERVER TECH SUPPORT FEE starts at USD 45.00/hour.