Why this site exists
You’ve got a command that *should* work, but the terminal spits back an error instead. The manual says one thing, the forums say another, and your system behaves like it’s speaking a different language.
Maybe you’re stuck on a permissions issue, or a driver that refuses to install, or a script that runs fine on one machine but fails on yours.
This site exists to close that gap. No fluff, no assumptions about what you already know. Just the steps that actually work, the fixes that don’t rely on ‘try this if it works,’ and the explanations that treat your setup like it matters—because it does.
Who writes this site
Janelle Fontaine runs this site.
Do you test everything on multiple OS versions?
No. I test on the versions people actually complain about—Windows 10/11, the two most recent Ubuntu LTS releases, and macOS Ventura/Sonoma. If it’s not one of those, it’s either marked as ‘untested’ or linked to a community fix.
What do you get wrong?
Assumptions. Like telling someone to ‘check their BIOS settings’ without mentioning Secure Boot, or suggesting `sudo apt update` when the package manager is `dnf`. I fix it when I spot it, but the first draft is usually sloppy.
Why aren’t there any guides on [specific subject, e.g., ‘Linux desktop environments’]?
Because I don’t use them enough to debug them. If you’re running KDE Plasma or GNOME as your daily driver, I’m not your person. But if you’re stuck on a terminal command or a driver hellscape, I’ve been there—and I’ll walk you through it.
My desk has a coffee mug with a chipped rim, a mechanical keyboard that’s missing two keys, and a Post-it note from 2019 stuck under the monitor. The note says ‘check this later’ in my own handwriting.
How a guide is built
It starts with a problem someone else described badly. A forum post with no error messages, a Stack Overflow answer that’s been downvoted into oblivion, or a Reddit thread where the solution is buried in a comment from three years ago.
The first draft
I run the command. If it fails, I break it down: one argument at a time, one flag removed, until something—anything—works. I take screenshots of the terminal output, not just the success, but the failures too.
Then I write the steps as if I’m talking to someone standing over my shoulder, because that’s how I debug.
The fixes
The second draft is for edge cases. What if the user is on a corporate network? What if their shell is `fish` instead of `bash`? What if the tool is outdated? I add those notes last, because they’re the ones people skip—and they’re usually the ones that matter.
What we will not do
This site won’t teach you theory unless it directly solves a problem. No deep dives into how TCP/IP works unless you’re troubleshooting a dropped connection. No ‘best practices’ unless they fix something that’s broken.
Things you will never find here
- ‘Quick tips’ that don’t explain *why* they work (or don’t).
- Software reviews without benchmarks or real-world use cases.
- Guides that assume you’re comfortable with jargon you’ve never heard.
- Solutions that require buying a specific tool or service.
Where to start
If you’re new, start with the ‘Troubleshooting’ section—it’s where the most common pain points are. If you’re looking for a specific tool or OS, use the search. If you can’t find what you need, the contact page is the only place to ask.
Say hello
I like hearing about the weirdest workarounds people have found. Or the hardware that refuses to die. Or the time a command saved your job. The contact page is where to tell me about it.
The guides are grouped by category: App, Coding, Hardware, Operating System, Outlook and Review.