Shorewall Support

"It is easier to post a problem than to use your own brain" -- Wietse Venema (creator of Postfix)

"Any sane computer will tell you how it works -- you just have to ask it the right questions" -- Tom Eastep

"It irks me when people believe that free software comes at no cost. The cost is incredibly high." - Wietse Venem

Before Reporting a Problem

"Reading the documentation fully is a prerequisite to getting help for your particular situation. I know it's harsh but you will have to get so far on your own before you can get reasonable help from a list full of busy people. A mailing list is not a tool to speed up your day by being spoon fed". -- Simon White

There are also a number of sources for problem solution information.

The FAQ has solutions to common problems.
The Troubleshooting Information contains a number of tips to help you solve common problems.
The Errata has links to download updated components.
The Mailing List Archives search facility can locate posts about similar problems:

Mailing List Archive Search

Problem Reporting Guideline

When reporting a problem, give as much information as you can. Reports that say "I tried XYZ and it didn't work" are not at all helpful.
Please don't describe your environment and then ask us to send you custom configuration files. We're here to answer your questions but we can't do your job for you.
Do you see any "Shorewall" messages in /var/log/messages when you exercise the function that is giving you problems?
Have you looked at the packet flow with a tool like tcpdump to try to understand what is going on?
Have you tried using the diagnostic capabilities of the application that isn't working? For example, if "ssh" isn't able to connect, using the "-v" option gives you a lot of valuable diagnostic information.
Please include any of the Shorewall configuration files (especially the /etc/shorewall/hosts file if you have modified that file) that you think are relevant. If an error occurs when you try to "shorewall start", include a trace (See the Troubleshooting section for instructions).
The list server limits posts to 120kb so don't post GIFs of your network layout, etc to the Mailing List -- your post will be rejected.

Where to Send your Problem Report or to Ask for Help

If you run Shorewall on Mandrake 9.0 -- send your problem reports and questions to MandrakeSoft. I ordered a Mandrake 9.0 boxed set on October 3, 2002; MandrakeSoft issued a charge against my credit card on October 4, 2002 (they are really effecient at that part of the order process) and I haven't heard a word from them since (although their news letters boast that 9.0 boxed sets have been shipping for the last two weeks). If they can't fill my 9.0 order within 6 weeks after they have billed my credit card then I refuse to spend my free time supporting of their product for them.

If you run Shorewall under Bering -- please post your question or problem to the LEAF Users mailing list.

Otherwise, please post your question or problem to the Shorewall users mailing list; there are lots of folks there who are willing to help you. Your question/problem description and their responses will be placed in the mailing list archives to help people who have a similar question or problem in the future.

I don't look at problems sent to me directly but I try to spend some amount of time each day responding to problems posted on the mailing list.

-Tom

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Last Updated 11/19//2002 - Tom Eastep