24. Support Resources

FreeNAS® has a large installation base and an active user community. This means that many usage questions have already been answered and the details are available on the Internet. If an issue occurs while using FreeNAS®, it can be helpful to spend a few minutes searching the Internet for the word FreeNAS with some keywords that describe the error message or function that is being implemented.

The section discusses resources available to FreeNAS® users:

24.1. User Guide

The FreeNAS® User Guide with complete configuration instructions is available either by clicking Guide in the FreeNAS® user interface or going to https://www.ixsystems.com/documentation/freenas/

24.2. Website and Social Media

The FreeNAS® website contains links to all of the available documentation, support, and social media resources. Major announcements are also posted to the main page.

Users are welcome to network on the FreeNAS® social media sites:

24.3. Forums

The FreeNAS Forums are an active online resource where people can ask questions, receive help, and share findings with other FreeNAS® users. New users are encouraged to post a brief message about themselves and how they use FreeNAS® in the Introductions forum.

The Resources section contains categorized, user-contributed guides on many aspects of building and using FreeNAS® systems.

Language-specific categories are available under International.

To join the forums, create an account with the Sign Up Now! link.

Before asking a question on the forums, check the Resources to see if the information is already there. See the Forum Rules for guidelines on posting your hardware information and how to ask a questions that will get a response.

24.4. IRC

To ask a question in real time, use the #freenas channel on IRC Freenode. Depending on the time of day and the time zone, FreeNAS® developers or other users may be available to provide assistance. If no one answers right away, remain on the channel, as other users tend to read the channel history to answer questions as time permits.

Typically, an IRC client is used to access the #freenas IRC channel. Alternately, use webchat from a web browser.

To get the most out of the IRC channel, keep these points in mind:

  • Do not ask “Can anyone help me?”. Just ask the question.
  • Do not ask a question and leave. Users who know the answer cannot help you if you disappear.
  • If no one answers, the question may be difficult to answer or it has been asked before. Research other resources while waiting for the question to be answered.
  • Do not post error messages in the channel. Instead, use a pasting service such as pastebin and paste the resulting URL into the IRC discussion.

24.6. Professional Support

In addition to free community resources, support might be available in your area through third-party consultants. Submit a support inquiry using the form at https://www.ixsystems.com/freenas-commercial-support/.