[qubes-users] Is there a discord, IRC, or jabber channel where I can find someone experienced in Qubes to mentor me? I'm dying right now guys

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If you chart my posts in the usergroup, it pretty much follows the pattern of "ask for help", go dark for a while, "ask for help again." go dark again.

The part in between that goes unseen is the part where I'm intimidated by my OS and have to ask someone more knowledgeable about every little thing that comes up just so I can do basic things. Whether it is the kaliVM setup (still haven't done that), VPN setup, or even just getting my terminals to actually reach github, I feel quite powerless and stupid everytime I try to do something on this laptop. So I put things off. I put things off I need to learn to secure my own system or to do the things I want to do with it. As a novice CS student, starting with Qubes was probably a mistake but I believe now, as then, that learning this OS would give me an edge when I get to my career field. That said its rough at times, and its been a lonely experience thus far.

Here's my ask: I would really appreciate one person, any person really, who I can at least talk to about Qubes in general. I don't expect you to hold my hand or to be my one stop shop for tech-support or something. It's just tiresome being the only one I know who runs this OS and there is no sense of community for me when my only interaction is asking for help on a random google group. If you are up for guiding a noob through this hard ass learning curve or at least being someone I can chat up, email me at setemeraude@posteo.net.

All I can offer to the community in exchange is my help rewriting documentation based on my experiences. Since I'm having such a hard beginning as a novice user, I'll definitely remember what tripped me up getting started and can share that with the community.

As far as taking action to handle the hard things first, expect to see me posting on here a lot more. No sense in being intimidated by a piece of tech I can learn if I stay on it. Thank you and be well.

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If you chart my posts in the usergroup, it pretty much follows the pattern of "ask for help", go dark for a while, "ask for help again." go dark again.

The part in between that goes unseen is the part where I'm intimidated by my OS and have to ask someone more knowledgeable about every little thing that comes up just so I can do basic things.

Many questions can be answered by reading the documentation, especially basic ones. I strongly recommend starting there if you're finding it difficult to do even basic things.

Whether it is the kaliVM setup (still haven't done that), VPN setup,

These are not really basic and not required to get the major benefits of using Qubes. I'd caution you against trying to sprint before learning to walk, as it were.

or even just getting my terminals to actually reach github,

This sounds like a non-Qubes-specific Linux thing, so it's also worth noting that many questions about Qubes are actually questions about Linux.

I feel quite powerless and stupid everytime I try to do something on this laptop. So I put things off. I put things off I need to learn to secure my own system or to do the things I want to do with it. As a novice CS student, starting with Qubes was probably a mistake but I believe now, as then, that learning this OS would give me an edge when I get to my career field. That said its rough at times, and its been a lonely experience thus far.

Sorry to hear that. :frowning:

Here's my ask: I would really appreciate one person, any person really, who I can at least talk to about Qubes in general. I don't expect you to hold my hand or to be my one stop shop for tech-support or something. It's just tiresome being the only one I know who runs this OS and there is no sense of community for me when my only interaction is asking for help on a random google group.

If it helps, we also have a forum:

Unofficial chat channels:

And a subreddit:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Qubes/

If you are up for guiding a noob through this hard ass learning curve or at least being someone I can chat up, email me at setemeraude@posteo.net.

I hope you find the person you're looking for, but it's also worth pointing out that there are many other new users here like yourself, and everyone benefits when questions are asked in the open so that others can participate, provide answers and experience, and learn from the results. Don't be afraid to ask questions.

Our discussion list guidelines have same advice about how to do that in a productive way:

All I can offer to the community in exchange is my help rewriting documentation based on my experiences. Since I'm having such a hard beginning as a novice user, I'll definitely remember what tripped me up getting started and can share that with the community.

As far as taking action to handle the hard things first, expect to see me posting on here a lot more. No sense in being intimidated by a piece of tech I can learn if I stay on it. Thank you and be well.

Good, and welcome to the community. :slight_smile: