Editorial Policy

Last updated: 15 October 2026

LinuxHospital covers Linux distributions, software updates and the problems that come with using them. The people reading a page may have very different setups. Someone maintaining a server needs different information from someone repairing a desktop login. We expect a writer to work out who the article helps before writing the instructions.

Following a release or a security notice

We look for the release notes, advisory or documentation behind a story and link to it. Readers should be able to follow the evidence themselves. If the news comes from another publication, the article names that source.

Version numbers need care. A new upstream version does not necessarily mean that a distribution has adopted it. Equally, a security fix may be available in a distribution package without a move to the newest upstream release. Our coverage should explain the package or release actually affected.

We also keep an eye on dates and status. An announcement about a future release stays a plan in our copy. We do not turn a testing image into a finished product or describe a reported change as confirmed without evidence.

Putting instructions on the page

A guide should tell you what you need before the first step. That includes the relevant software version, permissions and any preparation. Instructions need to be in the order you will use them, with a way to check the result.

For a change to boot settings, files or account access, the writer should explain what could go wrong and how to prepare or recover. Please read those conditions before copying a command. A guide cannot account for every local configuration.

We distinguish instructions checked against documentation from a procedure we have actually run. Any claim of testing needs a real basis and the relevant setup. The same applies to screenshots and command output. We do not fabricate these, quotations or personal experience.

Who checks the copy?

Our authors do. AI assistance can help with organising research and drafting, but a draft still goes back to its writer. The writer checks facts against the sources, revises the text and decides whether it is ready to publish. The author and editorial team remain responsible for the article.

We want reporting to explain something: a change from the previous release, an upgrade condition, or a useful way to solve a problem. The format depends on that purpose. There is no house rule requiring a table or a question-and-answer section.

Corrections and older guides

If something is wrong, send us the article link through the contact form. For a failed procedure, include the distribution, version and failing step. Redact private information from any error message. A reference to current project documentation helps us investigate.

We review the evidence and correct material errors, explaining what changed. Older pages remain part of the archive; their existence is not a claim that every instruction fits today's software. Revisions should identify the versions they cover.

Advertising does not buy a favourable verdict. Any sponsored material or relevant commercial relationship must be disclosed. Supplied images are credited, and a paid placement must not be presented as our independent test.