.. _support:

Asking for support
==================

.. _support-resources:

Analyzing your problem
----------------------

When you face a problem, you should first check out the following
resources:

1. Make sure that you use the `latest version of Orthanc
   <http://www.orthanc-server.com/download.php>`__.
2. Make sure to :ref:`check all the content of the Orthanc Book
   <orthanc-book>`, and notably to :ref:`understand the basics of
   DICOM <dicom-guide>`.
3. Carefully read your :ref:`log files in verbose mode <log>`.
4. In the case of DICOM networking problems, carefully read the log
   files from your remote modality. If you are :ref:`using Orthanc
   against a proprietary system <proprietary>`, contact the support
   team from the vendor of this system: You pay them to solve your
   setup issues.
5. Follow the :ref:`general troubleshooting guide <troubleshooting>`.
6. If the problem is related to the DICOM network protocol, follow
   the :ref:`DICOM troubleshooting guide <dicom>`.
7. Have a look at **all** the :ref:`frequently asked questions (FAQs)
   <faq>` that are already available in the Orthanc Book.
8. Make a search for similar problem previously discussed in the
   `Orthanc Users discussion forum
   <https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/orthanc-users>`__.
9. Check out the ``Pending changes in the mainline`` section of the
   `NEWS file
   <https://hg.orthanc-server.com/orthanc/file/default/NEWS>`__, as
   your issue might already be solved in the mainline of Orthanc (i.e.
   in the cutting-edge version of Orthanc since the last stable
   official release).
10. Carefully read the `TODO file
    <https://hg.orthanc-server.com/orthanc/file/default/TODO>`__ that
    contains our roadmap, as you might be requesting a feature that is
    currently pending in our backlog (i.e. not implemented yet).
11. Look for similar issue in the `official bug tracker
    <https://bugs.orthanc-server.com/query.cgi>`__ (make sure to
    select ``All`` in the ``Status`` field, as your issue might
    already have been solved).


Importantly, for all the features that are pending in the ``TODO``
file, if you are a company, please consider `buying professional
services <https://osimis.io/en/orthanc-support-contract>`__ in order to get
the feature implemented faster.
   
   
.. _support-mwe:

Discussing a minimal working example
------------------------------------
   
If none of these resources help, you can consider sending a message to
the `Orthanc Users discussion forum
<https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/orthanc-users>`__. In such a
situation, you **must** provide a `minimal working example
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimal_working_example>`__, which means that
you must provide all the following information:

* Context and full textual description of your issue. When talking
  about DICOM networking issues, carefully describe the imaging
  modalities into play (including their manufacturers) and your
  network topology.
* The observed vs. expected results.
* Full :ref:`configuration files <configuration>`.
* Full logs as produced by Orthanc in :ref:`verbose mode <log>`.
* Sample DICOM files.
* A sequence of command lines that lead to your problem. These command
  lines must only use commands that are available as free and
  open-source software, that are cross-platform (:ref:`proprietary
  software does not help <proprietary>`), and that are preferably
  calls the :ref:`REST API of Orthanc <rest>`. The most useful
  commands are `cURL <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CURL>`__, `DCMTK
  <https://dicom.offis.de/dcmtk.php.en>`__ (notably ``storescu``),
  `dicom3tools <https://www.dclunie.com/dicom3tools.html>`__ (notably
  ``dciodvfy``), `dcm4che command-line tools
  <https://www.dcm4che.org/>`__ (notably ``storescu``), `GDCM
  <http://gdcm.sourceforge.net/>`__ (notably ``gdcmscu``), or Python
  scripts (notably using ``pydicom``).
* In the case of DICOM networking problems, the logs from the remote
  modality.
* If applicable, a screenshot is worth a thousand words.
* If you report a crash, if applicable, a :ref:`core file <crash>`.
* The `OHIF viewer <https://ohif.org/>`__ can `connect to Orthanc
  <https://docs.ohif.org/history/v1/connecting-to-image-archives/orthanc-with-docker.html>`__
  using the DICOMweb plugin of Orthanc, but is a fully separate
  project. As a consequence, questions regarding OHIF must be asked on
  the `dedicated discussion group
  <https://groups.google.com/g/cornerstone-platform>`__ or on the
  `dedicated bug tracker
  <https://github.com/OHIF/Viewers/issues>`__. The core developers of
  Orthanc will happily fix the :ref:`DICOMweb plugin <dicomweb>`, but
  it is necessary for the reporter to identify the discrepancy wrt.
  DICOMweb standard by providing a minimal working example as
  explained above.


All this information is mandatory, as it allows other members of the
Orthanc community to **reproduce your problem independently of your
setup**. If we can't reproduce your issue, we can't provide any
support!

In addition, please note that the original author of Orthanc
(Sébastien Jodogne), as a free software advocate, will only personally
deal with issues that are reproducible on recent GNU/Linux
distributions (typically, on Ubuntu 18.04 LTS or through Docker).


.. _support-tracker:

Using the bug tracker
---------------------

If you are **sure** that you are reporting a yet unknown bug, you can
consider directly introducing a `bug report on our issue tracker
<https://bugs.orthanc-server.com/enter_bug.cgi>`__. Beware however
that your issue might be closed if too vague or if not reproducible.
As a consequence, it is strongly advised to use the `discussion forum
<https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/orthanc-users>`__ in the
first place.


.. _support-freelancers:

Finding professional assistance
-------------------------------

If you face a problem you cannot solve by yourself, please follow this
decision chart:

1. If you have a **reproducible issue** for which you can provide a
   :ref:`minimal working example <support-mwe>` using only free and
   open-source tools, use the `Orthanc Users discussion forum
   <https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/orthanc-users>`__.

2. If you need an **additional feature implemented in Orthanc**,
   and if you are ready to pay, get in touch with the `Orthanc Team <https://orthanc.team>`__
   or with `Osimis <mailto:orthanc-support@osimis.io>`__, the commercial partner of
   the Orthanc project for AI related matters.

3. If you are not able to reproduce an issue by yourself, if you are
   looking for personalized help related to deployments/training/...,
   or if you need **proximity support in your language/timezone**,
   here is a list of freelancers/companies:

   * **Worldwide**:
   
     * `Orthanc Team (Alain Mazy & Benoît Crickboom) <https://orthanc.team>`__ (French/English, Belgium)
     * `Stephen D. Scotti <mailto:sscotti@sias.dev>`__ (English, Austria)

   * **Europe**:

     * `Adrian Schiopu <sc.callisto.srl@gmail.com>`__ (Romania)
     * `Krzysztof Turkiewicz <http://www.deeveeloop.pl/>`__ (Polish/English, Poland)
     * `Salim Kanoun <https://github.com/salimkanoun>`__ (French/English/Arabic, France)

   * **North America**:
       
     * `Gabriel Couture <https://github.com/gacou54/>`__ (French/English, Canada)
     * `Mohannad Hussain <https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohannadhussain/>`__ (English, Canada)
     * `Oliver Tsai <mailto:oliver@futurepacs.com>`__ (English/Spanish/French, Toronto)
     * `Yi Lu <https://www.linkedin.com/in/digihunch/>`__ (English, Canada)

   * **South America**:
       
     * `Claudio Arenas <mailto:dentista.arenas@gmail.com>`__ (Spanish/English, Chile)
     * `Fernando Sánchez <https://integraper.com/?page_id=529>`__ (English/Spanish, Peru)
     * `Gustavo Fernandez <https://www.linkedin.com/in/gfernandezguirland/>`__ (Spanish/Portuguese, Uruguay)
     * `Iván Kuschevatzky <mailto:ivankuche@gmail.com>`__ (English/Spanish, Argentina)
     * `Luiz Eduardo Guida Valmont <https://www.linkedin.com/in/luizvalmont/>`__ (English/Portuguese, Brazil)
     * `William Sanchez Luis <mailto:williamsanchezluis@gmail.com>`__ (English/Spanish, Venezuela)

   * **Africa**:

     * `Abdrahman Elkafil <mailto:elkafil@nextbehealthcare.com>`__ (English/French/Arabic, Belgium and Morocco)

   * **Asia**:
     
     * `Phong Tran Duc <http://www.itechcorp.com.vn/>`__ (English/Vietnamese, Vietnam)
     * `Rana Asim Wajid <http://ethosmed.com/>`__ (English/Urdu/Punjabi, Pakistan)

   * **Oceania**:
     
     * `James Manner <https://binary.com.au/>`__ (English, Australia)

   Get in touch with `Sébastien Jodogne
   <mailto:s.jodogne@orthanc-labs.com>`__ if you want to be included
   in this list.