# Explanation Launchpad brings together tools for hosting code, tracking bugs, publishing packages, coordinating translations, and more. These pages explain how the key features and systems work. For an overview, see [feature highlights](https://ubuntu.com/docs/launchpad/user/explanation/feature-highlights/index.html.md#launchpad-feature-highlights) or [What is Launchpad](https://ubuntu.com/docs/launchpad/user/explanation/what-is-launchpad/index.html.md#exp-what-is-launchpad). ## Your Launchpad account There are different ways to contribute in Launchpad, and your contributions are tracked through a Karma points system. You can also subscribe to get email notifications to stay informed on projects, bugs, and teams you are following. - [What can you do with a Launchpad account?](https://ubuntu.com/docs/launchpad/user/explanation/your-launchpad-account/index.html.md#your-launchpad-account) - [Account Karma](https://ubuntu.com/docs/launchpad/user/explanation/your-account-karma/index.html.md#your-account-karma) - [Understanding rationale headers in Launchpad mail](https://ubuntu.com/docs/launchpad/user/explanation/message-rationale-headers/index.html.md#rationale-headers-in-email) ## Community and collaboration You can contact other contributors on Launchpad, but also manage who can see your contact information. There are defined policies around privacy, confidentiality, and the disclosure of personal and project information. - [Contacting others and managing your contact information](https://ubuntu.com/docs/launchpad/user/explanation/collaborating-using-launchpad/index.html.md#collaborating-with-other-launchpad-users) - [Privacy, confidentiality, and disclosure of information](https://ubuntu.com/docs/launchpad/user/explanation/privacy-confidentiality-and-disclosure/index.html.md#privacy-confidentiality-disclosure) ## Launchpad Answers [Launchpad Answers](https://answers.launchpad.net) is a community Q&A tracker where users can post questions about projects and receive answers from other community members or designated answer contacts. Projects can embed the tracker in their support workflow and build up a library of stock answers. - [Understanding Launchpad Answers](https://ubuntu.com/docs/launchpad/user/explanation/answers/index.html.md#exp-answers) ## Projects, packages, and translations Launchpad organizes software around projects, which can have series, milestones, and releases. You can distribute packages through Personal Package Archives (PPAs) and coordinate localization using the Translations feature. - [Managing projects on Launchpad](https://ubuntu.com/docs/launchpad/user/explanation/projects/index.html.md#exp-projects-in-launchpad) - [Packaging your software for release](https://ubuntu.com/docs/launchpad/user/explanation/packaging/index.html.md#exp-packaging) - [Translating with Launchpad](https://ubuntu.com/docs/launchpad/user/explanation/translating-with-launchpad/index.html.md#exp-translating) ## Code hosting Launchpad hosts Git repositories, supports importing code from external platforms, and provides a CI pipeline for running automated checks against your code. - [Understand how to work with code on Launchpad](https://ubuntu.com/docs/launchpad/user/explanation/working-with-code/index.html.md#working-with-code) ## Teams Teams allow you to group contributors and assign them roles, permissions, and responsibilities across projects. Teams can own projects, have their own code branches, and act collectively as answer contacts or reviewers. - [Understanding Launchpad Teams](https://ubuntu.com/docs/launchpad/user/explanation/teams/index.html.md#exp-launchpad-teams) ## Launchpad API and launchpadlib Launchpad exposes most of its objects and actions through a REST API. `launchpadlib` is the official Python client that wraps this API, letting you work with Launchpad resources as Python objects in scripts and applications. - [Launchpad API and launchpadlib](https://ubuntu.com/docs/launchpad/user/explanation/launchpad-api/index.html.md#launchpad-api) ## Testing and troubleshooting When errors occur, Launchpad generates an OOPS ID that you can include when filing a support request to help the team investigate. - [Understanding OOPSes](https://ubuntu.com/docs/launchpad/user/explanation/oops/index.html.md#what-is-an-oops) - [Filing and managing support requests](https://ubuntu.com/docs/launchpad/user/explanation/support-requests/index.html.md#filing-new-support-request)