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# How-to guides

Launchpad supports a wide range of workflows - from managing accounts and
hosting code, to building packages and tracking bugs. This section provides
step-by-step instructions for specific tasks.

## Manage your account and access

You need a user account to access most Launchpad features. Once set up, you can
authenticate with SSH and GPG keys and use your Launchpad credentials across
other OpenID-compatible websites.

- [Create and manage your Launchpad account](https://ubuntu.com/docs/launchpad/user/how-to/account-management/index.html.md#account-management)
- [Import your SSH key](https://ubuntu.com/docs/launchpad/user/how-to/import-ssh-keys/index.html.md#import-your-ssh-keys)
- [Import an OpenPGP key](https://ubuntu.com/docs/launchpad/user/how-to/import-openpgp-key/index.html.md#import-an-openpgp-key)
- [Log into other websites with OpenID](https://ubuntu.com/docs/launchpad/user/how-to/using-openid/index.html.md#log-into-websites-with-openid)

## Manage your projects and code

Launchpad hosts your project’s code repositories and provides tools for code
review, branching, merge proposals, and linking code to bugs and blueprints.

- [Manage projects](https://ubuntu.com/docs/launchpad/user/how-to/projects/index.html.md#howto-projects)
- [Work with code hosted on Launchpad](https://ubuntu.com/docs/launchpad/user/how-to/work-with-code-hosted-on-launchpad/index.html.md#work-with-code-hosted-launchpad)

## Build and publish packages

Launchpad builds software packages from your source code without requiring you
to manage build infrastructure. This includes Debian packages in Personal
Package Archives (PPAs), as well as snaps, rocks, charms, and OCI images.

- [Upload, build, and install software packages](https://ubuntu.com/docs/launchpad/user/how-to/packaging/index.html.md#packaging-how-to)
- [Create a source package recipe](https://ubuntu.com/docs/launchpad/user/how-to/source-package-recipe/index.html.md#create-a-source-package-recipe)

## Manage bugs

The bug tracker lets you file, subscribe to, and manage bugs across your
projects. It also integrates with external trackers including Bugzilla, Trac,
GitLab, and Mantis, allows you to link bug reports directly to code branches,
and more.

- [Work with bugs](https://ubuntu.com/docs/launchpad/user/how-to/work-with-bugs/index.html.md#work-with-bugs)

## Use the API

Launchpad exposes most of its data and actions through a REST API.
`launchpadlib`, the official Python client library, lets you script Launchpad
operations as Python objects without dealing with raw HTTP. You can also use
the API directly.

- [Sign web requests to the Launchpad API](https://ubuntu.com/docs/launchpad/user/how-to/launchpad-web-signing/index.html.md#sign-web-requests)
- [Work with launchpadlib](https://ubuntu.com/docs/launchpad/user/how-to/launchpadlib/index.html.md#work-with-launchpadlib)

## Contribute to the community

As an answer contact, you will be called upon to help the community by
responding to both new and frequently asked questions. You may also receive
a lot of mail which you can filter based on your personal preferences.

- [Help the community](https://ubuntu.com/docs/launchpad/user/how-to/community-help/index.html.md#help-the-community)
