July2006

Time: 2:00p to 2:55p
Presented by: Joel Carlson
SUSE Linux is probably the best choice for the average computer user who just wants easy, trouble free operation to get their work done. Boxed sets with manuals and support are available in computer stores or you can download for free. The question is do you go with SUSE Linux 10.1 (http://www.novell.com/products/suselinux), or with SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 (http://www.novell.com/products/desktop/preview.html), which is currently available as release candidate 3 and will be available in final version later this year? We will demonstrate the difference between these distributions so you can make the right choice.

Note: We will cover SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 (http://www.novell.com/products/linuxenterpriseserver/preview.html) at a later date. The arrival of Windows Vista in 2007 will compel many people to finally switch to SUSE Linux. However, SUSE Linux requires a minimum of 256 MB RAM with 512 MB recommended, Pentium 1 or later and we recommend at least 7 GB of hard drive space. If you have a system that is older, has less capacity, operates off a flash drive, etc, we recommend Puppy Linux (http://www.PuppyLinux.com).

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Taclug - The New Era

Time: 3:00p to 5:00p
Presented by: Chuck Wolber

A few weeks ago, Chuck presented the following message on the mailing list:

In what seemed like a lifetime ago, TACLUG got its start in an atmosphere of excitement. Linux had physically been around for nearly 6 years, but it was just starting to get easy enough to install for non-ubergeeks. Word was spreading like wildfire about this "Linux thing". One of the TACLUG founders even had a complete stranger follow him home just to talk to him about the Linux bumper sticker he had on his car. Installfests were all the rage, and everyone worked hard to get a clean install to run all of their hardware. Those of us who had been using Linux at work were in a very small minority, feeling rather outnumbered in a world that, at the time, seemed like it was just a matter of time before Microsoft "paved the planet". We were excited to get together regularly in a form of fellowship that brought new friends and a kinship that allowed us to share stories from the trenches. It was still a bit too early for most of us to consider a whole career in Linux. It was enough to count our blessings when we could get a Linux filesharing box slipped into the network underneath a desk.

After a while, things changed. Linux actually got easy to install. Installfests just weren't necessary anymore for the vast majority of users. Really persnickety problems can usually be solved by cutting and pasting an error message into Google. It's also rather common these days to have a solid career working only with Linux. Kindred spirits aren't as hard to find anymore either. Corporations have not only embraced Linux, they are (slowly) starting to roll it out in their datacenters as mission critical pieces of the enterprise. In some very rare instances, it's being rolled out onto the desktop!

All of these things have slowly served to shift the ground beneath us. We're no longer the place to go to when you're having a problem with your Linux machine. Those problems that do bubble up onto the mailing lists are usually very niche and aren't very interesting to the membership.

What this means is that we're ready for a change! We can either embrace this time as a new beginning, or decide that it's time to go our separate ways. One thing is for sure, we cannot stay the same. I have a few ideas in mind, stuff that I plan to roll out over the next few meetings, but there's more to it than that. I believe that when you're looking to change directions, it helps to go back to your roots and think about what truly drives you. To that end, I believe that it is incumbent upon each and every member to answer the following questions:

What brought you to TACLUG in the first place? If your answer is along the lines of "I needed help with X", then you aren't digging deep enough. Why did you join TACLUG? What sparked in your head and made you decide to be a part of this group?
What brought you to Linux and Open Source Software? In other words, what sparked in your brain to make you different from the rest of the masses who are content with an OTS (off the shelf) operating system?
Now that Linux isn't the new "hip" alternative anymore, what's next for you?

PLUS: On July 5th, Chuck recently proposed something in another posting, which follows.

I didn't get quite as many responses to my posting as I'd hoped. What I did get gave me a lot to think about and helped me refine some directions.

I too believe that one of the larger aims of TACLUG is to provide advocacy, direction and a clear voice to the local penetration of OSS. To that end, I believe one of the most powerful ways of making "evangelists" is to get members involved in the process, not only as users, but also as contributors. This is an area that has been sorely lacking in TACLUG for a very very long time.

Now hang on a second, I know what you're all thinking. *NO* I am not proposing some lame sounding "insert adjectives here" project that we should all undertake. Heck no. Such a thing is a total nonstarter and, quite frankly, is a bit presumptious to assume that everyone would suddenly want to jump on some random bandwagon your fearless leader has pulled up to the front door.

I think we need to get more basic than that. I see the act of energizing us and creating evangelists breaking down into three areas:

OSS Themes. What makes up the OSS movement and how can we explore the various facets of it? What is OSS and how does it apply to the world I live in? *NO* this is not some goofy mission statement thingy and *NO* the entire meeting won't be re-jiggered to fit into some narrow view of a theme. In one sentence, "its the piece of the OSS movement we explore and understand further." In terms of hurch, it'd be like the sermon, except in this case, it would start out that way and hopefully end as a robust give-and-take discussion. I'll start with a theme for the July meeting and we'll see how it goes.
Learning to love the building blocks. I'd like to begin a monthly programming series. Kevin Pedigo suggested this years ago and I regret that I didn't follow up on it back then. We'd start by learning languages and hopefully build up to learning to use source control tools to manage software. *NO* I'm not trying to create developers, but if you choose to become one after participating, that'd be really cool. Even if you don't ever plan to write any code in your life, this would give you a good idea of what happens "behind the scenes" in an OSS project. It will definitely help you be more informed when it comes to understanding just how hard it is to write good software. I'll start with some lessons in "LISP". If you want to participate, bring your laptop or something similar and make sure to "apt-get install clisp" before you come to the meeting. I'll present a lesson or two and then send you home with some exercises you can work out for the next meeting. Anyone who wants to present a lesson on OSS building blocks is definitely encouraged.
View from the outside. A lot of us know someone who is using OSS somewhere in their work or for more than just a hobby. I'd like to see one "outsider" per meeting come in and talk about their experiences applying OSS to real life scenarios. I belive Andrew Becherer has a notable author coming in to speak to TACLUG at the September meeting (correct me if I'm wrong there Andrew). Explore your connections and see who might be willing and available to come in. If you're not sure, feel free to contact me privately. You might be surprised at what others find interesting. Specifically, I would *LOVE* to have a lawyer who is versed in OSS come and talk to the group.

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Meeting Notes

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Here's What Happened!

Started the meeting a few minutes late, allowing stragglers to arrive.
Chuck presented a brief history of Taclug, directing our attention to the previous "era's" of our organization, and proposed that Taclug begin to take a constructive, and critical look at ourselves and how we interrelate with Taclug, and begin to look at the possible re-definition of itself by exploring what all the members would like to have as goals and objectives. Also proposed that ALL members look for potential speakers, especially those who had real life experience with IT management, and come to speak with us on what reasons Linux would not be chosen as a viable OS for their organization. The emphasis would be on acquiring speakers who would present either contradictory or alternative views on OSS, in an effort to gain our members understanding of why those decisions were made, and not as a means of getting them to change their opinions. This would be an exercise in education for us, not for the speaker.
Joel presented Suse 10.1, and the new Suse Enterprise Desktop.
As a group, we discussed other Taclug related issues in an open forum environment.
A call was made by the membership to the Board to hold a meeting soon. The Board Moderator, Kurt was requested/instructed to begin to accumulate items for the agenda. Kurt indicated that he would contact the Board soon through the Board list, and give the Board a week to respond and then develop the agenda from those submitted items. Bob Holden requested that once the agenda is firmed up, that it be cross posted to the General Membership list so that Members would be afforded the chance to view the meeting. Kurt suggested meeting at the meeting room of the Parkway Tavern, if there were no objections.
If members wish to request an item be added to the agenda, they should submit it to their Board Representative, Chuck Wolber as soon as possible so that it can be presented to Chuck, to be forwarded for action at the next board meeting. As a reminder, Agenda items need to be presented in a manner that would provide the possibility of a vote by the board, and should not merely be a question, or a statement. Remember, you would be asking the board to do something for the group as a whole, or offer a plan or service that the Board might choose to act on.
Chuck asked for presentations on any subject matter, no matter how trivial, be sent via eMail to him for the purpose of providing a cohesive and interesting meeting format.
A proposal was made by Bob Harris to divide up future meetings presentations by providing a presentation by an outside speaker, then an internal speaker, and then perhaps tech sessions.
There was a short discussion on meeting rooms, and potentially seeing about the purchase or acquisition of a used projector for our use at meetings.
Chuck informed us that the next meeting would be held at the Wheelock Library in Room 1, and it was reserved already.
The meeting was ajourned at 5:00P, and a group of members went to Firello's Pizza to continue their fellowship.

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