mirror of https://github.com/tLDP/LDP
1221 lines
55 KiB
Plaintext
1221 lines
55 KiB
Plaintext
<!doctype linuxdoc system>
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<article>
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<title>Linux User Group HOWTO
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<author><url name="Kendall Grant Clark" url="mailto:kclark@cmpu.net"></author>
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<date>v.1.6.2, 24 April 1998
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<abstract>
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The Linux User Group HOWTO is a guide to founding, maintaining, and
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growing a Linux User Group.
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</abstract>
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<toc>
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<sect>Introduction
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<sect1>Purpose
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<p>
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The Linux User Group HOWTO is intended to serve as a guide to founding,
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maintaining, and growing a Linux User Group.
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Linux is a freely-distributable implementation of Unix for personal
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computers, servers and workstations. It was developed on the i386 and
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now supports i486, Pentium, Pentium Pro, and Pentium II processors, as
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well as x86-clones from AMD, Cyrix, and others. It also supports many
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SPARC, DEC Alpha, PowerPC/PowerMac, Motorola 68x0 Mac/Amiga machines.
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<sect1>Other sources of information
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<p>
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If you want to learn more about Linux, the <url
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url="http://sunsite.unc.edu/LDP/" name="Linux Documentation Project">
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is a good place to start.
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For general information about computer user groups, please see the
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<url name="Association of PC Users Groups"
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url="http://www.apcug.org/">.
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<sect>What is a Linux User Group?
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<p>
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<sect1>What is Linux?
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<p>
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In order to appreciate and understand fully the significant role of
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LUGs in the Linux Movement, it is important to understand what makes
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Linux unique among computer operating systems.
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Linux as an operating system is very efficient and very powerful. But,
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Linux as an <it><bf>idea</bf></it> about how software ought to be
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developed is even more powerful. Linux is a <bf>free</bf> operating
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system: it is licensed under the GNU Public License. The source code
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is freely available to anyone who wants it and always will be. It is
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developed by a unstructured group of programmers from around the
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world, under the technical direction of Linus Torvalds and other key
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developers. Linux is a world-wide movement without any central
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structure, bureaucracy, or entity to control, coordinate, or otherwise
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direct its affairs. While this situation is a powerful part of the
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appeal and technical quality of Linux as an computer operating system,
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it can make for inefficient allocation of human resources, ineffective
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and even detrimental advocacy, public relations, user education and
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training.
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<sect1>How is Linux unique?
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<p>
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This loose structure is not likely to change with regard to Linux as a
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software project. And it's a good thing, too. Linux works precisely
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because people are free to come and go as they please: <bf>free
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programmers are happy programmers are effective programmers</bf>.
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But this loose structure can make the average Linux user's life a
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little complicated--especially if that user isn't a programmer by
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profession or by vocation. Who does she call for support, training, or
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education? How does she know the kinds of uses for which Linux is
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well-suited?
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In large part local LUGs provide the answers to these kinds of
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question. This is why LUGs are a crucial part of the Linux
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Movement. Because there is no ``regional office'' of the Linux
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Corporation in your town or village or metropolis, the local LUG takes
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on many of the same roles that a regional office does for a large
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multi-national corporation..
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Linux is unique because it does not have, nor is it burdened by, a
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central structure or bureaucracy to allocate its resources, train its
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users, or provide support for its products. These jobs get done in a
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variety of ways: the Internet, consultants, VARs, support companies,
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colleges and universities. But, increasingly, in many places around
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the globe, they get done by a local LUG.
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<sect1>What is a user group?
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<p>
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Computer user groups, at least in the United States, are not a new
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phenomenon; in fact, they played an important role in the history of
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the personal computer. The personal computer arose in large part to
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satisfy the demand of electronics, Ham Radio, and other hobbyist user
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groups, as well as trade shows and swap meets, for affordable,
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personal access to computing resources. Of course eventually giants
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like IBM discovered that the PC was a good and profitable thing, but
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the impetus for the PC came from the people, by the people, and for
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the people.
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In the United States, user groups have changed, and many for the
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worse, with the times. The financial woes of the largest user group
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ever, the <url name="Boston Computer Society"
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url="http://www.bcs.org/"> have been well-reported; but all over the
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U.S. most of the big PC user groups have seen a decline in real
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membership. American user groups in their heyday concentrated on the
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production of newsletters, the maintenance of shareware and diskette
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libraries, meetings, social events, and, sometimes, even Bulletin
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Board Systems. With the advent of the Internet, however, many of the
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services that user groups once provided were transferred to things
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like CompuServe, AOL, and the Web.
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The rise of Linux, however, coincided with and was intensified by
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general public's ``discovery'' of the Internet. As the Internet grew
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more popular, so did Linux: the Internet brought new users,
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developers, and vendors to the Linux Movement.
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So just when traditional PC user groups were declining because of the
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Internet's popularity, this popularity propelled Linux forward,
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creating new demand for new user groups dedicated exclusively to
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Linux. To give just one indication of the ways in which a LUG is
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different than a traditional user group, I call the reader's attention
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to a curious fact: traditional user groups have had to maintain a
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fairly tight control over the kinds of software that its users copy
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and trade at its meetings. While illegal copying of commercial
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software certainly occurred at these meetings, it was officially
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discouraged and for good reason.
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At a LUG meeting, however, this entire mindset simply does not
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apply. Far from being the kind of thing that a LUG ought to
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discourage, the free copying of Linux itself ought to be one of the
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primary activities of a LUG. In fact there is anecdotal evidence that
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traditional user groups sometimes have a difficult time adapting to
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the fact that Linux can be freely copied as many times as one needs or
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wants.
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<sect1>Summary
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<p>
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In order for the Linux Movement to continue to flourish, the
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proliferation and success of local LUGs, along with other factors, is
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an absolute requirement. Because of the unique status of Linux, the
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local LUG must provide some of the same functions that a ``regional
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office'' provides for large computer corporations like IBM, Microsoft,
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or Sun. LUGs can and must train, support, and educate Linux users,
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coordinate Linux consultants, advocate Linux as a computing solution,
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and even serve as a liason to local media outlets like newspapers and
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television.
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<sect>What LUGs are there?
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<p>
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Since this document is meant as a guide not only to maintaining and
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growing LUGs but also to founding them, it would be well before we go
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much further to determine what LUGs there are.
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<sect1>Lists of LUGs
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<p>
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There are several lists of LUGs available on the Web. If you want to
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found a local LUG, one of the first things to do is to determine where
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the nearest LUG is. <it>Your best bet may be to join a LUG that is
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already established in your area rather than founding a new one.</it>
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As of the mid-1997, there are LUGs in all 50 states, the District of
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Columbia, and 26 other countries, including India, Russia, and most of
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Western and Eastern Europe.
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Note: the biggest untapped computing market on the planet, China, does
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not yet appear to have a LUG, and India, the second most populous
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country on the planet, has only a few.
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<itemize>
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<item><url name="Finding Groups of Linux Users Everywhere" url="http://www.ssc.com/glue/groups/"></item>
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<item><url name="LUG List Project" url="http://www.nllgg.nl/lugww/"></item>
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<item><url name="LUG Registry"
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url="http://www.linux.org/users/index.html"></item>
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</itemize>
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<p>
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It appears that the GLUE list is more comprehensive for American LUGs,
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while the LUG List Project offers more comprehensive international
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coverage.
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<sect1>Solidarity versus convenience
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<p>
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While the lists of LUGs on the Web are well-maintained, it is likely
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that they do not list every LUG. In addition to consulting these
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lists, I suggest, if you are considering founding a LUG, that you post
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a short message asking about the existence of a local LUG to <url
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name="comp.os.linux.announce" url="news:comp.os.linux.announce">, <url
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name="comp.os.linux.misc" url="news:comp.os.linux.misc">, or an
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appropriate regional Usenet hierarchy. If there isn't a LUG already in
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your area, then posting mesages to these groups will alert potential
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members of your plans.
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If you plan to found a local LUG, you should carefully balance
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convenience against solidarity. In other words, if there is a LUG in
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your metropolitan area, but on the other side of the city, it may be
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better to start a new group for the sake of convenience. But it may be
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better to join the pre-existing group for the sake of unity and
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solidarity. <bf><it>Greater numbers almost always means greater power,
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influence, and efficiency</it></bf>. While it might be nice to have
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two groups of 100 members each, there are certain advantages to one
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group of 200 members. Of course if you live in a small town or
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village, any group is better than no group at all.
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The point is that starting a LUG is an arduous undertaking, and one
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that ought to be entered into with all the relevant facts, and with
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some appreciation of the effect on other groups.
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<sect>What does a LUG do?
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<p>
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The goals of local LUGs are as varied as the locales in which they
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operate. There is no master plan for LUGs, nor is this document meant
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to supply one. Remember: Linux is free from bureaucracy and
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centralized control and so are local LUGs.
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It is possible, however, to identify a core set of goals for a local
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LUG:
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<itemize>
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<item>advocacy</item>
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<item>education</item>
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<item>support</item>
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<item>socializing</item>
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</itemize>
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Each local LUG will combine these and other goals in a unique way in
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order to satisfy the unique needs of its membership.
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<sect1>Linux advocacy
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<p>
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The urge to advocate the use of Linux is as natural to computer users
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as is eating or sleeping. When you find something that works and works
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well, the natural urge is to tell as many people about it as you
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can. The role of LUGs in Linux advocacy cannot be overestimated,
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especially since the wide-scale commercial acceptance of Linux which
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it so richly deserves has not yet been achieved. While it is certainly
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beneficial to the Linux Movement each and every time a computer
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journalist writes a positive review of Linux, it is also beneficial
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every time satisfied Linux users tell their friends, colleagues,
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employees or employers about Linux.
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There is effective advocacy and there is ineffective carping: as Linux
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users, we must be constantly vigilant to advocate Linux in such a way
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as to reflect positively on both the product, its creators and
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developers, and our fellow users. The Linux Advocacy mini-HOWTO,
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available at the Linux Documentation Project, gives some helpful
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suggestions in this regard. Suffice it to say that advocacy is an
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important aspect of the mission of a local LUG.
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There may come a time when Linux advocacy is pretty much beside the
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point because Linux has more or less won the day, when the phrase ``No
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one ever got fired for using Linux'' becomes a reality. Until that
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time, however, the local LUG plays an indispensable role in promoting
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the use of Linux. It does so because its advocacy is free,
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well-intentioned, and backed up by organizational commitment. If a
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person comes to know about Linux through the efforts of a local LUG,
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then that person, as a new Linux user, is already ahead of the game:
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<it>she is already aware of the existence of an organization that will
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help her install, configure, and even maintain Linux on whatever
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computers she is willing to dedicate to it.</it>
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New Linux users who are already in contact with a local LUG are ahead
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of those whose interest in Linux has been piqued by a computer
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journalist, but who have no one to whom to turn to aid them in their
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quest to install, run, and learn Linux.
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It is, therefore, important for local LUGs to advocate Linux because
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their advocacy is effective, well-supported, and free.
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<sect1>Linux education
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<p>
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Not only is it the business of a local LUG to advocate the use of
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Linux, it may also turn its efforts to training its members, as well as
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the computing public in its area, to use Linux and associated
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components. In my own estimation, the goal of user education is the
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single most important goal a LUG may undertake. Of course, as I have
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already pointed out, LUGs are perfectly free to organize themselves
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and their activities around any of these, or other, goals. I believe,
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however, that LUGs can have the greatest impact on the Linux Movement
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by educating and training Linux users.
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Local LUGs may choose to undertake the goal of education simply
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because there is no other local entity from which a Linux user may
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receive technically-oriented education. While it is certainly the case
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that universities, colleges, and junior colleges are increassingly
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turning to Linux as a way to educate their students, both efficiently
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and cheaply, about Unix-like operating systems, some Linux users are
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either unable or unwilling to register for courses in order to learn
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Linux. For these users the local LUG is a valuable resource for
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enhancement or creation of advanced computer skills: Unix-like system
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administration, system programming, support and creation of Internet
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and Intranet technologies, etc.
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In an ironic twist, many local LUGs are even sharing the burden of
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worker training with large corporations. Every worker at Acme Corp
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that expands her computer skills by participating in a local LUG is
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one less worker Acme Corp has to train or pay to train. Even though
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using and administering a Linux PC at home isn't the same as
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administering a corporate data warehouse, call center, or similar
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high-availability facility, it is light years more complex, more
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rewarding, and more educational than using and administering a Windows
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95 PC at home. As Linux itself advances toward things like journalling
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filesystems, high-availability, real-time capacity, and other high-end
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Unix features, the already blurry line between Linux and the ``real''
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Unixes will get even more indistinct.
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Not only is such education a form of worker training, but it will also
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serve, as information technology becomes an increasingly vital part of
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the global economy, as a kind of community service. In most
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metropolitan areas in the United States, for example, it is possible
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for a local LUG to take Linux into local schools, small businesses,
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community and social organizations, and other non-corporate
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environments. This accomplishes the task of Linux advocacy and also
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helps train the general public about Linux as a Unix-like operating
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system. As more and more of these kinds of organizations seek to
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establish an Internet presence or provide dial-in access to their
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workers, students, and constituents, the opportunities arise for local
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LUGs to participate in the life of their community by educating it
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about a free and freely-available operating system. This kind of
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community service allows the average Linux user to emulate the kind of
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generosity that has characterized Linux, and the free software
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community, from the very beginning. Most Linux users can't program
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like Linus Torvalds, but we can all all give our time and abilities to
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other Linux users, the Linux community, and the broader community in
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which work and live.
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Linux is a natural fit for these kinds of organization because
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deploying it doesn't commit them to expensive license, upgrade, or
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maintenance fees. Because Linux is also technically elegant and
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economical, it runs very well on the the kinds of disposable hardware
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that corporations typically cast off and that non-profit organizations
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are only too happy to use. As more and more people discover every day,
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that old 486 collecting dust in the closet can do <bf>real work</bf>
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if someone will install Linux on it.
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In addition, Linux education has a cumulative effect on the other
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goals of a local LUG, in particular the goal of Linux support
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discussed below. Better Linux education means better Linux
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support. The more people that a LUG can count on to reach its support
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goals, the easier support becomes and, therefore, the more of it can
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be done. The more new and inexperienced users a local LUG can support
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and eventually educate about Linux, the larger and more effective the
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LUG can become. In other words, if a LUG focuses solely on Linux
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support to the neglect of Linux education, the natural barriers to
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organizational growth will be more restrictive. If only two or three
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percent of the members of a LUG take upon themselves the task of
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supporting the others, the growth of the LUG will be stifled. One
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thing you can count on: <bf><it>if new and inexperienced users don't
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get the help with Linux they need from a local LUG, they won't
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participate in that LUG for very long</it></bf>. If a larger
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percentage of members support the others, the LUG will be able to grow
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much larger. Linux education is the key to this dynamic: education
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turns new Linux users into experienced ones.
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Free education about free Linux also highlights the degree to
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which Linux is part and parcel of the free software Community. So it
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seems appropriate that local LUGs focus not solely on Linux education
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but also education about all of the various software systems and
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technologies that run under Linux. These include, for instance, the
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GNU suite of programs and utilities, the Apache Web server, the
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XFree86 implementation of X Windows, TeX, LaTeX, etc. Fortunately the
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list of free software that runs under Linux is a long and diverse one.
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Finally, Linux is a self-documenting operating environment; in other words,
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if we don't write the documentation, nobody is going to do it for us. Toward
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that end, make sure that LUG members are well aware of the <url name="Linux
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Documentation Project" url="http://sunsite.unc.edu/LDP/">, which can be
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found at mirrors worldwide. Consider providing an LDP mirror for the local
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Linux community and for LUG members. Also make sure to publicize---through
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<tt>comp.os.linux.announce</tt>, the LDP, and other pertinent sources of
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Linux information---any relevant documentation that is developed by the LUG:
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technical presentations, tutorials, local FAQs, etc. There is a lot of Linux
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documentation produced in LUGs that doesn't benefit the worldwide Linux
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community because no one outside the LUG knows about it. Don't let the LUGs
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efforts in this regard go to waste: it is highly probable that if someone at
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one LUG had a question or problem with something, then people at other LUGs
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around the world will have the same questions and problems.
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<sect1>Linux support
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<p>
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Of course for the desperate <bf>newbie</bf> the primary role of a
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local LUG is Linux support. But it is a mistake to suppose that Linux
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support only means <it>technical</it> support for new Linux users. It
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can and should mean much more.
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Local LUGs have the opportunity to support:
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<itemize>
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<item>users</item>
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<item>consultants</item>
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<item>businesses, non-profit organizations, and schools</item>
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<item>the Linux Movement</item>
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</itemize>
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<sect2>Users
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<p>
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The most frequent complaint from new Linux users, once they have
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gotten Linux installed, is the steep learning curve which is not at
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all unique to Linux but is, rather, a characteristic of all modern
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Unixes. With the steepness of the learning curve, however, comes the
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power and flexibility of a complex operating system. A local LUG is
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often the only resource that a new Linux user has available to help
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flatten out the learning curve.
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But even if a new Linux user doesn't know it yet, she needs more than
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just technical support: Linux and the free software worlds are both
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rapidly moving targets. The local LUGs form an invaluable conduit of
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information about Linux and other free software products. Not only
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does Linux lack a central bureaucracy, but it also for the most part
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lacks the kind of journalistic infrastructure from which users of
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other computer systems benefit. The Linux Movement does have resources
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like <url name="Linux Journal" url="http://www.ssc.com/lj/"> and <url
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name="Linux Gazette" url="http://www.ssc.com/lg/">, but many new Linux
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users are unaware of these resources. In addition, as <it>monthly</it>
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publications they are often already out of date about bugfixes,
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security problems, patches, new kernels, etc. This is where the local
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LUG as a source and conduit of timely information is so vital to new
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and experienced Linux users alike.
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For example, until a new Linux user knows that the newest kernels are
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available from <url name="ftp.kernel.org" url="ftp://ftp.kernel.org">
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or that the <bf>Linux Documentation Project</bf> usually has newer
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versions of Linux HOWTOs than a CD-based Linux distribution, it is up
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to the local LUG, as the primary support entity, to be a conduit of
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timely and useful information.
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In fact it may be just a bit misleading to focus on the support role
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that local LUGs provide to new users: intermediate and advanced users
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also benefit from the proliferation of timely and useful tips, facts,
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and secrets about Linux. Because of the complexity of Linux, even
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advanced users often learn new tricks or techniques simply by becoming
|
|
involved in a local LUG. Sometimes they learn about software packages
|
|
they didn't know existed, sometimes they just remember that arcane
|
|
<tt>vi</tt> command sequence they've not used since college.
|
|
|
|
<sect2>Consultants
|
|
<p>
|
|
It is, I think, rather obvious to claim that local LUGs ought to be in
|
|
the business of supporting new Linux users. After all, if they're not
|
|
supposed to be doing that, what are they to do? It may not be as
|
|
obvious that local LUGs can play an important role in supporting local
|
|
Linux consultants. Whether they do Linux consulting full-time or only
|
|
part-time, consultants can be an important part of a local LUG. How
|
|
can the LUG support them?
|
|
|
|
The answer to that question is just the answer to another question:
|
|
what is it that Linux consultants want and need? <bf><it>They need
|
|
someone for whom to consult.</it></bf> A local LUG provides the best
|
|
way for those who <it>offer</it> Linux consulting to find those who
|
|
<it>need</it> Linux consulting. The local LUG can informally broker
|
|
connections between consulting suppliers and consulting consumers
|
|
simply by getting all, or as many as possible, of the people
|
|
interested in Linux in a local area together and talking with one
|
|
another. How LUGs do that will occupy us below. What is important here
|
|
is to point out that LUGs can and should play this role as well. The
|
|
Linux Consultants HOWTO is an important document in this regard, but
|
|
it is surely the case that only a fraction of the full-time and
|
|
part-time Linux consultants worldwide are registered in the
|
|
Consultants HOWTO.
|
|
|
|
The relationship is mutually beneficial. Consultants aid LUGs by
|
|
providing experienced leadership, both technically and
|
|
organizationally, while LUGs aid consultants by putting them in
|
|
contact with the kinds of people who need their services. New and
|
|
inexperienced users gain benefit from both LUGs and consultants since
|
|
their routine or simple requests for support are handled by LUGs
|
|
<it>gratis</it>, and their complex needs and problems---the kind that
|
|
obviously require the services of a paid consultant---can be handled
|
|
by the consultants whom the local LUG helps them contact.
|
|
|
|
The line between support requests that need a consultant and those
|
|
that do not is sometimes indistinct; but in most cases the difference
|
|
is clear. While a local LUG doesn't want to gain the reputation for
|
|
pawning new users off unnecessarily on consultants--as this is simply
|
|
rude and very anti-Linux behavior--there is no reason for LUGs not to
|
|
help broker contacts between the users who need consulting services
|
|
and the professionals who offer them.
|
|
|
|
Please see Martin Michlmayr's <url name="Linux Consultants HOWTO"
|
|
url="http://sunsite.unc.edu/LDP/HOWTO/Consultants-HOWTO.html"> for an
|
|
international list of Linux consultants.
|
|
|
|
<sect2>Businesses, non-profit organizations, and schools
|
|
<p>
|
|
LUGs also have the opportunity to support local businesses and
|
|
organizations. This support has two aspects. First, LUGs can support
|
|
businesses and organizations that want to use Linux as a part of their
|
|
computing and IT efforts. Second, LUGs can support local businesses
|
|
and organizations that develop for Linux, cater to Linux users,
|
|
support or install Linux, etc.
|
|
|
|
The kinds of support that LUGs can provide to local businesses that
|
|
want to use Linux as a part of their computing operations isn't really
|
|
all that different from the kinds of support LUGs give to individuals
|
|
who want to run Linux at home. For example, compiling the Linux kernel
|
|
doesn't really vary from home to business. Supporting businesses using
|
|
Linux, however, may mean that a LUG needs to concentrate on commercial
|
|
software that runs on Linux, rather than concentrating solely on free
|
|
software. If Linux is going to continue to maintain its momentum as a
|
|
viable computing alternative, then it's going to take software vendors
|
|
who are willing to write for and port to Linux as a
|
|
commercially-viable platform. If local LUGs can play a role in helping
|
|
business users evaluate commercial Linux solutions, then more software
|
|
vendors will be encouraged to consider Linux in their development and
|
|
planning.
|
|
|
|
This leads us directly to the second kind of support that a local LUG
|
|
can give to local businesses. Local LUGs can serve as a clearing house
|
|
for the kind of information that is available in very few other
|
|
places. For example:
|
|
|
|
<itemize>
|
|
|
|
<item>Which local ISP is Linux-friendly?</item>
|
|
<item>Are there any local hardware vendors that build Linux PCs?</item>
|
|
<item>Does anyone sell Linux CDs locally?</item>
|
|
|
|
</itemize>
|
|
|
|
Maintaining and making this kind of information public not only helps
|
|
the members of a local LUG, but it also helps Linux-friendly local
|
|
businesses as well, and it encourages them to continue to be
|
|
Linux-friendly. It may even, in some cases, help contribute to a
|
|
competitive atmosphere in which other businesses are encouraged to
|
|
become Linux-friendly too.
|
|
|
|
<sect2>Free software development
|
|
<p>
|
|
Finally, LUGs may also support the Linux Movement by soliciting and
|
|
organizing charitable giving. <url name="Chris Browne"
|
|
url="mailto:cbbrowne@hex.het"> has thought about this issue as much as
|
|
anyone I know, and he contributes the following.
|
|
|
|
<sect3>Chris Browne on free software philanthropy
|
|
<p>
|
|
A further involvement can be to encourage sponsorship of various
|
|
Linux-related organizations in a financial way. With the <url
|
|
url="http://counter.li.org" name="multiple millions"> of Linux users,
|
|
it would be entirely plausible for grateful users to individually
|
|
contribute a little. Given millions of users, and the not unreasonable
|
|
sum of a hundred dollars of ``gratefulness'' per Linux user ($100 being
|
|
roughly the sum <em/not/ spent this year upgrading a Microsoft OS),
|
|
that could add up to <em/hundreds of millions/ of dollars towards
|
|
development of improved tools and applications for Linux.
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
A users group can encourage members to contribute to various
|
|
``development projects.'' If it has some form of ``charitable tax
|
|
exemption'' status, that can encourage members to contribute directly
|
|
to the group, getting tax deductions as appropriate, with
|
|
contributions flowing on to other organizations.
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
It is appropriate, in any case, to encourage LUG members to direct
|
|
contributions to organizations with projects and goals that they
|
|
individually wish to support.
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
This section lists possible candidates. None are explicitly being
|
|
recommended here, but the list can represent useful ``food for
|
|
thought.'' Many are registered as charities in the United States, thus
|
|
making U.S. contributions tax deductible.
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
Here are organizations with activities particularly directed towards
|
|
development of software that works with Linux:
|
|
|
|
<itemize>
|
|
<item><url url="http://www.li.org/About/Fund/Welcome.html" name="
|
|
Linux International Project Sponsorship Fund">
|
|
<item><url url="http://www.debian.org/donations.html"
|
|
name="Debian/Software In the Public Interest">
|
|
<item><url url="http://www.fsf.org/help/donate.html" name="Free
|
|
Software Foundation">
|
|
<item> <url url="http://www.xfree86.org/donations.html" name=" The
|
|
XFree86 Project">
|
|
</itemize>
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
Contributions to these organizations has the direct effect of
|
|
supporting the creation of freely redistributable software usable with
|
|
Linux. Dollar for dollar, such contributions almost certainly have
|
|
greater effect on the Linux community as a whole than any other
|
|
specific kind of spending.
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
There are also organizations that are less directly associated
|
|
with Linux that may nonetheless be worthy of assistance, such as:
|
|
|
|
<itemize>
|
|
<item> <url url="http://www.lpf.org" name=" League for Programming Freedom">
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
This is not a Linux-specific organization; they are involved in
|
|
general advocacy activities that touch on people involved with
|
|
software development. Involvement in this organization represents
|
|
something closer to involvement in a ``political lobby'' group.
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
There is somewhat of a ``USA bias;'' there are nonetheless
|
|
international implications, and the international community as often
|
|
follows the American lead in computing-related matters as vice-versa.
|
|
|
|
<item>The LaTeX3 Project Fund
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
The <url url="http://www.tug.org" name=" TeX Users Group (TUG) "> is
|
|
working on the ``next generation'' version of the LaTeX publishing
|
|
system, known as LaTeX3. Linux is one of the platforms on which TeX
|
|
and LaTeX are best supported.
|
|
<p> Donations for the project can be sent to:
|
|
<tscreen>
|
|
<verb>
|
|
TeX Users Group
|
|
P.O. Box 1239
|
|
Three Rivers, CA 93271-1239
|
|
USA
|
|
</verb>
|
|
</tscreen>
|
|
or, for those in Europe,
|
|
<tscreen>
|
|
<verb>
|
|
UK TUG
|
|
1 Eymore Close
|
|
Selly Oaks
|
|
Burmingham B29 4LB
|
|
UK
|
|
</verb>
|
|
</tscreen>
|
|
|
|
<item> <URL URL="http://www.promo.net/pg/lists/list.html"
|
|
name="Project Gutenberg">
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
Their purpose is to make freely available in electronic form the
|
|
texts of out-of-copyright books. This isn't directly a ``Linux thing,''
|
|
but it seems fairly worthy, and they actively encourage platform
|
|
independence, which means that their ``products'' are quite usable with Linux.
|
|
|
|
</itemize>
|
|
|
|
|
|
<sect2>Linux Movement
|
|
<p>
|
|
I have referred throughout this HOWTO to something I call the
|
|
<bf>Linux Movement</bf>. There really is no better way to describe the
|
|
international Linux phenomenon than to call it a movement: it isn't a
|
|
bureaucracy, but it is organized; it isn't a corporation, but it is
|
|
important to businesses all over the world. The best way for a local
|
|
LUG to support the international Linux movement is to work to insure
|
|
that the local Linux community is robust, vibrant, and growing. Linux
|
|
is <it>developed</it> internationally, which is easy enough to see by
|
|
reading <file>/usr/src/linux/MAINTAINERS</file>. But Linux is also
|
|
<it>used</it> internationally. And this ever-expanding user base is
|
|
the key to Linux's continued success. And that is where the local LUG
|
|
plays an incalculably important role.
|
|
|
|
The strength of the Linux Movement internationally is the simple fact
|
|
that Linux offers unprecedented computing power and sophistication for
|
|
its cost and for its freedom. The keys are value and independence from
|
|
proprietary control. Every time a new person, group, business, or
|
|
organization has the opportunity to be exposed to Linux's inherent
|
|
value the Linux Movement grows in strength and numbers. Local LUGs can
|
|
make that happen.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>Linux socializing
|
|
<p>
|
|
The last goal of a local LUG that I will mention here is
|
|
socializing. In some ways this is the most difficult goal to discuss
|
|
because it is not clear how many or to what degree LUGs engage in
|
|
it. While it would be strange to have a local LUG that didn't engage
|
|
in the other goals, there very well may be local LUGs somewhere in the
|
|
world for which socialization isn't an important consideration.
|
|
|
|
It seems, however, that whenever two or three Linux users get together
|
|
fun, highjinks, and, often, beer are sure to follow. Linus Tovalds has
|
|
always had one enduring goal for Linux: to have more fun. For hackers,
|
|
kernel developers, and Linux users, there's nothing quite like
|
|
downloading a new kernel, recompiling an old one, twittering with a
|
|
window manager, or hacking some code. It is the sheer fun of Linux
|
|
that keeps many LUGs together, and it is this kind of fun that leads
|
|
many LUGs naturally to socializing.
|
|
|
|
By ``socializing'' here I mean primarily sharing experiences, forming
|
|
friendships, and mutually-shared admiration and respect. There is
|
|
another meaning, however, one that social scientists call
|
|
<it>socialization</it>. In any movement, institution, or human
|
|
community, there is the need for some process or pattern of events in
|
|
and by which, to put it in Linux terms, newbies are turned into
|
|
hackers. In other words, socialization turns you from ``one of them''
|
|
to ``one of us''.
|
|
|
|
For armed forces in the U.S. and in most countries, this process is
|
|
called boot camp or basic training. This is the process whereby
|
|
civilians are transformed into soldiers. The Linux movement has
|
|
analogous requirements. It is important that new Linux users come to
|
|
learn what it means to be a Linux user, what is expected of them as a
|
|
member of an international community, the special vocabulary of the
|
|
Linux movement, its unique requirements and opportunities. This may be
|
|
as simple as how Linux users in a partcicular locale pronounce
|
|
``Linux''. It may be as profound as the ways in which Linux users
|
|
should advocate, and the ways in which they should, more importantly,
|
|
<it>refrain</it> from advocating Linux.
|
|
|
|
Linux socialization, unlike `real world' socialization, can occur on
|
|
mailing lists and Usenet, although the efficacy of the latter is
|
|
constantly challenged precisely by poorly socialized users. In my
|
|
view, socialization and socializing are both done best in the company
|
|
of real, flesh-and-blood fellow human beings, and not by incorporeal
|
|
voices on a mailing list or Usenet group.
|
|
|
|
<sect>Local LUG activities
|
|
<p>
|
|
In the previous section I focused exclusively on what LUGs do and what
|
|
they ought to be doing. In this section the focus shifts to practical
|
|
strategies for accomplishing these goals.
|
|
|
|
There are, despite the endless permutations of form, two basic things
|
|
that local LUGs do: first, they meet together in physical space;
|
|
second, they communicate with each other in cyberspace. Everything or
|
|
nearly everything that LUGs do can be seen in terms of meetings and
|
|
online resources.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>Meetings
|
|
<p>
|
|
As I said above, physical meetings are synonymous with LUGs and with
|
|
most computer user groups. LUGs have these kinds of meetings:
|
|
|
|
<itemize>
|
|
<item>social</item>
|
|
<item>technical presentations</item>
|
|
<item>informal discussion groups</item>
|
|
<item>user group business</item>
|
|
<item>Linux installation</item>
|
|
<item>configuration and bug-squashing</item>
|
|
</itemize>
|
|
|
|
What do LUGs do at these meetings?
|
|
|
|
<itemize>
|
|
<item>Install Linux for newbies and strangers</item>
|
|
<item>Teach members about Linux</item>
|
|
<item>Compare Linux to other operating systems</item>
|
|
<item>Teach members about the software that runs on Linux</item>
|
|
<item>Discuss the ways in which Linux can be advocated</item>
|
|
<item>Discuss the importance of the Free Software Movement</item>
|
|
<item>Discuss the business of the user group</item>
|
|
<item>Eat, drink, and be merry</item>
|
|
</itemize>
|
|
|
|
|
|
<sect1>Online resources
|
|
<p>
|
|
The commercial rise of the Internet coincided roughly with the rise of
|
|
Linux, and the latter in large part owes something to the former. The
|
|
Internet has always been an important asset for Linux development. It
|
|
is no different for LUGs. Most LUGs have web pages if not whole
|
|
Web sites. In fact, I am not sure how else to find a local LUG but to
|
|
check the Web.
|
|
|
|
It makes sense, then, for a local LUG to make use of whatever Internet
|
|
technologies they can appropriate: Web sites, mailing lists, gopher,
|
|
FTP, e-mail, WAIS, finger, news, etc. As the world of commerce is
|
|
discovering, the Internet can be an effective way to advertise,
|
|
inform, educate, and even sell. The other reason that LUGs make
|
|
extensive use of Internet technologies is that it is the very essence
|
|
of Linux to <it>provide</it> a stable and rich platform for the
|
|
deployment of these technologies. So not only do LUGs benefit from,
|
|
say, the establishment of a Web site because it advertizes their
|
|
existence and helps organize their members, but in deploying these
|
|
technologies, the members of the LUG are provided an opportunity to
|
|
learn about this technology and see Linux at work.
|
|
|
|
Some LUGs that use the Internet effectively:
|
|
|
|
<itemize>
|
|
|
|
<item><url name="Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts"
|
|
url="http://www.ale.org/"></item>
|
|
|
|
<item><url name="North Texas Linux Users Group"
|
|
url="http://www.ntlug.org/"></item>
|
|
|
|
<item><url name="Boston Linux and Unix"
|
|
url="http://www.blu.org/"></item>
|
|
|
|
<item><url name="Colorado Linux Users and Enthusiasts"
|
|
url="http://spot.elfwerks.com/~clue/"></item>
|
|
|
|
<item><url name="BLUG - BHZ Linux Users Group (Brazil)"
|
|
url="http://www.bhz.ampr.org/~linux/"></item>
|
|
|
|
<item><url name="Ottawa Carleton Linux Users Group"
|
|
url="http://www.oclug.on.ca/"></item>
|
|
|
|
<item><url name="Provence Linux Users Group"
|
|
url="http://www.pipo.com/plug/"></item>
|
|
|
|
<item><url name="Duesseldorf Linux Users Group"
|
|
url="http://www.hsp.de/~dlug/"></item>
|
|
|
|
<item><url name="Linux User Group Austria" url="http://www.luga.or.at/"></item>
|
|
|
|
<item><url name="Israeli Linux Users Group"
|
|
url="http://www.linux.org.il/"></item>
|
|
|
|
<item><url name="Tokyo Linux Users Group"
|
|
url="http://www.twics.co.jp/~tlug/"></item>
|
|
|
|
<item><url name="Linux in Mexico"
|
|
url="http://www.linux.org.mx/"></item>
|
|
|
|
<item><url name="Netherlands Linux Users Group (NLLGG)"
|
|
url="http://www.nllgg.nl/"></item>
|
|
|
|
<item><url name="St. Petersburg Linux User Group"
|
|
url="http://ethereal.ru/~mbravo/spblug/index.html"></item>
|
|
|
|
<item><url name="Linux User Group of Singapore"
|
|
url="http://www.lugs.org.sg/"></item>
|
|
|
|
<item><url name="Victoria Linux User Group"
|
|
url="http://www.linux.victoria.bc.ca/">
|
|
</item>
|
|
|
|
<item><url name="Essex Linux User Group"
|
|
url="http://www.epos.demon.co.uk/"></item>
|
|
|
|
<item><url name="Turkish Linux User Group"
|
|
url="http://www.linux.org.tr/"></item>
|
|
|
|
<item><url name="Linux User Group of Rochester"
|
|
url="http://www.lugor.org/"></item>
|
|
|
|
<item><url name="Korean Linux Users Group"
|
|
url="http://www.linux-kr.org"></item>
|
|
|
|
</itemize>
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
Please let me know if your LUG uses the Internet in an important or
|
|
interesting way; I'd like this list to include your group.
|
|
|
|
<sect>Practical suggestions
|
|
<p>
|
|
Finally, I want to make some very practical, even mundane, suggestions
|
|
for anyone wanting to found, maintain, or grow a LUG.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>LUG support organizations
|
|
<p>
|
|
|
|
There are several organizations that offer assistance to local LUGs.
|
|
|
|
<descrip>
|
|
|
|
<tag>GLUE</tag> Groups of Linux Users Everywhere is a user group
|
|
coordination and support program started by SSC, the same people who
|
|
publish <it>Linux Journal</it>. The <url name="GLUE program"
|
|
url="http://www.ssc.com/glue/"> is an inexpensive way for a local
|
|
LUG to provide some benefits to its membership.
|
|
|
|
<tag>Linux Systems Labs</tag> <url name="LSL"
|
|
url="http://www.lsl.com/"> offers their Tri-Linux Disk set (Three
|
|
Linux distributions on four CDs: Red Hat, Slackware, and Debian) to
|
|
LUGs for resale at a considerable discount.
|
|
|
|
<tag>Linux Mall User Group Program</tag> Sponsored by WorkGroup
|
|
Solutions, the <url name="Linux Mall User Group Program"
|
|
url="http://www.LinuxMall.com/usergrp.program.html"> offers a range
|
|
of benefits for participating User Groups. LUGs are also free to
|
|
participate in <url name="Linux Mall's Referral Program"
|
|
url="http://www.LinuxMall.com/mallrfr.html"> as well.
|
|
|
|
<tag>Cleveland Linux User's Group</tag> Owns the Internet domain,
|
|
<tt>lug.net</tt>. They will provide your LUG an Internet domain name
|
|
at <tt>lug.net</tt>: your-LUG-name-or-city<tt>lug.net</tt>. More
|
|
information may be found at <url name="LUG.NET"
|
|
url="http://www.lug.net/"> or by e-mailing <htmlurl name="Jeff
|
|
Garvas" url="mailto:jeff@cia.net">.
|
|
|
|
<tag>Red Hat Software's User Group Program</tag> Assists LUGs to
|
|
develop and grow. More information may be found at <url
|
|
url="http://www.redhat.com/redhat/rhug.html" name="Red Hat Web
|
|
site">
|
|
|
|
</descrip>
|
|
|
|
<sect1>Founding a LUG
|
|
<p>
|
|
|
|
<itemize>
|
|
|
|
<item>Determine the nearest pre-existing LUG</item>
|
|
<item>Announce your intentions on <tt>comp.os.linux.announce</tt> and on an appropriate regional hierarchy</item>
|
|
<item>Announce your intention wherever computer users are in your area: bookstores, swap meets, cybercafes, colleges and universities, corporations, Internet service providers, etc.</item>
|
|
<item>Find Linux-friendly businesses or institutions in your area that may be willing to help you form the LUG</item>
|
|
<item>Form a mailing list or some means of communication between the people who express an interest in forming a LUG</item>
|
|
<item>Ask key people specifically for help in spreading the word about your intention to form a LUG</item>
|
|
<item>Solicit space on a Web server to put a few HTML pages together about the group</item>
|
|
<item>Begin looking for a meeting place</item>
|
|
<item>Schedule an initial meeting</item>
|
|
<item>Discuss at the initial meeting the goals for the LUG</item>
|
|
|
|
</itemize>
|
|
|
|
<sect1>Maintaining and growing a LUG
|
|
<p>
|
|
|
|
<itemize>
|
|
|
|
<item>Make the barriers to LUG membership as low as possible</item>
|
|
<item>Make the LUG's Web site a priority: keep all information current, make it easy to find details about meetings (who, what, and where), and make contact information and feedback mechanisms prominent</item>
|
|
<item>Install Linux for anyone who wants it</item>
|
|
<item>Post flyers, messages, or handbills wherever computer users are in your area</item>
|
|
<item>Secure dedicated leadership</item>
|
|
<item>Follow Linus's <it>benevolent dictator</it> model of leadership</item>
|
|
<item>Take the big decisions to the members for a vote</item>
|
|
<item>Start a mailing list devoted to technical support and ask the ``gurus'' to participate on it</item>
|
|
<item>Schedule a mixture of advanced and basic, formal and informal, presentations</item>
|
|
<item>Support the software development efforts of your members</item>
|
|
<item>Find way to raise money without dues: for instance, selling Linux merchandise to your members and to others</item>
|
|
<item>Consider securing formal legal standing for the group, such as incorporation or tax-exempt status</item>
|
|
<item>Find out if your meeting place is restricting growth of the LUG</item>
|
|
<item>Meet in conjunction with swap meets, computer shows, or other community events where computer users---i.e., potential Linux converts---are likely to gather</item>
|
|
<item>Elect formal leadership for the LUG as soon as is practical: some helpful officers might include President, Treasurer, Secretary, Meeting Host (general announcements, speaker introductions, opening and closing remarks, etc.), Publicity Coordinator (handles Usenet and e-mail postings, local publicity), and Program Coordinator (organizes and schedules speakers at LUG meetings)</item>
|
|
<item>Provide ways for members and others to give feedback about the direction, goals, and strategies of the LUG</item>
|
|
<item>Support Linux and Free Software development efforts by donating Web space, a mailing list, or FTP site</item>
|
|
<item>Establish an FTP site for relevant software</item>
|
|
<item>Archive everything the LUG does for the Web site</item>
|
|
<item>Solicit ``door prizes'' from Linux vendors, VARs, etc. to give away at meetings</item>
|
|
<item>Give credit where credit is due</item>
|
|
<item>Join SSC's GLUE (Groups of Linux Users Everywhere) but be aware they charge a membership fee</item>
|
|
<item>Submit your LUG's information to all of the Lists of LUGs</item>
|
|
<item>Publicize your meetings on appropriate Usenet groups and in local computer publications and newspapers</item>
|
|
<item>Compose promotional materials, like Postscript files, for instance, that members can use to help publicize the LUG at workplaces, bookstores, computer stores, etc.</item>
|
|
<item>Make sure you know what LUG members want the LUG to do</item>
|
|
<item>Release press releases to local media outlets about any unusual LUG events like an Installation Fest, Net Day, etc.</item>
|
|
<item>Use LUG resources and members to help local non-profit organizations and schools with their Information Technology needs</item>
|
|
<item>Advocate the use of Linux zealously but responsibly</item>
|
|
<item>Play to the strengths of LUG members</item>
|
|
<item>Maintain good relations with Linux vendors, VARs, developers, etc.</item>
|
|
<item>Identify and contact Linux consultants in your area
|
|
<item>Network with the leaders of other LUGs in your area, state, region, or country to share experiences, tricks, and resources</item>
|
|
<item>Keep LUG members advised on the state of Linux software---new kernels, bugs, fixes, patches, security advisories---and the state of the Linux world at large---new ports, trademark and licensing issues, where Linus is living and working, etc.</item>
|
|
<item>Notify the Linux Documentation Project---and other pertinent sources of Linux information---about the documentation that the LUG produces: technical presentations, tutorials, local HOWTOs, etc.</item>
|
|
</itemize>
|
|
|
|
<sect>Legal and political issues
|
|
<p>
|
|
|
|
<sect1>Legal issues
|
|
<p>
|
|
<sect1>United States
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
There is a strong case to be made for formal organization of local
|
|
LUGs. I will not make that case here. If, however, you are interested
|
|
in formally organizing your local LUG, then this section will
|
|
introduce you to some of the relevant issues.
|
|
|
|
<bf>Note:</bf> this section should not be construed as competent legal
|
|
counsel. These issues require the expertise of competent legal
|
|
counsel; you should, before acting on any of the statements made in
|
|
this section, consult an attorney.
|
|
|
|
There are at least two different legal statuses that a local LUG in
|
|
the United States may attain:
|
|
|
|
<enum>
|
|
<item>incorporation as a non-profit entity</item>
|
|
<item>tax-exemption</item>
|
|
</enum>
|
|
|
|
Although the relevant statutes differ from state to state, most states
|
|
allow user groups to incorporate as non-profit entitites. The benefits
|
|
of incorporation for a local LUG may include limitations of liability
|
|
of LUG members and volunteers, as well as limitation or even exemption
|
|
from state corporate franchise taxes.
|
|
|
|
While you should consult competent legal counsel before incorporating
|
|
your LUG as a non-profit entity, you can probably reduce your legal
|
|
fees if you are acquainted with the relevant issues before consulting
|
|
with an attorney. I recommend the <it>Non-Lawyers Non-Profit
|
|
Corporation Kit</it> (ISBN 0-937434-35-3).
|
|
|
|
As for the second status, tax-exemption, this is not a legal status so
|
|
much as a judgment by the Internal Revenue Service. It is important
|
|
for you to know that incorporation as a non-profit entity <bf>does
|
|
not</bf> insure that the IRS will rule that your LUG is to be
|
|
tax-exempt. It is possible to have a non-profit corporation that is
|
|
<bf>not</bf> also tax-exempt.
|
|
|
|
The IRS has a relatively simple document that explains the criteria
|
|
and process for tax-exemption. It is <bf>Publication 557:</bf>
|
|
<it>Tax-Exempt Status for Your Organization</it>. It is available as
|
|
an Adobe Acrobat file from the IRS's Web site. I strongly recommend
|
|
that you read this document <bf>before</bf> filing for incorporation
|
|
as a non-profit entity. While becoming a non-profit corporation cannot
|
|
insure that your LUG will be declared tax-exempt by the IRS, there are
|
|
ways to incorporate that will <bf>prevent</bf> the IRS from declaring
|
|
your LUG to be tax-exempt. <it>Tax-Exempt Status for Your
|
|
Organization</it> clearly sets out the necessary conditions for your
|
|
LUG to be declared tax-exempt.
|
|
|
|
Finally, there are resources available on the Internet for non-profit
|
|
and tax-exempt organizations. Some of the material is probably
|
|
relevant to your local LUG.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>Canada
|
|
<p>
|
|
Thanks to <htmlurl name="Chris Browne" url="mailto:cbbrowne@hex.net">
|
|
for the following comments about the Canadian situation.
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
The Canadian tax environment strongly parallels the US environment, in
|
|
that the ``charitable organization'' status confers similar tax
|
|
advantages for donors over mere ``not for profit'' status, while
|
|
requiring that similar sorts of added paperwork be filed by the
|
|
``charity'' with the tax authorities in order to attain and maintain
|
|
certified charity status.
|
|
|
|
|
|
<sect1>Political issues
|
|
<p>
|
|
<url name="Chris Browne" url="mailto:cbbrowne@hex.net"> has the
|
|
following to say about the kinds of inter-LUG political dynamics that
|
|
often crop up.
|
|
|
|
<sect2>People have different feelings about free software.
|
|
<p>
|
|
Linux users are a diverse bunch. As soon as you try to put a lot of
|
|
them together, there are <em> some </em> problem issues that can come
|
|
up.There are those that are nearly political radicals that believe
|
|
that all software, always, should be ``free.'' Because Caldera charges
|
|
quite a lot of money for their distribution, and doesn't give all
|
|
profits over to <it> (pick favorite advocacy organization), </it> they
|
|
must be ``evil.'' Ditto for Red Hat or S.u.S.E. Keep in mind that all
|
|
three of these companies have made and continue to make significant
|
|
contributions to free software.
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
Others may figure that they can find some way to highly exploit the
|
|
``freeness'' of the Linux platform for their fun and profit. Be aware
|
|
that many users of the BSD UNIX variants consider that <it> their
|
|
</it> licenses that <it> do </it> permit companies to build
|
|
``privatized'' custom versions of their OSes are preferable to the
|
|
``enforced permanent freeness'' of the GPL as applied to Linux. Do not
|
|
presume that all people promoting this sort of view are necessarily
|
|
greedy leeches.
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
If these people are put together in one place, disagreements can
|
|
occur.
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
Leaders should be clear on the following facts:
|
|
|
|
<itemize>
|
|
|
|
<item> There are a lot of opinions about the GPL and how it is supposed
|
|
to work. It is easy to misunderstand both the GPL and alternative
|
|
licensing schemes.
|
|
|
|
<item> Linux benefits from contributions from many places, and can
|
|
support some freeloaders, particularly if this encourages more
|
|
people to get involved, thus pulling in further contributors.
|
|
|
|
<item> Many significant contributions have been made to Linux by
|
|
commercial enterprises. Examining the sources to the Linux kernel,
|
|
and notable subsystems such as XFree86 and GCC show a surprising
|
|
number of commercial contributors.
|
|
|
|
<item> Commercial does not always imply ``better,'' but it also does not
|
|
always imply ``horrible.''
|
|
|
|
</itemize>
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
The main principle can be extended well beyond this; computer ``holy
|
|
wars'' have long been waged over the virtues of one system over
|
|
another, whether that be (in modern day) between Linux, other UNIX
|
|
variants, and Microsoft OSes, or between the ``IBM PC'' and the various
|
|
Motorola 68000-based systems, or between the many 8 bit systems of the
|
|
1970s. Or of KDE versus GNOME.
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
A wise LUG leader will seek to smooth over such differences, rather
|
|
than inciting them. LUG leaders <it> must </it> have thick skins.
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
There <it> will </it> be disagreements at some point as diverse
|
|
views collide with one another, and leaders must be able to cope with
|
|
this, resolving disagreements rather than contributing to the problem.
|
|
|
|
<sect2>Nonprofit organizations and money don't mix terribly well.
|
|
<p>
|
|
It is important to be quite careful in dealing with finances in a
|
|
nonprofit organization of any sort. In businesses, where profitable
|
|
flows of monies are the goal, people are not typically too worried
|
|
about ``nagging details'' such as possible misspending of immaterial
|
|
sums of money.
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
The same cannot be said about nonprofit organizations. Some people
|
|
are involved for reasons of principle, and can easily give minor
|
|
problems inordinate attention. And the potential for wide
|
|
participation at business meetings correspondingly expands the
|
|
potential for inordinate attention to be drawn to things.
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
As a result, it is probably preferable for there to <it> not </it> be
|
|
a membership fee for a LUG, as that provides a specific thing for
|
|
which people can reasonably demand accountability. Fees that are not
|
|
collected cannot, by virtue of the fact that they don't exist, be
|
|
misused.
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
If there <it> is </it> a lot of money and/or other such resources
|
|
floating around, it is important for the user group to be accountable
|
|
to its members for it.
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
In a vital, growing group, there should be more than one person
|
|
involved. In troubled nonprofit organizations, financial information
|
|
is often tightly held by someone who will not willingly relinquish
|
|
control of funds. Ideally, there should be <it> some </it> rotation of
|
|
duties in a LUG including that of control of the finances.
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
Regular useful financial reports should be made available to those
|
|
that wish them. A LUG that maintains an official ``charitable status''
|
|
for tax purposes will have to file at least annual financial reports
|
|
with the local tax authorities, which would represent a minimum
|
|
financial disclosure for the purposes of the members.
|
|
|
|
<p>
|
|
With the growth of Linux-based financial software, it should be
|
|
readily possible to create reports on a regular basis. With the
|
|
growth of the Internet, it should even be possible to publish these on
|
|
the World Wide Web.
|
|
|
|
|
|
<sect>About this document
|
|
|
|
<sect1>Terms of use
|
|
<p>
|
|
Copyright (c) 1997 by Kendall Grant Clark. This document may be
|
|
distributed under the terms set forth in the LDP license at <url
|
|
name="http://sunsite.unc.edu/LDP/COPYRIGHT.html"
|
|
url="http://sunsite.unc.edu/LDP/COPYRIGHT.html">.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>New versions
|
|
<p>
|
|
New versions of the Linux User Group HOWTO will be periodically
|
|
uploaded to various Linux WWW and FTP sites, principally <url
|
|
url="http://www.ntlug.org/~kclark/" name="my homepage"> and
|
|
the <url name="Linux Documentation Project"
|
|
url="http://sunsite.unc.edu/LDP/">
|
|
|
|
<sect1>Please contribute to this HOWTO
|
|
<p>
|
|
I welcome questions about and feedback on this document. Please send
|
|
them to me at <htmlurl name="kclark@cmpu.net"
|
|
url="mailto:kclark@cmpu.net">. <it>I am especially interested in
|
|
hearing from leaders of LUGs from around the world</it>. I would like
|
|
to include real-life examples of the things described here. I would
|
|
also like to include a section on LUGs outside the United States,
|
|
since this HOWTO as it stands now is rather US-centric. Please let me
|
|
know if your group does things that should be mentioned in this HOWTO.
|
|
|
|
<sect1>Document history
|
|
<p>
|
|
<itemize>
|
|
<item>1.0 released on 13 July 1997</item>
|
|
<item>1.1: expanded online resources section</item>
|
|
<item>1.3: added LUG Support Organizations and expanded the Legal and Organizational Issues section</item>
|
|
<item>1.3.1: general editing for clarity and conciseness</item>
|
|
<item>1.4: general editing, added new LUG resources</item>
|
|
<item>1.4.1: general editing for clarity</item>
|
|
<item>1.5: added some resources, some discussion of LUG documentation, also general editing</item>
|
|
<item>1.5.1: changed Web location for this document and author's email address.</item>
|
|
<item>1.5.2: new copyright and license</item>
|
|
<item>1.5.3: miscellaneous edits and minor re-organizations</item>
|
|
<item>1.6: added Chris Browne's material: Linux philanthropic
|
|
donations and LUG political considerations</item>
|
|
<item>1.6.1: very minor additions</item>
|
|
<item>1.6.2: minor corrections</item>
|
|
</itemize>
|
|
|
|
|
|
<sect1>Acknowledgements
|
|
<p>
|
|
I want to thank all the great people I've met and worked with during
|
|
the time I've served as President of the North Texas Linux Users
|
|
Group. They helped inspire me to use Linux full-time. The best thing
|
|
about Linux really is the people you meet.
|
|
|
|
I especially want to thank <url name="Chris Browne"
|
|
url="mailto:cbbrowne@hex.net"> for describing the situation with
|
|
non-profit and charitable groups in Canada, his thoughts on financial
|
|
donations as a way to participate in Linux and the free software
|
|
movement, and his ideas about the kinds of political issues that may
|
|
arise within LUGs.
|
|
|
|
In addition, the following people have made helpful comments and
|
|
suggestions:
|
|
|
|
<itemize>
|
|
<item>Hugo van der Kooij</item>
|
|
<item>Greg Hankins</item>
|
|
<item>Charles Lindahl</item>
|
|
<item>Rick Moen</item>
|
|
<item>Jeff Garvas</item>
|
|
<item>James Hertzler</item>
|
|
</itemize>
|
|
|
|
|
|
</article>
|