Linux Installfest X

Date and Time

Saturday, May 12, 2001 from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm

Location

Mount Ida College

Take route 128 to exit 19B (Highland Avenue, Needham). Take a left onto Hunting Road (first traffic light, opposite Muzi Ford). At the next light, turn left onto Kendrick St.(about .6 mi). Kendrick becomes Nahanton St. At the end of the road bear right onto Dedham St. Mt. Ida College is on your right at the next traffic light, about 0.1 Mi). Mount Ida operates a shuttle bus from the Newton Center T stop directly to the building where we hold the Installfest. Refer to the following URL for T instructions, alternate directions, or a map. http://www.mountida.edu/Secure-Server-01/general-info/index-directions.html [mountida.edu]

Directions

Summary

A periodic get-together where volunteers from our group help people with Linux installation and other hands-on issues.

Abstract

We invite you to become a member of the Boston Linux & Unix user group and discover the operating system of the future. Let our volunteers help you install Linux on your own system.

Note that Mt. Ida is T accessable. Take the Mt. Ida Shuttle Bus from the Newton Center T stop.

What Linux is

You've probably seen Linux mentioned in places like The Wall Street Jounal: it's the free operating system that runs more than 50% of the world's World Wide Web servers and Internet Service Providers.

Linux is a UNIX-like operating system built around POSIX standards. From its inception less than eight years ago, it was developed over the Internet by a group of people who (for the most part) have never seen each other, and now runs on an (estimated) 1,500,000 computer systems.

The operating system (and the source code for it) is free to anyone who wants it. It has been ported to at least the following platforms: Intel, SPARC, Alpha, MIPS, PPC, and M68K. This is probably the largest development project ever accomplished using the Internet.

Who can use Linux?

Linux is for you if:

• You have retired older machines such as Intel 486's, and would like to put them in service again.
  
• You're a student strapped for cash, and need a rock-solid operating system, word processors, Internet mail and browser software, and X-Windows environment, all without charge.
  
• You're a “power” PC user, and want to go beyond the limits of Windows or OS/2 while keeping your old software.
  
• You're a parent of two teenagers, and need a way to allow them both to use the Internet at the same time (without fighting over one machine).
  
• You have more PC's in your house than printers, and want to link them together with a network operating system that allows every PC to use any printer
  
• You're a systems administrator who's through with the hastle of abend calls and deciphering proprietary “standards”, and tired of paying license fees.
  

How do I get Linux?

• Read the Frequently Asked Questions list (the FAQ), referenced below.
  
• Find out if your PC is compatible with Linux (most are) by checking the list of compatible hardware in the Hardware HOWTO, referenced below.
  
• Let us know you'll be coming, and more or less when you'll be there, (gaf@blu.org).
  

We have limited space, so first come first served.

• Bring your complete system including Monitor, Keyboard, Mouse, power strips.
  
• We'll load all needed software onto your hard drive.
  
• We no longer standardize on a distribution. We will have copies of various distributions.
  

We strongly recommend that you purchase one of the major Linux distributions with a manual. Most are available at local computer stores and SoftPro Books in both Marlborough and Burlington.

Cost

It's free! However, we DO have expenses, and contributions are welcome. Please consider contributing $25 per machine.