[74] in linux-announce channel archive
LOCAL: UKUUG Linix SIG launched!
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Lars Wirzenius)
Thu Jan 19 04:22:06 1995
Date: Thu, 19 Jan 1995 09:38:26 +0200
From: Lars Wirzenius <wirzeniu@cc.helsinki.fi>
To: linux-activists@niksula.hut.fi, linux-announce@vger.rutgers.edu
X-Mn-Key: announce
From: mhouston@mh01.demon.co.uk
Subject: LOCAL: UKUUG Linix SIG launched!
Keywords: User Group UK Europe local
Reply-To: mhouston@mh01.demon.co.uk
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.announce
Organization: ?
Approved: linux-announce@tc.cornell.edu (Lars Wirzenius)
Followup-to: comp.os.linux.misc
Announcing the UKUUG Linux SIG
What is Linux? (For those who don't already know!)
Linux is a UNIX-like operating system that is able to run on the average
personal computer (minimum spec is 386sx processor with 2MB memory and
40MB hard disk). It is a free, independent implementation of a superset
of the POSIX specification to which all true versions of UNIX comply. It
is capable of running software written for many different flavours of
UNIX. Linux is available free of charge on the Internet or in a variety
of easy to use distributions from Linux vendors on floppy disk or
CD-ROM.
The term "Linux" has two usages, first it is the name of the operating
system kernel started in 1992 by Linus Torvalds and contributed to by
UNIX enthusiasts all over the world. It has also come into usage as a
term for the whole software system based on a Linux kernel at its core.
There are many people and organisations that have put together a Linux
kernel with other programs to make a complete working set of software.
Each person hold the copyright to the code that he or she has written.
Linux is not public domain software. It is protected by the GNU Public
Licence which (amongst other things) stipulates that the source code to
Linux and all its related programs must always remain freely available
but allows people to charge money for Linux, if they wish, as long as
they do not attempt to limit to the redistribution of Linux. In a
nutshell this means that even if you have paid to have some Linux
software shipped to you, you are free to share the software with a friend.
Sharing and mutual co-operation on the development and improvement of
Linux has been the driving force in producing a world class operating
system that is truly open in that everything is under your control.
Linux is being used today by tens, maybe hundreds, of thousands of
people all over the world. The global Internet makes it possible for
people of all nationalities to freely co-operate on Linux software
projects of mutual interest. It is being used for just about everything
conceivable under the sun! Software development, Internet navigation,
games playing, document preparation, leading edge computer research. The
low cost, and enthusiastic user community of Linux makes it an ideal way
to get into a real 32 bit power operating system!
Why a Linux SIG?
The Linux system is so big and is capable of doing so much that you
really need the help of others to get the best from it. The Linux
"phenomenon" is as much about what can be done with freely given human
co-operation through the enabling technology of the Internet that it is
about the underlying software itself. There are many news groups and
mailing lists on the net where Linux users can meet and co-operate 'in
cyberspace'. What is also now happening all over the world is the
establishment of local and national Linux organisations so that the
benefits of the Linux spirit of co-operation can be shared by those who
do not have the convenience of an Internet connection.
After months of planning by Martin Houston; ex Chair and Software
Librarian of the Association of C and C++ Users and Mick Farmer, Chair
of the UK UNIX Users group, along with input from the UK Linux Internet
community it is now time to launch an official Linux User group for the
UK. Rather than being a completely independent organisation with all the
organisational burdens that it entails the Linux group will be run as a
Special Interest Group (SIG) of the UK UNIX Users Group. This gives the
group a solid organisational and financial framework and makes available
many services to the parent UKUUG organisation available to Linux
members. Individual and corporate members of the UKUUG are members of
the Linux SIG for no extra charge if they choose to be so. However the
very great amount of interest in Linux has lead the UKUUG to offer
membership of the Linux SIG only to the general public at a reduced rate
of twenty GBP per annum (compared to the normal UKUUG individual
membership rate of sixty five GBP per annum). SIG members benefits
include:
o Bi-monthly newsletter "Linux@UK" that gives news of Linux activities
in the UK.
o UNIX and Linux books at discount prices
o UKUUG produced CDs at member prices
o Attendance at UKUUG events and conferences at member prices
o A network of local Linux groups all over the country.
o Discounts on Linux distributions and other items.
On top of this is an already extensive prescience on the Internet with
Web pages and three mailing lists that enable information about group
activities and Linux in general to be delivered direct to your computer.
If you are interested in Linux then joining the Linux SIG gives you an
opportunity to talk to those who are already using it. It is by talking
and co-operating that has taken the Linux community so far already. Your
involvement in this could help make Linux the most important event in
the history of computer software! Let us make 1995 the year that the PC
using world really wakes up to the exciting and empowering opportunities
that the Linux movement is presenting us. The group will be controlled,
initially, by Martin Houston, ex Chairman of the ACCU. Membership and
financial control will be undertaken by the UKUUG secretariat so members
are assured of professional and efficient operation of the group from
the outset.
Make 1995 the "Year of Linux" - Join the UKUUG Linux SIG!
Joining the Linux/UK SIG (if you are not already a member of the UKUUG)
costs twenty pounds per annum. Membership runs for 1 calendar year from
January to December.
---8<-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UKUUG Linux SIG Membership Application
Payment of 20 GBP for the 1995 membership year may be made in one of
two ways:
1. By UK Cheque or Bankers Draft, made payable UKUUG and drawn on a
UK bank.
2. By Visa, Access, Eurocard or Mastercard
|_| by VISA
|_| by ACCESS/EUROCARD/MASTER CARD
Name as it appears on the card (block capitals)
__________________________________________________________________________
Address
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Postcode
__________________________________________________________________________
Email (if any)
__________________________________________________________________________
Daytime Tel
__________________________________________________________________________
Date of Expiry
__________________________________________________________________________
Card Account No.
__________________________________________________________________________
Signed
__________________________________________________________________________
Date
Send to:
Linux/UK SIG
UKUUG Secretariat
Owles Hall, Buntingford
Herts, SG9 9PL
ENGLAND
CHECK OUT THESE INTERNET RESOURCES TO GET YOU GOING!
IMPORTANT MESSAGE FOR ANYONE INTERESTED IN UK LINUX USER GROUP
Thanks to Nigel Metheringham of the University of York us UK
Linux enthusiasts now have our own mailing lists.
There are now 4 linux-uk lists, they are
linux-uk-discuss A general discussion group on Linux.
linux-uk-help A help and answers group. No query too
basic, no flames!!!
linux-uk-usergroup Setting up and running the usergroup
linux-uk-all The supergroup - everyone on all the other
groups, intended for announcements.
If you wish to be a member of linux-uk-help or linux-uk-usergroup then please
join those in the normal MAILBASE fashion. You cannot join linux-uk-all -
thats a fake list made up of everyone on all the other linux-uk lists. It
will also be made a moderated list - announcement will have to go via one of
the moderators (send your message to the list and it will be passed to the
moderators).
I am NOT saying that you have to be a paid up member of the UKUUG Linux SIG to
use these list. We welcome anyone who has an interest in Linux,
although I suggest that you will get most out of the list if you actually
live in the UK as we hope to be using the list to arrange local events.
HOW TO JOIN
To subscribe send a message to
<mailbase@mailbase.ac.uk>
with the command
join linux-uk-usergroup Firstname Lastname
join linux-uk-discuss Firstname Lastname
join linux-uk-help Firstname Lastname
If you want to unsubscribe to any of the lists then send the command
leave <listname>
to mailbase@mailbase.ac.uk . If you are going on holiday and
wish to suspend your messages for that period then the command
suspend mail <listname>
will do the trick followed by
resume mail <listname>
when you return (individual listnames can be replaced by all to
affect all the lists you subscribe to).
You can leave the subject of the message blank.
Be sure to send the mail from the account that you want to receive
mail from the mailing list in (more of this later).
You will be emailed confirmation that you have joined the list and also a
handy mailbase 'reference card' for you to print out and keep.
THE LISTS
linux-uk-usergroup
This is a low volume list that will contain notices of the
activities of the Linux SIG of the UK Unix Users Group such as discussion
of what is going into the newsletter and organisation of local group meetings.
linux-uk-discuss
This is a free for all list for discussing and announcing things of general
interest to the UK Linux community (even if they are not members of the Linux
SIG). This is expected to be quite a high traffic volume group so you
may like to just collect the monthly archives rather than have messages
delivered individually.
linux-uk-help
This is for people wanting help with linux problems. This has been split
from linix-uk-discuss because in the early days of the linux-uk list Linux
newcomers needed to know some simple stuff which old hands felt was a waste
of their time to receive and read. Everybody please spend at least some time
on the help list to share the Linux experience with newcomers!
Remember you can suspend and then resume membership of any list if you
want a break from the message stream!
THE UKUUG LINUX SIG WWW PAGE
Point your WWW browser at
http://web.dcs.bbk.ac.uk/ukuug/sig/pc/linux/home.html
If you have any questions email mhouston@mh01.demon.co.uk
Happy Linuxing!
--
Martin Houston
Unix & Linux Systems Consultant.
Deluxe Technology Ltd (Vodafone 0378 422002)
Organiser of the UKUUG Linux Special Interest Group
"1995 the year of Linux - join the free software revolution!"
--
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PLEASE remember Keywords: and a short description of the software.
