OxLUG Linux Day

PRESS RELEASE:
21st April 2002, Oxford.

Oxfordshire taking part in another national Linux installation event
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Few serious home computer users or professionals in the IT industry will
be unaware of Linux, the revolutionary operating system used on all manner
of equipment from supercomputers to handhelds, and which provides a
powerful alternative to the traditional operating systems -- Microsoft
Windows and MacOS -- currently found on the majority of home computers.
Microsoft has already named Linux as its biggest threat in the future,
implying that Linux promises to shake up this key market in an
unprecedented way, as well as in the IT industry where its use as an
Internet and workgroup server, for example, is proven.

For nearly every task typically performed on a home computer, Linux has an
equivalent, from checking email and preparing documents to managing
finances and playing games. Even better, the vast majority of such
programs can be obtained, like Linux itself, at little or no cost. That's
because Linux is free, so anyone with a Linux CD may make a copy and give
it to anyone else, and everyone is free to alter Linux in any way they
want. This also means that there is no one standard version of the
Linux OS. Instead there are a wide variety of "distributions" compiled
by everyone from major companies, such as RedHat and Mandrakesoft, to
dedicated teams of volunteers the world over.

In response to the many users who would like to install Linux on their
computer, but don't know how to go about it or which distribution to
choose, the UK Linux community last year came together to run a number
of "Install Centres" all over the UK, with some of the most experienced
Linux users in the country coming to help newcomers to install any one
of a number of distributions.

Following on from the success of this event, this event is being
repeated this year, this time coordinated by the Dorset Linux User
Group. The Oxfordshire group will be running its Install Centre on
Sunday 26th May, in a scout hall near Donnington Bridge Road. This
Install Centre will be free and open to all. A range of distributions
will be available to install, and local volunteers will be available
to discuss the merits of each. 

In addition to providing help with installations, a series of talks will
be run to help introduce Linux to users. This series will start on 
the Sunday before the install day, 19th May, with an introduction to
what Linux and what will happen at the install day. During the install day
itself, a number of short talks will be run "on demand" to help people
to get initially acquainted with their new installation of Linux.
On the following three Sundays, from 2nd June to 16th June, these talks
will go into more detail on various details of using Linux and the variety
of applications available for it.

The main install event will be run from approximately 10am to 6pm on
26th May at:

22nd Oxford Scout HQ
Meadow Lane
off Donnington Bridge Road
Oxford
OX4 4BJ

There should be ample car parking nearby.

The series of talks on 19th May, 2nd June, 9th June and 16th June will
be at a yet to be determined time in the afternoon, at:

Oxford University Computing Laboratory
Wolfson Building
Parks Road
Oxford
OX1 3QD

To help anticipate demand, OxLUG would be grateful if anyone wishing to
have Linux installed on their system could register for the event online
at http://www.oxlug.org/linuxday/register.html, or by contacting OxLUG
directly by email (events@oxlug.org) or phone (Ganesh Sittampalam on
07968 253467). The same contacts should be used for any further enquiries.

About OxLUG:

The Oxfordshire Linux User Group was formed in January 1999 to provide a
focus for people in the Oxford area who use the Linux computer operating
system. In common with many similar groups worldwide, it has no membership
fee and no formal constitution.

OxLUG holds regular speaker meetings on a variety of subjects and offers
members the opportunity to assist each other with problems and to engage
in lively discussions by electronic mail.

Links:

http://www.oxlug.org/linuxday/                                                  
http://www.linuxday.org.uk/