PalmyLUG

Palmerston North Linux Users Group

Workshops
Beginners - GIMP Cloning
Advanced - Why is Linux GNU?

• When: 7pm - 9pm Wednesday 10th June 2009 (Doors open from 6:45pm)
• Where: PN Christian Fellowship (Front Lounge) 174 Church St, PN (opposite The Warewhare) MAP
• Cost: $2 charge to cover venue costs and coffee

Agenda:

Chairman's Welcome
Chairman: Brynn Neilson

Introduce guests and match people needing help with experts
7pm - 7:15pm

Beginners Workshop: GIMP Cloning

Speaker: John Flower
7:15pm - 7:45pm

GIMPO (GNU Image Maniuplation Program) is a photo editor. John has been using it at work to touch up product photos. He will be demonstrating the Clone Tool which can be used to remove unwanted blemishes, such as dust, powerlines, and weeds, from photos. This is the tool to do head switching, regrow hair, put golf courses in improbable places like on a cliff ledge.

General Business
7:45 - 8pm

Coffee Break & Helpdesk
8pm - 8:20pm

People needing help can get together with experts to get answers. Otherwise grab a cuppa and spin yarns :).

Advanced workshop: Why is Linux GNU?

Speaker:Don Esslemont
8:30pm - 9pm

GNU is a matter of freedom: people should be free to use software in all the ways that are socially useful. Don will talk about what GNU is and how it fits with Linux.

Meeting ends 9pm

Regards,

The PLUG executive


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Welcome to the Palmerston North Users Group (PalmyLUG) website. We're a non-profit group of Linux enthuisiasts from the Manawatu in New Zealand interested in sharing knowledge and promoting open source technologies. If you're from our region and interested in joining our group feel free to create a login and you will be notified of our next meeting. Also check our Meeting Minutes to find out what we're up to. Website statistics are available.

Need a book or a distro CD? Check out the library section chances are that you'll find something in the library section and if we don't have what you want there, we can get if for you for the price of a review. Contact myself (dbenton) via PM or e-mail if you're interested.



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Linux (also known as GNU/Linux) is a computer operating system. It is one of the most prominent examples of open source development and free software; unlike proprietary operating systems such as Windows or Mac OS, all of its underlying source code is available to the public for anyone to freely use, modify, and redistribute.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux

Oh yes, Don has taken charge of the mailing list - so it works,
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We want people to have more choice about how they use their computers. Many people don't realise they have a choice - they continue to use large and expensive software packages provided by a company owning an effective monopoly. Using Microsoft Word, Excel, etc is not a sign of technical ability / smart working or "e-knowledge". For most people, this is lack of knowledge.

Linux is based on free source. The underlying programs are freely accessible for viewing. Modifications and improvements are made in systematic ways over the internet. Many of the thousands and thousands who contribute to linux and open source packages internationally are paid to do so by corporate giants like IBM, Oracle and RedHat. These companies can charge for professional support services.

You can download the same software for free now, and get support by looking to a "support community" such as PalmyLUG, on this site.

To get started now, check out our "Get Started Now" Article ;)

Actually, you are running some open source software right now. This site, like most on the net, is built on open source tools. The internet itself is built on open technology (tcp/ip, and w3.org rfcs) and relies absolutely on open source software. Linux has become a rallying point for open source in general.


Linus Torvalds, creator of original Gnu/linux kernel,
see http://www.wlug.org.nz/LinusTorvalds

Q: What makes you believe Linux will continue to gain momentum?
A: I think, fundamentally, open source does tend to be more stable software. It's the right way to do things. I compare it to science vs. witchcraft. In science, the whole system builds on people looking at other people's results and building on top of them. In witchcraft, somebody had a small secret and guarded it -- but never allowed others to really understand it and build on it.

Traditional software is like witchcraft. In history, witchcraft just died out. The same will happen in software. When problems get serious enough, you can't have one person or one company guarding their secrets. You have to have everybody share in knowledge. (interview with Linus Torvalds)


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You use it on your computer instead of Microsoft Windows

You can play all your favourite games, etc.
and work with microsoft files. There are ways to do just about anything - it just requires a little knowledge!

and it's a lot of fun...



On my trusty celeron laptop: Firefox, OpenOffice and Qemu (running xp inside linux)