Some subjects that will be covered:
-What makes RHEL different than Debian/Ubuntu?
-What is this licensing stuff on open source software?
-Kickstart, a component of the Anaconda installer that makes deploying similar systems easy.
-Spacewalk, server software that does package and configuration management for your network.

Slides

January 25th 2012, 7:00 PM
College of Computing building, room 102
Building Map – Campus Map

“ZSH Gems” by Thomas Holmquist
January 18th 2012, 7:00 PM
College of Computing building, room 102 <– New room!
(Campus Map: http://gtalumni.org/map/index.php?id=50 )

If as a Linux user you choose to spend a lot of time in the command line (a very wise choice), you will no doubt want to maximize your efficiency. With a powerful shell such as Zsh there are numerous features just hidden below the surface that will boost your productivity to new levels. This presentation will aim to familiarize you with some more advanced Zsh features that will not only come in handy but also be easy to start using with common use cases.

Building Map:

InstallFest 49 will be on Saturday, November 5th, 2011, in Tentatively in Skiles room 257 from 11 AM to 5 PM.

Directions

The Skiles Classroom Building is off of Cherry Street, near the Georgia Tech Library. A map (provided by the Georgia Tech Alumni Association) can be found below. Click to view the Skiles Building on the GT Campus Map Parking for the InstallFest is difficult due to construction. If you have a GT parking permit, the W01, E41, E44, and E40 (Klaus deck) lots are the closest to the Skiles building. If you do not have a GT parking permit, the best place to park is in the Area 2 visitor parking, next to the Student Center, or, if you only need to stop by for a moment, there are nearby parking meters. Click to view the GT Campus Parking Map Skiles room 257 is in the northeast corner of the building. Signs will be posted to direct people to this room.

Distributions

Linux comes in many “flavors” called distributions, each geared towards a different type of user. This article has more information about Linux basics, including what a distribution is. Below is a list of distributions available. For more information about the various distributions, try the following outside links: Linux.com LinuxLookup Linux.org At the InstallFest, we will have most major distributions available. However, if you are not sure if we will have what you want, it cannot hurt to burn the bootable ISO for that distribution to a CD before coming. We will have recordable media at the Installfest, too, so if you do not have time to burn it, we can do it for you. If you are unsure of which distribution you want, don’t worry! We will set you up with an easy-to-learn distribution of Linux (most likely Ubuntu or Red Hat). If you require Linux for a class, you will most likely need Red Hat Enterprise Linux. However, you should still check with your professor or TA to make sure.

Getting Ready

To learn how to prepare your system for the InstallFest, click here (don’t worry, it’s not difficult!). The most important thing to do is back up your data beforehand (in the unlikely event that something goes wrong).

]]> http://lugatgt.org/2011/11/05/installfest-49/feed/ 0 http://lugatgt.org/2011/10/26/history-and-philosophy-of-unix/ http://lugatgt.org/2011/10/26/history-and-philosophy-of-unix/#comments Wed, 26 Oct 2011 23:00:38 +0000 thomas http://lugatgt.org/?p=535 The Linux Users Group at Georgia Tech presents:

“History and Philosophy of Unix” By Chad Kersey

October 26th 2011, 7:00 PM
Klaus Advanced Computing Building, room 2456
( http://gtalumni.org/map/index.php?id=153 )

For most of the short history of computing, Unix and Unix-like operating systems and the related C programming language have been ubiquitous. This week’s presentation, will be a recount the tale of its inception and evolution, from an internal project at Bell Labs to the modern set of derivatives and act-alikes that dwell on your desktops, in your pockets, and in your datacenters. If you have ever wondered about the relationship between Multics and Unix, the early development of the C programming language, or what the machines that have run Unix and its derivatives over the years have looked like, this might be your chance to find out.


“Music Tagging”
By Ryan Curtin

October 5th 2011, 7:00 PM
Klaus Advanced Computing Building, room 2456
( http://gtalumni.org/map/index.php?id=153 )

Topic:
Most people have large music libraries these days, but shamefully there is commonly little or inconsistent metadata.  This shouldn’t be the case,  especially because modern tools have made this task simple.  The presenter, a dyed-in-the-wool music tagging zealot, will introduce the concepts behind music tagging, why it is important, and how to do it effectively.  Batch tagging tools such as Ex Falso, Easytag, eyeD3, and Picard will be covered.  The last of those, Picard, is automatic tagging software, and can be used with almost no work at all.  By the end of the presentation, you should be able to manage a large music database (hundreds of gigabytes to terabytes) correctly with correct metadata. In addition, for those who are interested, a quick overview of the state of the art in music information technology and the uses of that technology in open source (playlist generation, similarity measures, and so forth).

About the presenter:
Ryan Curtin is a Ph.D. student in the field of machine learning.  He has claims to have no interesting biographical trivia.

“Power Management Under Linux”
By Thomas Holmquist

September 28th 2011, 7:00 PM
Klaus Advanced Computing Building, room 2456
( http://gtalumni.org/map/index.php?id=153 )

With more and more computer users choosing laptops over desktops, the ability to maximize battery life has become an important issue. This presentation on power management and power saving will include topics such as troubleshooting and resolving suspend & hibernate issues as well as various power-saving tweaks that will not only help extend battery life, but also reduce heat & noise.

Download (PDF, 175.19KB)

“Storage Management for Privacy and Resilience”
by Chad Kersey

September 7th 2011, 7:00 PM
Klaus Advanced Computing Building, room 2456
( http://gtalumni.org/map/index.php?id=153 )

Linux offers a dizzying array of options for setting up encrypted, redundant file storage and swap. This presentation will discuss reasons for using encryption (including encrypted swap space), and RAID, and cover a basic set of tools needed to set up encrypted or redundant filesystems and swap partitions on disk image files, as well as physical disks.



Download (PDF, 461.85KB)

“Why Open Source Is Better”
by Ryan Curtin

August 31st 2011, 7:00 PM
Klaus Advanced Computing Building, room 2456

So you’ve heard about open-source software before but you don’t know much about it. Or maybe you are familiar with it, but because you learned about it through a crazy bearded zealot, you aren’t interested. The aim of this presentation is to demonstrate the superiority of the open-source software model and display the numerous frustrating drawbacks of the closed-source model, mainly by example. Because of the nature of what will be presented, the talk will also serve as a good introduction to how to use Linux. Fair coverage will also be given to the sometimes entertaining problems with open-source software. In the end, my hope is that you will see the nature of what will be presented, the talk will also serve as a good introduction to how to use Linux. Fair coverage will also be given to the sometimes entertaining problems with open-source software. In the end, my hope is that you will see the presentation should also give you more anti-corporation zealot fodder. Fun for the whole family!

About the presenter:
Ryan Curtin is a Ph.D. student in the field of machine learning. He claims to have no interesting biographical trivia.

See you there!