[plug] Fwd: Linux User Conference in WA?

[Cameron Patrick]

Carl Gherardi wrote:

> If the aim is for linux visibility then I think there should be a
> stream along the lines of "What the hell is linux"

Yeah.  If it would be feasible to have three streams running, I think
a good split might be something like this:

  * What is Linux / introduction to Linux on the desktop.  Nothing
    heavy like Apache or configuring iptables.  Starting with "WTF is
    this Linux thing" - both on a practical level of what it can be
    used for, and on a philosophical level about software freedom.
    Then maybe some sessions on getting started with KDE/GNOME and
    getting stuff done with Openoffice/ Firefox/ Thunderbird/
    Inkscape/ The GIMP/ whatever.  Moving on to basic command line
    usage.  Keeping your system up to date and secure.  Making
    backups (or perhaps that belongs in the next stream).

  * Linux as a network server / more advanced usage.  Things like
    installing packages from source, setting up servers for Web, DNS,
    NFS/Samba, e-mail.  Maybe even things like LDAP authentication
    (which I've been told is simple but woefully undocumented),
    databasey stuff (being vague here, this is another topic I know
    nothing about).  Why IPv6 is neat, and how to set up a working
    IPv6 connection in 10 minutes.  Various approaches to spam
    filtering.  Building VPNs.  That kind of thing.

  * Introduction to programming on Linux / writing Free software, as
    the original.  Not really sure how to approach this one, as it's a
    huge topic.  Topics might including- building basic GUI software
    quickly with Python.  Approaches to building dynamic web sites
    (CGI, PHP, ...).  Network programming for dummies.  How to
    document and package your programme so that the people downloading
    it don't want to hunt you down and keep your head as a trophy.
    Setting up a build system with automake/autoconf.  Introductory
    Debian packaging.  Etc.


> Personally $100 for a conference i'd like to attend falls in the
> 'dependant on finances' class.

It's tricky though.  I'm not sure exactly what the costs of running
the conference will end up being, but we've got to cover them somehow
;) I note that $100 for a 2-day conference is proportionally the same
as LCA's hobbyist registration ($300 for a 6-day conference), and
doesn't sound _too_ outrageous.  However, LCA has been around for
quite a few years now and has a reputation, whereas we'd be just
starting out.

> Perhaps a really cheap version first time around (get 'em hooked) with
> prices increasing in subsequent years as content and format improves?

That's certainly worth considering.

> > I would not schedule it for Sat/Sun, but rather for a Mon/Tue during the
> > school holidays, to give the edu people a good chance to attend and
> > others to bundle it into school holiday leave.
> 
> Perhaps Fri/Sat or Sun/Mon might be better? For corporate approving 1
> day off is less likey to be vetoed.

Perhaps.  Another thing to note is that the various Uni holidays and
school holidays don't all overlap.  However, the week beginning Monday
26th September seems pretty good: it is a non-teaching week at UWA and
Curtin and also the start of the school holidays.  It is during the
Murdoch semester but you can't have everything.

(Incidentally, the Murdoch web site used to have a great calendar
showing the breaks for all the WA unis as well as school holidays, but
it hasn't been updated for 2005 yet.)

Cameron.