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Cndnsd Vrsn: 4 PM Thursday July 29 ACS Room 123 - Linux
Distributions
The July meeting of the Front Range UNIX Users Group will be held at 4:00
P.M. on Thursday July 29.
The Linux operating system, spoken of so much recently, is
composed of the Linux kernel, licensed under the GNU General Public
License (GPL), and a great deal of additional software, licensed under
a variety of "free/open source" licenses. Because it is freely
available and redistributable, there is no one vendor from which the
operating system is purchased. Instead, any person, organization
or company can choose to develop and maintain a Linux "distribution",
a specific set of software packages, bundled with the Linux kernel.
Some people are unaware of just how numerous and diverse Linux
distributions are. Others fear that the availability of multiple
varieties of Linux will fracture the Linux
market and keep vendors from choosing to support it.
In this talk, we'll examine the breadth and diversity of Linux
distributions, through well-known ones such as Red Hat, Slackware,
Debian, etc., to over a hundred lesser-known ones. We'll look at the
reasons numerous distributions have come into being and how
to choose between them. Then we'll finish up with a look at
the advantages and disadvantages that the diversity of Linux
distributions brings and what the Linux community is doing to
control the disadvantages while enjoying the advantages.
Elizabeth O. Coolbaugh is Managing Editor for the
Linux Weekly News, an on-line magazine that has been reporting on the
Linux Community since January, 1998. She is also Vice President of
Eklektix, Inc., a Colorado-based engineering firm which provides
"Linux for Professionals" training courses as well as
open-source-based development, and one of the Managing Editors of the
SANS Institute Monthly Security newsletters. Ms. Coolbaugh has worked
in computer systems administrations since 1981, with Unix since 1985
and with Linux since 1997.
This meeting will be in room 123 of
the CU Academic Computing Center building at Arapahoe and Marine Streets in
Boulder. Marine St intersects Arapahoe at 38th St; the Computing Center is
on the southwest corner.
At our June meeting,
Evi Nemeth of the University of Colorado faculty discussed the
measurement and characterization of Internet traffic.
There's a growing number of overdue books that we'd like to
see returned to the library... please check the
overdue book list and be sure
that your name is not on it!
We have several additions to the FRUUG library this month:
You may check books out using your business card as your library card; you
must be on the membership list to check books out. Books are due at the
meeting
following the one in which they are checked out. If you don't
return your library books by the next meeting, you might find
yourself on our overdue book list.
We count on you returning books on time so that other members
may have the chance to use them as well.
Remember that your FRUUG membership entitles you to 20% off
books from O'Reilly & Associates when ordered through their
toll-free number, (800) 998-9938. Mention discount code DSUG.
Last Updated: 8 July 1999
Problems? Contact
webmaster at fruug.org
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