Welcome to the York Linux User Group. The group has been formed for people who enjoy their computing environment and take a natural curiosity at what goes on underneath the pretty windows of modern graphical user interfaces. It might be asked why Linux users need a user group (besides being lonely oppressed individuals who just wouldn't get out enough otherwise).

• Linux is a vast system of many hundreds of tools, capable of running whole networks or operating securely as a web or file server.

• Linux systems are configured over months as opposed to a day or so. This is because almost every aspect of the system can be tweaked to your satisfaction.

• Linux enables you to do arcane and wonderful things in equal measure to your system. Root privilages are dangerous in the hands of the inexperienced, while on the other hand, adding yourself as a user allows you to play in your own little disk quota of individuality.

• Linux is the system to learn about all aspects of computing. No other system exposes its innards like Linux. No other system comes free with the wealth of programming languages and compilers that Linux does. And no other system gives you examples of "how to do it" by giving you the source code of everything you run; yours to modify, yours to copy, yours to distribute to others. This groundbreaking copyright is known as the GPL.

So what does YLUG do?

Well as little as we can get away with and still call ourselves a collective group. The notion is that we form a local group of expertise, for newcomers and experts alike, and even perhaps for local businesses wishing to take advantage of the cost savings that Linux can provide.

The resource will essentially be web and email based, although we hope to have monthly or fortnightly meetings to swap software, rc files, tackle problems and generally "talk shop". Like other LUGs around the country, YLUG will also hold demonstations of various flavours of Linux and offer to help people install their systems. There is the possibility of getting copies of Linux from the bigger distributors such as RedHat and SuSE to give away free to schools and colleges (Sheffield LUG recently had 200 copies of SuSE 6.2 to give away to local schools!), and interested parties should contact us via our group email.

Those of you who simply wish to meet other York-based Linux enthusiasts for a drink or whatever, please mail us with the subject heading 'YLUG new member'. We will post a list of members, a short summary of their current platform spec and distro (that is those who agree to be humiliated in such a fashion) and their electonic contact details. This will give others the opportunity to put their questions directly to those they feel are best placed to answer them.

Kester Clegg Last modified: Mon Dec 4 22:59:02 GMT 2000