For the love of LUGs
Linux user groups give participants a chance to iron out their pressing open-source questions face-to-face
PEOPLE WHO WANT to try using open-source software are sometimes put off by the thought that they will have no place to go when things go wrong. After all, most people know someone who can try to help them if their Windows PC starts acting strangely. But who will help the lonely soul who ventures into the land of open source?
Thankfully, the situation is not as bleak as it may appear. Numerous Web sites, mailing lists, and newsgroups exist to give aid to people with problems. And unlike many of the similar structures built around closed-source software, the participants have access to the source code. This means that many more questions can be answered, because far fewer solutions are obscured from view.
Sure, some companies will sell you support contracts. But whereas companies survive on such services, individuals interested in exploring open source are less than likely to shell out the funds for such coverage.
But the best solution to this quandary is also the least acclaimed. If you need a helping hand, the best place to go is a place where like-minded users gather. In the Linux world, these are known as Linux users groups, or LUGs for short.
LUGs provide a great opportunity to make friends and to compare notes. Most LUGs I have been to had attendees who ran the gamut from newbie to expert. Discussions range from the most simple installation questions to debates about design issues in device drivers. Simply tune in to the topics that make sense to you, and you can walk away much richer in knowledge.
LUGs generally meet on a regular basis, usually once or more per month. Many of them also have regular “installfests,” special meetings where someone can carry in their PC or laptop and leave with a fully functional Linux system installed by members of the LUG. This is usually the simplest way to get Linux up and running on your PC.
But you might be saying to yourself, “I am looking to use Linux or BSD in my business. What good will an ad-hoc bunch of hobbyists do me?”
The truth is these “hobbyists” will probably do more for you than you can imagine. After all, some members are the developers who actually wrote the code you are using. And if they did not write the code, many of them have used it and explored it to the point of understanding it well.
Attending a LUG meeting and explaining your problems can bring you many answers. Often you will get offers of assistance. And you might even find that experienced technical person you have been looking to hire.
A few LUG registries exist, and one of the best can be found at www.ssc.com/glue . Run by Linux Journal, the Web page is called GLUE (Groups of Linux Users Everywhere). If you want to explore open-source software, and Linux in particular, check out the Web site to find a LUG in your area.
