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faq [2005/03/07 17:46] 64.85.215.166 Created - something I've wanted to do for a long time. Craig Buchek |
faq [2006/01/08 15:28] (current) 214.3.17.37 |
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====== Introduction ====== | ====== Introduction ====== | ||
- | This is the SLUUG Frequently-Asked Questions, with answers to commonly asked questions. | + | This is the SLUUG Frequently Asked Questions list, with answers to |
+ | some commonly asked questions. | ||
[TODO: Is there an existing SLUUG FAQ somewhere?] | [TODO: Is there an existing SLUUG FAQ somewhere?] | ||
[TODO: Not sure how to index this properly. DokuWiki needs to add some markup for FAQs.] | [TODO: Not sure how to index this properly. DokuWiki needs to add some markup for FAQs.] | ||
- | |||
====== SLUUG Basics ====== | ====== SLUUG Basics ====== | ||
+ | |||
* What is SLUUG's purpose? | * What is SLUUG's purpose? | ||
- | Our purpose is to promote UNIX and Open Systems. | + | Our stated purpose is to promote UNIX and Open Systems. |
* What do I need to do to become a member? | * What do I need to do to become a member? | ||
- | To be a voting member, you must attend 2 meetings in the previous calendar year. | + | To be a voting member, you must have attended 2 meetings in the |
+ | previous calendar year. All SLUUG meetings count -- UNIX meetings, | ||
+ | LUG meetings, SIGs, Steering Committee. Please sign the attendance | ||
+ | sheets so we can track your status. (Not to mention that there are | ||
+ | often attendance prizes.) | ||
+ | |||
+ | * What does it cost? | ||
+ | Nothing. All SLUUG meetings are free and open to the public. | ||
+ | |||
+ | * How can I contribute? | ||
+ | There are several good ways you can contribute: | ||
+ | * Attend meetings. | ||
+ | * Give a presentation, tutorial, or demo at one of our meetings. | ||
+ | * Enlist someone else to give a presentation at one of our meetings. | ||
+ | * Attend a Steering Committe meeting to help us run the group. | ||
+ | * Contribute to our mailing lists. | ||
+ | * Get a BBS account to support and sustain our infrastructure. | ||
+ | |||
+ | * What is the relationship between the St. Louis Linux Users Group and the St. Louis UNIX Users Group? | ||
+ | The St. Louis Linux Users Group and the St. Louis UNIX Users Group are | ||
+ | the same legal entity. The LUG was originally a SIG of SLUUG. Now that | ||
+ | Linux is more popular/familiar than UNIX, we want to brand the Linux side | ||
+ | as a LUG to gain the advantages of such name recognition. | ||
+ | |||
+ | * Users Group or User's Group? | ||
+ | Users Group. We are a group of users, so there is no apostrophe. | ||
====== SLUUG Meetings ====== | ====== SLUUG Meetings ====== | ||
+ | |||
* Do I have to be a member to attend a meeting? | * Do I have to be a member to attend a meeting? | ||
No. All SLUUG meetings are free and open to the public. | No. All SLUUG meetings are free and open to the public. | ||
+ | |||
+ | * What is the difference between the STLLUG meetings and SLUUG meetings? | ||
+ | LUG meetings tend more toward Linux-oriented topics, whereas the UNIX | ||
+ | meetings tend to be more general topics. | ||
+ | |||
+ | * There sure are a lot of meetings! | ||
+ | That's not a question, but we have to agree. You could probably attend 20 | ||
+ | local user group meetings a month, and still miss a couple. There are | ||
+ | meetings addressing a variety of topics, formats/activities, and localities. | ||
+ | | ||
+ | Your best bet is to figure out which meeting formats, topics, people, | ||
+ | and locations fit you best. Also, keep an eye out for presentation topics, | ||
+ | and try to attend the ones that appeal to you. | ||
+ | |||
+ | * What's the deal with the "meetings" after the meetings? | ||
+ | A lot of us like to get together for dinner, drinks, and conversation | ||
+ | after the official meetings. These are not SLUUG events, but can be | ||
+ | a lot of fun -- you can get to know people better and talk on all | ||
+ | different kinds of topics. | ||
+ | |||
====== SLUUG Resources ====== | ====== SLUUG Resources ====== | ||
+ | |||
+ | * What resources are available? | ||
+ | Web sites, mailing lists, books sales, meetings, InstallFests, | ||
+ | monthly newsletter, archives, BBS. | ||
+ | |||
* Why isn't there a separate mailing list for Linux questions? | * Why isn't there a separate mailing list for Linux questions? | ||
Because most Linux questions are really UNIX questions. Or in other words, | Because most Linux questions are really UNIX questions. Or in other words, | ||
so you can get the wisdom of the long-time UNIX readers. Otherwise, the | so you can get the wisdom of the long-time UNIX readers. Otherwise, the | ||
long-time UNIX users might not read the Linux list and see the question. | long-time UNIX users might not read the Linux list and see the question. | ||
+ | |||
+ | * What mailing lists exist? | ||
+ | |||
+ | * How do I sign up for a mailing list? | ||
+ | |||
+ | * How do I remove myself from a mailing list? | ||
+ | |||
+ | * What are the mailing list rules? | ||
+ | Pretty much just follow the generally accepted rules of Netiquette. | ||
====== Other Groups ====== | ====== Other Groups ====== | ||
+ | |||
* Which groups are official SLUUG groups? | * Which groups are official SLUUG groups? | ||
* Why are there so many LUGs in Saint Louis? | * Why are there so many LUGs in Saint Louis? | ||
+ | |||
+ | * Is there a BSD group? | ||
+ | There's a group called [[http://www.stlbsd.org | STLBSD]], but they have | ||
+ | not held any meetings recently, and their website has been inactive as well. | ||
+ | | ||
+ | BSD topics and users are welcome at SLUUG meetings, even the "Linux" meetings. | ||
+ | We consider the BSD variants to be part of the UNIX/Linux family. | ||
====== UNIX Basics ====== | ====== UNIX Basics ====== | ||
+ | * Who owns UNIX? | ||
+ | That's a long story! SCO currently owns the original copyright (maybe). | ||
+ | The Open Group owns the trademark. | ||
+ | |||
+ | * UNIX or Unix? | ||
+ | UNIX. This is according to the Open Group, the organization that | ||
+ | owns the UNIX trademark. However, UNIX is not an acronym -- it | ||
+ | doesn't stand for anything. The name was originally a pun on MULTICS, | ||
+ | a predecessor operating system. | ||
====== Linux Basics ====== | ====== Linux Basics ====== | ||
+ | |||
+ | * What is Linux? | ||
+ | That's a long story, and is better answered elsewhere on the Internet. | ||
+ | |||
+ | * What is GNU/Linux? | ||
+ | The GNU project was around before the Linux kernel, and Linux users adopted | ||
+ | most of the GNU system, which was close to complete, except for a kernel. | ||
+ | So the GNU folks insist that the combination of the 2 (and other software) | ||
+ | be called "GNU/Linux". That's generally held to be a //somewhat// reasonable | ||
+ | request. Our group tries to adhere to that request in writing; but in speaking, | ||
+ | it's generally easier to just say "Linux", with the implicit thought that we | ||
+ | really mean the "GNU/Linux" operating system. | ||
+ | |||
* Which Linux distro should I use? | * Which Linux distro should I use? | ||
It's recommended to start out with a run-from-CD version of Linux | It's recommended to start out with a run-from-CD version of Linux | ||
Line 46: | Line 137: | ||
If you are building a server, it is recommended to use Debian or | If you are building a server, it is recommended to use Debian or | ||
Red Hat Enterprise Linux. | Red Hat Enterprise Linux. | ||
- | |||
====== Open Source Basics ====== | ====== Open Source Basics ====== | ||
+ | * I can't program; how can I contribute to Open Source projects? | ||
+ | Someone asked that on our DISCUSS list a few years back. Craig Buchek | ||
+ | answered with an extensive list of ideas. That list is currently located | ||
+ | [[http://granneman.com/techinfo/linux/contributewithoutcoding.htm | here]]. |