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It’s shaping up to be a busy few weeks for Ubuntoids in the Kitchener-Waterloo region:

Ubuntu Global Jam

 

Ubuntu Global Jam Kitchener Pictures!

When: Saturday, 14 September 2013 from 10:00am to 5:00pm iCal 1
Where: Computer Recycling
Location: 66 Queen St. S., Kitchener, Ontario, Canada Map 1
Entrance: Use the door on Charles Street
LoCo Event: Ubuntu Global Jam Kitchener | Ubuntu LoCo Team Portal
Info: UbuntuGlobalJam – Ubuntu Wiki
Blog: Charles’ Tech Talk: Ubuntu Global Jam, Saturday, September 14, 2013

Charles McColm (@chaslinux) has arranged to use the workshop at Computer Recycling on Saturday from 10:00am to 5:00pm, where he’s got lots of computers of varying specs that we can use to test the installation of Ubuntu 13.10 Saucy Salamander. We’ll document any problems with the installation procedure, any hardware incompatibilities we find, and maybe build a system or two in the process.

And for those people who don’t want to get grubby with actual hardware, there’s bugs to be triaged, documentation to be written, and code to be coded.

We’ll set up a couple of computers so we can be online with other Jams (it’s a Global Jam, after all), and Computer Recycling has a pretty good sound system so we can listen to the Hacker Freedom Song for inspiration all day long (OK, maybe not that).

Ubuntu Team Meeting in IRC

 

Every month members of the Canadian Team meet online in Internet Relay Chat to discuss all things Ubuntu — past events, upcoming events, new releases, Canonical’s future direction…

Ubuntu Hour Guelph

 

Verdi R-D writes:

Hellooo!

Just wanted to let you know the Guelph Ubuntu will be held this month on Friday, September 27, 2013 at the Pennywhistle Pub from 7 until 8 or whenever you feel like going.

Also, if you’re in the southern Ontario area, I suggest you check out the Ubuntu Guelph oriented mailing list. It’s available from Launchpad at ubuntu-ca-guelph@lists.launchpad.net . We also have an IRC channel set up at #ubuntu-ca-guelph .

Continuing from last month, I plan on sending out an email with a link to the survey I designed for last meeting so that everyone can fill it out once I figure out how to make a Google Apps for free form publicly accessible.

Thanks,
Verdi

Software Freedom Day Kitchener-Waterloo

 

Preliminary pictures and video from Laurel L. Russwurm

Pictures and resources from Bob Jonkman’s ownCloud

When: Saturday, 28 September 2013 from 10:00am to 5:00pm iCal 4
Where: Kwartzlab Makerspace
Location: 33 Kent Avenue, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada Map 4
LoCo Event: SFD Kwartlab | Ubuntu LoCo Team Portal
SFD Wiki: Kitchener-Waterloo SFD at Kwartzlab – Software Freedom Day Wiki
Sing-a-long: Celebrate Software Freedom Day Song

Presentations

1. Bob Jonkman: Building Your Own Cloud

2. Stefan Chirila: to be announced

3. Rick Jenkins: Blender

4. James Kelsh: Knoppix

5. Charles McColm: Instant XBMC

Other Activities

• Installfest
  • Bring your computer, laptop, tablet(?), phone(!) to get free software installed.
• Software giveaway
  • Pick up a CD or DVD with free software, or copy some free software to your USB stick or computer.

  • Open Disc Project should have a new release in time for SFD

  • Does Ubuntu-ca-kw still have 12.04 Precise Pangolin disks?

• Free Culture
  • a playlist of genuinely good CC-licenced music
  • a playlist of genuinely good CC-licenced video/movies
  • a bibliography of genuinely good CC-licenced books

Tux the Penguin, official mascot of the Linux kernel

More GNU/Linux Resources

People have asked me about GNU/Linux resources in K-W, so here are some of them, gathered in one convenient place. This is by no means an exhaustive list (yet). If you know of others, please let me know in the comments.

KW Linux Users Group — http://kwlug.org

The KWLUG mailing list for general discussion is where all the action is, along with a “Help” list for specific questions. Microblogging as @kwlug and !kwlug on Identi.ca and also @kwlug on Twitter.

Ubuntu Canada KW chapter — https://wiki.ubuntu.com/CanadianTeam/KitchenerWaterloo

There’s a low traffic Ubuntu-CA-KW mailing list. Microblogging on Twitter as @ubuntuwaterloo and on Identi.ca as @ubuntuwaterloo too, with a group at !ubuntucakw. Some members can also be found on the IRC channel #ubuntu-ca-kw on Freenode.net.

Ubuntu-CA-KW has regular Ubuntu Hours in Kitchener (first Friday of the month) and Waterloo (third Wednesday of the month) announced on Identi.ca, Twitter, and sometimes the mailing list.

Ubuntu Canada — https://wiki.ubuntu.com/CanadianTeam

Again, the Ubuntu Canada mailing list is where the action is, but there is also a web forum and the Ubuntu-ca.org website. Check out the Ubuntu Canada events listing. There’s an !ubuntuca group on Identi.ca, and many people can be found on the IRC channel #ubuntu-ca on Freenode.net.

Computer Recycling — http://theworkingcentre.org/at/comp_recycling/comp_recycling.html

Computer Recycling at The Working Centre sells refurbished computers pre-installed with GNU/Linux, and offers a repair shop with staff and volunteers who are enthusiastic and knowledgeable about GNU/Linux. Every Saturday is Ubuntu Day: 10:00am to 4:00pm, Hours are Tuesday to Friday, 10:00am to 5:00pm, at 66 Queen St. S. in Kitchener (use the entrance on Charles St).

Kwartzlab — http://kwartzlab.ca

You’ll also want to keep an eye on Kwartzlab, the local makerspace where many of the Ubuntu events are held. There’s a discussion mailing list for members and non-members alike. Visit the workshop on Tuesday Open Night, 7:00pm to 10:00pm at 283 Duke St. W., Kitchener.

Watcamp Calendar — http://watcamp.com

Also check the Watcamp calendar for other GNU/Linux and many other tech events happening in the Waterloo area.

That should keep you going…

Bob Jonkman <bjonkman@sobac.com>         http://sobac.com/sobac/
SOBAC Microcomputer Services              Voice: +1-519-669-0388
6 James Street, Elmira ON  Canada  N3B 1L5  Cel: +1-519-635-9413
Software   ---   Office&  Business Automation   ---   Consulting

Update 6 June 2012: Clarified microblogging names and groups

Image of Tux by Larry Ewing, copied from Wikimedia Commons. Permission to use and/or modify this image is granted provided you acknowledge Larry Ewing lewing@isc.tamu.edu and The GIMP if someone asks.

This is a list of lightweight GNU/Linux (or other free/libre OS) distributions.

I’m specifically looking for a free/libre operating system that will run a Graphical User Interface on a 10-year-old laptop, 700 MHz Intel CPU, 256 MiBytes RAM (but 128 MiBytes would be better), an 8 GiByte hard drive and an 800×600 screen.

If you know of any other lightweight distributions please leave a comment. Also please leave a comment if you can help fill out the chart – the distributions’ documentation is pretty inadequate when it comes to listing minimium system requirements.

I expect this post to be a continuous work-in-progress.

–Bob.

Added 14 June 2011: Thanx for the suggestions from @dwa, @headphonica, @darkestkhan, @flying_squirrel and @circuidipity, all added above.

Added 17 June 2011: @schestowitz points me to a Linux Devices article on Tiny Core Linux.

Added 28 July 2011: @chaslinux reminded me of The Working Centre’s distribution, WCLP.

Added 4 August 2011:Just saw antiX mentioned on Identi.ca.

Added 12 October 2013: @tekk writes: @bobjonkman If driver support isn’t an issue, maybe look at http://dragora.org . I’d also put slackware on the list for that, maybe freebsd as well?

Added 23 November 2013: Bodhi Linux