Last Friday I attended the first Mountain Linux Users Group at the HotSpot in Squamish to further scratch my Linux itch. I was the third to arrive, and introduced myself to organizer Johnny Stork and his wife who were sitting anxiously wondering if anyone would come. Shortly after I got there, people began flooding in and it was soon apparent that we didn’t have enough seats for everybody.
Once it seemed that we were a complete group, Johnny Stork, a soft-spoken and articulate man, owner of Open Enterprise Solutions (http://www.openenterprise.ca) led things off with introductions. What astounded me was the crazy mixture of people who were drawn to this event; we had three women, two grizzled old-timers, several bluecollar computer hobbyists, a few retirees, and a number of professional IT geeks such as myself. Also present was luminary Dee-Ann LeBlanc, author of Linux for Dummies, as well as thirteen other books. If you don’t recognize her name, then you soon will if you are following the Linux story.
The discussion was kept fairly general; everybody offered up their Linux stories and experiences. Much discussion time was given to the question of “which Linux is the best Linux?” and opinions varied widely; the main ones discussed were RedHat, Debian, Ubuntu (the version I’ve been playing with), Mandriva, Linspire, Knoppix and Xandros. It was notable that a few people there had been using Linux for several years, and a few didn’t even know how to operate Windows. One of the men there, well into his seventies, had been using Linux exclusively for eight years. Two members in attendance were from Whistler (other than me), a couple of young guys who operate a wireless hotspot internet service. They use Linux on Flash Memory cards in their HotSpot wireless equipment, and I believe they are using Linux on their servers also.
Dee-Ann LeBlanc, a dedicated Linux professional, was a fountain of knowledge. For each attendee who offered up a story or a problem, Dee-Ann had something to offer in the way of advice or opinion. This woman is in high demand in Linux circles and keeps very busy giving talks and presentations on the subject. She is a self-professed Microsoft critic and a huge promoter of the Open Source movement.
It was also evident that Johnny Stork, who didn’t look are act like the geek that he surely must be, is a true Linux addict. He told us that he started off as a hobbyist, and now makes his living as solutions provider and systems integrator in Squamish, Whistler and Vancouver. He told us he has 5 Linux servers running in his house - now that’s dedicated! He is also hugely knowledgeable about the topic and a really personable guy too; a rare combination of attributes in the geek world as Dee-Ann LeBlanc pointed out early in the discussion.
I had fun. The event ended with a draw for a copy of Linux for Dummies, and I won it, autographed and all. Thank you Dee-Ann. I will definitely be attending the next MLUG meeting next month. If you are interested and would like to attend, I suggest joining the mailing list by writing to mailman@mountainlinux.ca. Johnny Stork is also looking for a larger venue for the next meeting, so if anyone knows a good spot in the Squamish area, please let us know.
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