**************************************************************** NOTES on the ILUG (Goa) meeting held on Nov 27, 1999 at the Computer Society of India (Goa branch). **************************************************************** * MAIN ISSUES TAKEN UP * Plans to showcase Linux to engineering and other college students at a three-day event in January 1999, to be held at the Govt Polytechnic, if approval is obtained * Efforts to be made to link up with other ILUGs in different parts of the country. * Attempts to be made to convince hardware vendors about the suitability of Linux to meet customers' needs. * ALBERT GOUVEIA of the National Institute of Oceanography suggested that a package of educational Linux software be put together for use in schools. * ALBERT GOUVEIA also reported that he had given a talk on Linux during the All India Radio's Yuva Vani programme for youth, on the Panaji main channel. * WORK ON ILUG(Goa) web site was reviewed. There was discussion on possible content for the same. It was suggested the same look at contacts of Linux users/firms in Goa, tips for users, links to other Linux groups. It was also suggested that a mailing-list for ILUG could be an effective tool. * PROBLEMS OF MEMBERS with various aspects of Linux could be listed, to enable a joint search for solutions, it was suggested. * SOME MEMBERS voiced their experiences with using the 6215C videocard with Linux. * RE. THE AVAILABILITY OF LinuxJournal in Goa, it was pointed out that the same is available at the NIO-Library, open for all to read. Prof Gurunandan Bhat had earlier offered to make available his old copies of the journal too. Meanwhile, CSI-Goa has purchased a set of 1994-97 archives on CD too. * ONE COPY OF EasyLinux (2-CD version) has been received by ILUG-Goa free of cost, from the company in Germany/Singapore, Frederick Noronha announced. It has a version of StarOffice 5.1a, and uses RPM packaging, said Arvind Yadav. These CDs are available with Arvind. But Guru said he does not prefer this version of Linux, which makes registry entries. * DOWNLOADS OF LINUX applications could be coordinated among members, suggested Arvind. * GURUNANDAN BHAT of Goa University suggested a 'install fest' of Linux. While welcoming the idea, some like Darshan felt that the "real problems start after the installation" and suggested that this problem too needed to be addressed. Vendors in Goa were not in a position to offer Linux. * THREE FIRMS IN Goa are currently 'semi-committed' to Linux, it was pointed out. These were Zenit, Cerebra, and Asic (agents for GT Enterprises of Bangalore). * SBI, the State Bank of India, is going in for Linux across the country, it was pointed out. Steps were being taken in this direction by the government of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka too. In Goa, the Electricity Department had shown an interest in Linux, said Arvind. * TO PROMOTE LINUX, it is important to show how this OS can be utilised to meet particular users' needs, stressed Albert. Some stressed that Linux needed solutions to access encyclopedias and games. * ZENITH COMPUTERS in Goa has three of its nine engineers focussing on software. Some 3 calls out of ten were queries related to Linux, engineers from the firm noted. Zenith said they had demand for Linux from institutions like NIO, firms like ControlNet and the Sanquelim Government College. DataPro also have all centres using Linux for their Unix courses. Others pointed out that the Goa-based photography major Philcorp has already used Linux for its photo-labs across this state. * DARSHAN FROM NIO felt that the key bottleneck in promoting Linux in Goa is still the lack of support. He said it was essential to reach the 'critical mass' of Linux enthusiasts before the OS can really grow here. * PROF GURUNANDAN BHAT, recently back from the Bangalore IT99 spoke about his experiences there, where Linux took up an entire pavillion of this prestigious expo. He said an 'install-fest' could be held in Goa, if one could get hardware vendors and companies to donate machines for use for two-three days. He explained which Linux applications are more convincing to the general user when put out on a see-and-believe basis. * IT WAS SUGGESTED that an effort be made to show schools the power of Linux. One suggestion was that an email gateway could be set up on an old PC at a school like SFX Girls School in Mapusa, if the latter showed interest. Setting up this as a proxy server/mail server is do-able, it was felt. * TALLY, the popular Indian accounting programme, is expected to be ported to Linux in a couple of months, Gurunandan Bhat announced. * ONE SPECIFIC PROPOSAL at this meet was to approach the Government Polytechnic Panaji to hold a three-day Linux Goa Meet sometime in Jan 2000. Albert Gouveia offered to approach the Principal on this. What would be needed is floorspace, and PCs running Linux, Windows, etc. Engineering students of GPP and other polytechnics and engineering colleges would be shown the setup for a Samba server, a web server, and talks would be held on specific talks each evening. All members felt that reaching out to students -- particular engineering students -- is crucial for the future growth of Linux. * THERE WAS a discussion on the Linux-India mailing list, of which two of our members are participants. It was noted that after the recent release of StarOffice, the activity on the list had grown. Some members felt that the bulk of the postings on this list was too much for them to cope with. Nonetheless, those who wish to join can send a 'subscribe linux-india' message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] * THERE WAS A lot of discussion among participants on various applications, like Flagship, and the role of Linux as gateways, firewalls, routers, and bridges. CSI-Goa chairman Santosh Kamat took a keen interest in the proceedings. **************************************************************** NOTE: Next meeting of ILUG (Goa) is on Dec 18, the third Saturday of December. This is in lieu of the usual fourth Saturday of the month, as in December the fourth Saturday falls on Christmas, a public holiday. FURTHER DETAILS from [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Gurunandan Bhat), [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Arvind Yadav) or [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Frederick Noronha). **************************************************************** E&OE Excuse me for any mistakes... I'm not a technical person --Frederick Noronha. 0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0 Frederick Noronha, Freelance Journalist, 784 Saligao 403511 Goa India [EMAIL PROTECTED] or [EMAIL PROTECTED] Ph (0091).832.271490 / 27 86 83 0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0