Thank you to CLUG & GNUz members who attended to make SFD13 another
success for Team Christchurch. It was great to see good numbers of techs
there.
SFD13 Christchurch Report:
No working PCs to start with, as an across-the-council-library-network
BIOS upgrade had been done within the last ten days since we were in the
lab. This had reset the i5s to the default of password-protected boot
options. But Christchurch City Council IT/learning depts are really
onside with FOSS culture, had a course tutor available to help us
through an early opening, and responded immediately with a password for
unlocking (by the tutor, who enjoyed the new, under-the-hood
experience).
The good news is, it was one step back but two steps forward as we've
implemented USB-booting during yesterday's CD-boot option repair. So
that's the big change for SFD and monthly Free/Open Software Group in
this venue from now on - we will transition off CD-based workshops to
thumbdrive workshops (and waste less plastic, that no longer arrives in
the mail for SFD). BYO pocket distro please.
Thank you Dave and Andrew for having memory-stick distros ready to
show. Linux Mint worked well and Point Linux looks very promising for
our purposes - http://pointlinux.org
With more preparation this event can always be bigger, but the fact
that we manage it consistently is success enough for me on the day.
A couple wandered in wanting to be able to print a Google Earth pic of
their pre-earthquake driveway, for their EQC claim, off their phone. So
we showed them the USB cable connector, got the pic onto an Ubuntu
desktop, and emailed it to them so they could send it to a printer from
there. Business software (xls and docx handling on Libre Office) was
demo'd to a builder tradesman and his wife. Kids played contentedly with
games. Old hands talked shop. Calm industry prevailed.
Security arrangement has changed, so that once set up in the library we
locked off the back entrances and opened up the lab front door, for
direct connection with the library patrons and the community. Once
again, council staff really helped us with this and signage. It's an
excellent fit. With library courses available in Blender, Inkscape and
the like, FOSS is ever-present on the CCC network and growing in
relevance every day. Dave for NZOSS has more dialogue in process,
strengthening the local convergence.
Around 25 took part, I believe, but the time just flies and is soon
exhausted, however many attend. It is partly a mini-conference for our
own community, and screening of free culture videos is an easy way of
informing more newcomers of why we are there, for those not working
one-on-one.
The framework is in place for great synergy around FOSS, and a very big
splash around Software Freedom Day is always possible one day, if our
community wants it. Critical is more planning from July. See you next
year.
Well done and thank you everyone!
Regards,
Rik Tindall
pp SFD Team Christchurch
On 2013-09-21 11:38, Rik Tindall wrote:
Greetings CLUG and GNUz,
We're at South Library, 66 Colombo Street in Beckenham/Cashmere.
Doors are open until 4pm.
Dave Lane / www.NZOSS.org.nz is here for an hour, looking to the
future tasks.
Please do feel free to join us.
www.SoftwareFreedomDay.org
Cheers, Rik
pp SFD Team Christchurch
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Cheers, Rik
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