The Greater London Linux User Group FAQ (r69)

Table of Contents

General questions about GLLUG
General questions about Linux
The GLLUG mailing list
GLLUG Meetings
MetaFAQ

List of Figures

1. An example of top posting

General questions about GLLUG

1. What is GLLUG all about, then?
2. Who runs GLLUG?
3. How can I find out more about GLLUG members?
4. What other activities does GLLUG organise?

1.	What is GLLUG all about, then?
	GLLUG stands for Greater London Linux User Group. We are a diverse group of people from all walks of life who just happen to share an interest in the GNU/Linux operating system. We communicate mostly using a mailing list and discuss all aspects of using and promoting Linux and open source software in general. GLLUG organises regular meetings for members to get together. There is no formal membership, just join the mailing list, come and chat on the IRC channel, or turn up at a meeting. Everybody's welcome. Although the name says London, we have members situated in many places outside London, even outside the UK.
2.	Who runs GLLUG?
	There is a GLLUG Admin team that communicate using a mailing list. ^[1] Some members of the admin team maintain the mailing lists, some organise meetings and others are more involved in moderating the IRC channel. There is always more work to be done so if you would like to be involved please join the mailing list.
3.	How can I find out more about GLLUG members?
	Some of the GLLUG members of maintain personal blogs. These are aggregated on a website so you can read them all in a single place. Visit http://planet.gllug.org.uk/. If you are a member of GLLUG and you would like your blog to be added to Planet GLLUG please email the admin team: `<gllugadmin@gllug.org.uk>`
4.	What other activities does GLLUG organise?
	GLLUG has an active social mailing list that organises meetings in the Central London area. These are infrequent, tend to be spontaneous and often involve the consumption of beer. These meetings are a good chance for GLLUG members to meet socially and chat about work, life, Linux and things in general. There is a GLLUG Social mailing list which you can join to be notified of meetings. ^[2] There is also a Python Study group. This was formed by a group of GLLUGers who wanted to further their knowledge of the Python ^[3] programming language. If you would like to join the study group please join the mailing list ^[4]

^[1]http://lists.gllug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/gllugadmin/

^[2]http://lists.gllug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/social/

^[3]http://python.org/

^[4]http://lists.gllug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/studygroup-python/

General questions about Linux

1. Which distribution should I use?
2. I don't have access to a fast Internet connection, where can I get hold of Linux installation media?
3. I'm worried about the security of my Linux server/workstation, what basic steps can I take to minimise potential problems?

1.	Which distribution should I use?
	Good question! All Linux distributions are different, some are geared towards different types of uses, such as for a desktop system, or for a server, and some are geared towards different groups. Red Hat Enterprise Linux is aimed at companies, for example, whereas Mandriva is targeted more at home and desktop users. Some of the most commonly used distributions at the moment are (in alphabetical order): Debian ^[5], Fedora Core ^[6], Gentoo ^[7], Mandriva ^[8], Red Hat Enterprise Linux ^[9], Slackware ^[10], SUSE ^[11], and Ubuntu ^[12]. There are literally dozens of others, though.
2.	I don't have access to a fast Internet connection, where can I get hold of Linux installation media?
	There are several ways of getting installation media, for example: CDs are often available at GLLUG events, see the website for details of the next meeting. Look out for distributions given away with Linux magazines such as Linux Format ^[13], Linux User & Developer ^[14], and Linux Magazine ^[15]. Ask on the mailing list, several members are happy to post Linux CDs on request. There are several companies who sell cheap unbranded CD sets such as Linux Emporium^[16]. This company also gives away slightly out of date Debian install CDs for just the cost of the postage. Use this CD to install your base system and then update it using Debian's built in tools. The Ubuntu project will send you a free installation CD. See here.
3.	I'm worried about the security of my Linux server/workstation, what basic steps can I take to minimise potential problems?
	There are several things you can to to help safeguard your computer system, for example: Create a user other than root. If you install Linux yourself your distribution may well ask you to do this. Make sure the password for this account is different from your root password. This will improve your security, and also make it much harder for you to damage your system by accident. Make both passwords long, and not based upon a dictionary word. In many distributions the passwd command will warn you if your choice of password is insecure. Pick the highest security options whenever prompted. It is easier to turn some security precautions off if needed than to recover a compromised system. If your distribution supports it, when installing, seriously consider turning SELinux on. Never run any program received via email, IRC or any other source unless you know the person who sent it, and know that they meant to send it (i.e. it was not sent from their account by a virus or worm). Consider buying a dedicated router for your broadband connection. For a new user this will be much easier to set up, and most will provide a basic firewall, preventing external machines from connecting directly to your Linux PC. These units are often smaller, quieter, are less prone to breakage and use less power and emit less heat than a full size PC. Although you are less likely to be susceptible to viruses, worms or trojans downloaded from the Internet, still take care. Scams which attempt to get bank details or passwords (sometimes known as phishing) can affect you no matter what OS you use. Consider joining a Linux User Group (LUG). These are generally inhabited by friendly people and normally have mailing lists as well as actual meetings where you can pick the brains of experienced users.

^[5]For more information on Debian, visit http://www.debian.org/

^[6]http://fedora.redhat.com/

^[7]http://www.gentoo.org/

^[8]http://www.mandrivalinux.com/

^[9]http://www.redhat.com/software/rhel/

^[10]http://www.slackware.com/

^[11]http://www.suse.com/

^[12]http://www.ubuntulinux.org/

^[13]http://www.linuxformat.co.uk/

^[14]http://www.linuxuser.co.uk/

^[15]http://www.linux-mag.com/

^[16]http://www.linuxemporium.co.uk/

The GLLUG mailing list

1. How do I subscribe to the mailing list?
2. How do I unsubscribe from the mailing list?
3. What is top posting? And why have I been asked not to do it?
4. I've been asked to quote and/or trim my emails properly, what does that mean?
5. I've been told not to send HTML emails to the list. What's so wrong with that?
6. May I advertise my company/product/service on the list?

1.	How do I subscribe to the mailing list?
	Send an email to `<gllug-request@gllug.org.uk>` with the subject "subscribe". You will receive a confirmation email containing instructions on how to complete your subscription.
2.	How do I unsubscribe from the mailing list?
	Send an email to `<gllug-request@gllug.org.uk>` with the subject "unsubscribe". You will receive a reply confirming your removal from the list.
3.	What is top posting? And why have I been asked not to do it?
	Conversations on mailing lists are not like conversations in real life. It's not always easy to remember exactly what was asked of whom, nor what the response was. To help this, it has long been the tradition on mailing lists to retain part of the text of the post you replying to so that people joining the thread have some sort of context, and those involved in the thread know which point, or issue, you're replying to. Top posting is when you reply to a message by adding your contribution at the start of your email, and then quoting the entirety of the message you are replying to below. Figure 1. An example of top posting
4.	I've been asked to quote and/or trim my emails properly, what does that mean?
	When you are replying to an list posting, you are most likely replying to specific things someone has written. If you just hit reply and start typing below the entire text of the email you're responding to then it will be difficult for others to be sure of exactly what you're replying to. Hence quoting and trimming. For each piece of text you are responding to, you should quote the relevant piece of text and trim text that isn't necessary to get your point across. FIXME: Example needed.
5.	I've been told not to send HTML emails to the list. What's so wrong with that?
	Sending HTML email is a bad idea for several reasons: You make bad assumptions about the capabilities of the mail clients used by those reading what you send. Making people read text that looks  like this is unlikely  to make them want to help you. To try to work round the problem above, some mail readers send the message text twice in one email, once as HTML and once as plain text. This is stupidity compounding stupidity. If you send HTML email to the list you can expect complaints, you can expect to be ignored and you can expect few helpful responses from list members.
6.	May I advertise my company/product/service on the list?
	If you are considering posting to the mailing list anything that could be thought of as commercial, including advertising job vacancies, then please take note of the following: Commercial postings are allowed, but only when they are strictly relevant to the Linux community in and around London. Relevance is subjective and it will be up to you to decide whether to post or not. This may mean subscribing to the list to absorb a couple of days worth of messages so you can get a feel for the group. Do not make regular postings, for any period, without prior agreement. Please post in plain text only. If you are posting an advert for a product or service your subject line should begin with 'ADVERT:' and include some sensible text describing your message. Indicate how much your service or product costs. If you're advertising a conference or event for which an entrace fee is charged, please including pricing details. Keep it short. Brief details and a web page address should be enough. Services should be specific to Linux users. Only post about hardware that is especially suitable to Linux users. If you are posting an advert for a job vacancy your subject line should begin with 'VACANCY: ' and include some sensible text describing your message. Only post if your message contains all relevant information. Type of skills required to fill the vacancy. Location details - don't just say 'London', it's a big place. Type of employer. Minimum salary. No postings from agencies. If you are a new agency that deals specifically with Linux jobs then you should post just the one 'ADVERT:' message, then those looking for jobs will know where to find you. If you are a commercial poster, then thank you for taking the time to read these guidelines. The group appreciates appropriate postings and these guidelines are here to help you decide what is appropriate. Spamming the mailing list with inappropriate messages would just damage your reputation, probably your most valuable asset.

GLLUG Meetings

1. How do I find out when and where meetings are taking place?
2. Do I need to register to attend GLLUG meetings?
3. I've been offered help with my computer, can I bring it along to a meeting?

1.	How do I find out when and where meetings are taking place?
	Meetings are usually announced on the GLLUG website and also on the GLLUG mailing list and usually on the LONIX mailing list. There is a dedicated mailing list for meeting announcements. The best way to hear about meetings is to subscribe to it.
2.	Do I need to register to attend GLLUG meetings?
	GLLUG meetings do not require you to register to attend. At the moment meetings usually happen on Saturday afternoons, although this may change in the future. Sometimes events will be announced via GLLUG that do require pre-registration and this will usually be specifically mentioned, along with instructions on how to register, in the announcement.
3.	I've been offered help with my computer, can I bring it along to a meeting?
	Yes, however some meeting locations that we use require equipment to be marked and registered before entering. If this is the case it will usually be mentioned in the meeting announcement. You should also consider taking out specific insurance for your equipment. If it gets broken, lost or stolen then GLLUG will not be held responsible. Meetings generally happen in places where there is limited or no public parking so bringing a machine along may mean travelling with it on public transport.

MetaFAQ

1. Who maintains this FAQ?
2. I have something I'd like to add to the FAQ or something to amend, how can I do so?

1.	Who maintains this FAQ?
	This document is currently maintained by Martin A. Brooks `<martin@hinterlands.org>`, a GLLUG member, Debian zealot and open source enthusiast. Martin's current exciting project is an open source based spam and virus filtering service called AntibodyMX.
2.	I have something I'd like to add to the FAQ or something to amend, how can I do so?
	Updates, corrections, additional material and suggestions are very welcome, especially if they are in the form of svn patches from the source tree. Please do not send contributions as HTML, I'd only have to strip all the markup out again, plain text is preferable. The svn repository is located at http://svn.hinterlands.org/gllugfaq/ and is world readable. If you'd like write access then please get in touch.

© Copyright 2005, 2006, 2007 Martin A. Brooks <martin@hinterlands.org> & The GLLUG Community