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(July 23, 2008: The links on this page have not been updated in a while. Please contribute links to new CDs that we could burn by sending the info to the webmaster. Thanks!)
The Linux Users' Group of Davis is very active in our community. Along with our twice-monthly meetings, we hold regular Installfest workshops and semi-regular Hands-on Linux Demos.
We also do what we can to participate with other organizations, including holding classes with DCN, the Davis Community Network, doing Linux and Open Source seminars for the yearly California 4-H Leadership Conference, and running booths at the yearly Whole Earth Festival, Tech. Writers Conference, UC Davis Picnic Day, Government Technology Conference and other events.
These outreach events are perfect opportunities for LUGOD to introduce the public to Linux and Open Source. A great way of doing this is by giving away software.
This is where you can help... LUGOD would greatly appreciate discs that we can give away at these many events we attend. We've given away literally hundreds of discs at some of the multi-day events we attend — 200 Ubuntu discs and over 100 other CDs at Whole Earth in 2005, and 150 discs in a single day at GTC in 2004, as an example.
While there's a lot available out there to burn, the software we've found most useful and applicable to the general public has been:
- Bootable Linux CDs
Knoppix is an example of a 'Live Linux CDs'. People can pop them in their CDROM drive, reboot their computer, and try Linux out without making any commitment.
- Open Source for Windows
TheOpenCD is a collection of Open Source software, built for Windows users. (The idea is that once they get used to great Open Source software, they might decide to switch to a completely Open Source OS, like Linux!)
- Linux Distros
Ubuntu Linux (GNOME-oriented) and Kubuntu Linux (KDE-oriented), Debian GNU/Linux, Fedora Core Linux and CentOS Linux are examples of complete, freely redistributable Linux distros.
- OpenOffice.org
OpenOffice.org, the popular and powerful Open Source productivity suite, is available for Linux, Windows and other platforms. Windows users will be pleasantly surprised when they try out this completely free alternative to Microsoft Office, and introduce them to the world of Open Source software. (Linux users will appreciate not having to download it!)
(Any other suggestions? Please suggest other CDs!)
If you're willing to help out, please sign up for LUGOD's "vox-outreach" mailing list, and post a message...
Let us know that you're interested in helping out, what you think you'd like to burn, and whether or not you'd like LUGOD to supply some blank CDRs (which we sometimes can).
Thank you!