Linux User Group HOWTO Linux User Group HOWTO Table of Contents Linux User Group HOWTO..............................................................................................................................1 Rick Moen...............................................................................................................................................1 1. Introduction..........................................................................................................................................1 2. What is a GNU/Linux user group?......................................................................................................1 3. What LUGs exist?................................................................................................................................1 4. What does a LUG do?..........................................................................................................................1 5. LUG activities......................................................................................................................................1 6. Practical suggestions............................................................................................................................1 7. Legal and political issues.....................................................................................................................2 8. About this document............................................................................................................................2 1. Introduction..........................................................................................................................................2 1.1 Purpose...............................................................................................................................................2 1.2 Other sources of information.............................................................................................................3 2. What is a GNU/Linux user group?......................................................................................................3 2.1 What is GNU/Linux?.........................................................................................................................3 2.2 How is GNU/Linux unique?..............................................................................................................4 2.3 What is a user group?.........................................................................................................................4 2.4 Summary............................................................................................................................................5 3. What LUGs exist?................................................................................................................................5 3.1 LUG lists............................................................................................................................................5 3.2 Solidarity versus convenience............................................................................................................6 4. What does a LUG do?..........................................................................................................................6 4.1 GNU/Linux advocacy........................................................................................................................6 4.2 The limits of advocacy.......................................................................................................................7 4.3 GNU/Linux education........................................................................................................................8 4.4 GNU/Linux support...........................................................................................................................9 Users..................................................................................................................................................9 Consultants......................................................................................................................................10 Businesses, non-profit organisations, and schools..........................................................................11 Free / open-source software development.......................................................................................11 Chris Browne on free software / open source philanthropy............................................................11 Linux movement..............................................................................................................................13 4.5 Linux socialising..............................................................................................................................13 5. LUG activities....................................................................................................................................14 5.1 Meetings...........................................................................................................................................14 5.2 Online resources...............................................................................................................................15 6. Practical suggestions..........................................................................................................................16 6.1 LUG support organisations..............................................................................................................16 6.2 Founding a LUG..............................................................................................................................16 6.3 Maintaining and growing a LUG.....................................................................................................17 7. Legal and political issues...................................................................................................................18 7.1 Organisational legal issues...............................................................................................................18 Canada.............................................................................................................................................18 Germany..........................................................................................................................................18 Sweden............................................................................................................................................19 United States of America................................................................................................................19 7.2 Other legal issues.............................................................................................................................21 Bootlegging.....................................................................................................................................21 i Linux User Group HOWTO Table of Contents Linux User Group HOWTO Antitrust...........................................................................................................................................21 7.3 Software politics..............................................................................................................................21 People have different feelings about free / open-source software...................................................21 Non-profit organisations and money don't mix terribly well..........................................................22 7.4 Elections, democracy, and turnover.................................................................................................22 8. About this document..........................................................................................................................24 8.1 Terms of use.....................................................................................................................................24 8.2 New versions....................................................................................................................................24 8.3 Please contribute to this HOWTO...................................................................................................24 8.4 Document history.............................................................................................................................24 8.5 Acknowledgements..........................................................................................................................26 ii Linux User Group HOWTO Rick Moen v1.8.4, 2013-07-25 The Linux User Group HOWTO is a guide to founding, maintaining, and growing a GNU/Linux user group, co-authored by Kendall Clark and Rick Moen (now maintained by Rick Moen). 1. Introduction • 1.1 Purpose • 1.2 Other sources of information 2. What is a GNU/Linux user group? • 2.1 What is GNU/Linux? • 2.2 How is GNU/Linux unique? • 2.3 What is a user group? • 2.4 Summary 3. What LUGs exist? • 3.1 LUG lists • 3.2 Solidarity versus convenience 4. What does a LUG do? • 4.1 GNU/Linux advocacy • 4.2 The limits of advocacy • 4.3 GNU/Linux education • 4.4 GNU/Linux support • 4.5 Linux socialising 5. LUG activities • 5.1 Meetings • 5.2 Online resources 6. Practical suggestions • 6.1 LUG support organisations • 6.2 Founding a LUG • 6.3 Maintaining and growing a LUG Linux User Group HOWTO 1 Linux User Group HOWTO 7. Legal and political issues