****************************************************************
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.
# ***********************************************************
# frederick noronha, freelance journalist, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
# near convent, saligao 403511 goa india ph 0091.832.271490 or 278683
# ***********************************************************
# BytesForAll http://www.bytesforall.org
# News from Goa http://www.goacom.com/news/
# Photos from Goa http://www.goa-world.net/fotofolio/
# GoaResearchNet http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/1503
# ***********************************************************
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