Ubuntu Alaska LoCo

[jimmacdonald]

Hi all,

We would like to take a minute of your time to announce a new group forming in the area. The Ubuntu Alaska Local Community is a Linux advocacy group that has the primary goal of promoting, educating and advocating the use of the Ubuntu family of Linux Distributions that are published by Canonical, Ltd.

If your interested in Linux in general, and The Ubuntu family of products in particular please feel free to join us online and in person to help out.

you can find us on IRC @ #ubuntu-alaska on irc.freenode.net

our forums are located at http://ubuntuforums.org/forumdisplay.php?f=280
(http://ubuntuforums.org/forumdisplay.php?f=280)
our mailing list is at https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-us-ak

our webpages are at https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-alaska and https://wiki.ubuntu.com/AlaskaTeam

Please don't be dissuaded by the lack of content at the moment as we are a really new group and still trying to get our stuff together..

Hope to see you online or in person.

Enjoy
The Ubuntu-us-ak Team

[OpeRadix]

Jim ,

Bob K here looking to join in and help get the AK-LoCo going.

I think I've signed in everywhere I can.

Now the question comes where to begin.


Bob K

[JBAlaska]

Kinda quiet here, also on the IRC chan..

Would be nice to talk to other Ubuntu users in AK

I'm in Seldovia and have been using Ubuntu for several months, would also be interested in helping to get the ball rolling.

Have a good one

[d_mccrummen]

Hi all, glad to find and join a "local community" support group. I am located in Sitka and have been using Ubuntu since 5.04. I am currently using Ubuntustudio and as I type, upgrading to 7.10.

[alaskagene]

New to Ubuntu and linux in general. Lowest level newbie but willing to learn. Living on a sailboat in Ketchikan. Retired so have time.

[roachk71]

Hello from Kenai.

I've been a Linux user in general since late 2000, and using Ubuntu since Warty.

I'm not a newbie, but I'd be the first to admit I'm no guru. Regardless, I'd love to help much as I can.

[jimmacdonald]

Well HI everyone.

Sorry it' been so quiet. I seem to have everything setup and going. Now we just need direction.

If our goal is to be approved so we can get free CD's for distro and start Advocacy then look at this

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LoCoGettingApproved

I would presume we need to setup some meetings so we could planing a few activities....

How Say you?

[barney385]

New here also. Will check in periodically.

Cheers.:)

[eenofonn]

Hi everyone Signed up today. Look forward to working with you all :)

eenofonn
Sitka AK 99835

[apaciq]

Hello from village of Chenega Bay, on the beautiful Prince William Sound...
Glad Alaska has a community now...didn't know until i was going over the forums....
started with 6.06 lts...7.02, now exclusively using 7.10...will be checking from time to time...

apaciq:guitar:

[robkeys]

What's up my fellow Alaskan geeks? I'm rob. Been using Linux and Ubuntu for over a year now, and been in Alaska 6 months of that. I'm currently living in Anchorage, am fairly savvy, and willing to help both online and in person if your in the area and need a hand.

[El Lance-O]

I am about to join, but it doesn't look like there is much activity whatsoever, IRC or otherwise.

What are the plans exactly? I know there are obviously many users across the state, but what about Anchorage? Shouldn't there be a decent following by now?

I think this needs to get going and we need to be doing SOMETHING to get Ubuntu out there.

Hardy Heron is what's going to really shoot Ubuntu past everyone else, and get it's name known for good, at least in my opinion, and I most definitely think we can help with a decent AK street team.

I'm willing to do anything this takes, and if there isn't much progress soon, I would love to take over and oversee the whole thing as I have plenty of time to spare.

Hope to hear from you all!

[os2mac]

Hi everyone,

Seems like there has been a bit of activity on here. I'd like to give a brief synopsis of what's been going on. In short not a whole lot. All the online resources are in place. I have tried advertising on the groups section of Craigslist (that seems to be very popular in this town) but didn't get any responses... I guess I would like to poll everyone to get some idea of what we can do to get the group out in the public eye and get it rolling in real life. Ideas?

jim

[El Lance-O]

I say we meet at a public location such as a coffee shop, dressed in Ubuntu shirts, showing off our laptops, explaining the Linux philosophy and the impact it could have, all while handing out CD's.

I've been wanting to throw something like this for awhile now, and it would be great to get some help. I already have 2 friends interested in being involved.

[jimmacdonald]

I could do all that, accept I don't own an ubuntu shirt and I use a Mac Book Pro as my primary mobile machine. But I am up for coffee and I did request 25 CD's for the group.

[barney385]

Hmmm...I'm not flying to Anchorage just to have coffee!!!


It's good to see others are waking up to the open-source community though!!!

I've been fooling around with Ubuntu for about a year now, but I'm in between laptops.

Greetings to all!!!

[AK Dave]

Hello, Geeks! Figured I'd chime in here. New to Ubuntu; not exactly new to Linux. I'm in Anchorage. Running 8.04 with KDE4 on a Gateway laptop, but Gnome is my primary desktop until a few kinks get worked out of K. The desktop at home, "mom's computer" runs 7.10 with Edubuntu and dual-boots XPsp2. Next step: a virtual machine of XP.

Used to admin OS/2 LAN Server back in the mid-90s and played with Slackware back then, but didn't have the right hardware or energy to devote to Linux operation at the time. I've used Slackware, openSUSE, Mandake, and Mandriva. Settled on Ubuntu because it just works.

I don't use Linux because I'm a GNU or open source zealot. Thats all a bonus. The "Linux philosophy" and "changing the world" is for Stallman, not me. I use Ubuntu because its stable and it works. Ubuntu is less hassle to install, administer, and use, than XP. It sells itself. It just works. Its easy to use, and like my wife commented after she saw all the stuff I'd installed from Synaptic "all that stuff is free"? Yup, free. And legal.

So, I'm happy to get together and show off laptops. But I'd be just as happy to get together and talk shop over some fishing. Alaskan first, Geek second.

[os2mac]

Dave,

Nice to Meet you. I am a Trusted Solaris Geek by trade, and like to share the OS knoweledge around, So I run a Mac Laptop and an Ubuntu Desktop at home. You would be suprised how similar all three os's are. Still up for coffee if anyone is interested. My Sched is kinda tight right now, Just bought a home and getting ready to head out of the country for a vacation but will be back in a week or so.

Mac

[AK Dave]

Been having trouble with a stupid error since upgrading to 8.04. Gets worse with every reboot. Basically, 8.04 seems to default to installing an ica client (Citrix client) that takes over ports 5800/5900. Can't seem to get rid of it. Seems to be part of the Edubuntu software, not the stock Ubuntu. Have been so frustrated in trying to get rid of the error that I just finished a complete 8.04 reinstall from scratch on mom's computer.

The problem disappeared or corrected itself by the expedient of NOT installing Edubuntu. Just snagged the specific games that I wanted the kids to have access to. Probably have to do this all over again to get my laptop working right again.

Now installing VirtualBox (thanks, Sun!) on it so she can have direct access to XP, but vboxusers won't include the accounts for the kids.

[jimmacdonald]

Been having trouble with a stupid error since upgrading to 8.04. Gets worse with every reboot. Basically, 8.04 seems to default to installing an ica client (Citrix client) that takes over ports 5800/5900. Can't seem to get rid of it. Seems to be part of the Edubuntu software, not the stock Ubuntu. Have been so frustrated in trying to get rid of the error that I just finished a complete 8.04 reinstall from scratch on mom's computer.

The problem disappeared or corrected itself by the expedient of NOT installing Edubuntu. Just snagged the specific games that I wanted the kids to have access to. Probably have to do this all over again to get my laptop working right again.

Dave,

I have looked (and asked on IRC) about this and I can't seem to find an answer. Seems to me it should be just a matter of finding the package and deinstalling it. Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

Jim (os2mac)

[AK Dave]

Multiple reboots. Deinstalled edubuntu-desktop gnome and KDE packages. Deactivated italc client and thin client manager. Interestingly, my wife's ubuntu-only gnome-only no-edubuntu install never had a problem with this. I think the problem is the italc client.

Now my problem is that I can play DVDs but I only get audio. Grrr!

[kvk]

I'll toss my hat in the ring too. In Juneau- running 7.10 on an older Dell box. Building two new boxes: one to run Linux for fisheries modeling, another for running UbuntuStudio. Desktop is currently Enlightenment. Very interesting in using Ubuntu as the OS for a small cluster, but a ton of work needs to be prepped before THAT particular toy emerges.

Nice to see everyone. :)

[AK Dave]

The DVD problem is some combined conflict between Compiz and VLC. It is "cured" by disabling desktop effects ("none"). I think that means I should scrub compiz entirely.

Anyone going to the AKLUG meeting tonight? www.aklug.org

[AK Dave]

Had a frustration with Ubuntu this last weekend. Two glitches, actually. I use my laptop for a lot of stuff, including training presentations. I was doing one presentation to a tiny group using the laptop's LCD directly. Worked marvelously to swap between a powerpoint and VLC. Very slick.

Except one part where a slide on my powerpoint wouldn't display properly in slideshow but would display properly as a preview. Irritating. I'll need to pipe that powerpoint into a proper open format and fix it. Always makes me feel like a boob when my slideshow doesn't synch right.

Then later my tiny group linked up with other tiny groups to make an actual small group. One presenter had a projector, so we wanted to pipe my laptop through his projector since it was my slides that we'd be using for the next two hours.

No dice.

No amount of fiddling that I could figure out in 60 seconds allowed me to pipe data through the external VGA port of my laptop.

Sat down with this at home on Saturday to make it work. Dangit, I'm going to MAKE this work!

Turns out I had the solution in front of me all along. Having previously used EnvgNG to install the latest restricted ATI drivers, the ATI control panel allows me to activate support for a second monitor. At home, plugged into an external monitor, it was detected automagically, greyed out, and merely needed to be activated.

Problem:
This procedure requires a REBOOT.
No simple alt-F3 screen switching like in XP/Vista.

Okay, so I'm going so solve this permenantly. I'll activate the second monitor, tell it to clone output, and leave it that way whether the monitor is plugged in or not. No dice.

Here, Gateway bites me in the rear. Before I even got around to unplugging the external monitor to find out what happens to the laptop when its told to use an external monitor that doesn't exist (should be "nothing at all", same as turning said monitor off at the switch), I realize that:
WHEN DUAL MONITORS ARE ACTIVATED, WIRELESS IS DE-ACTIVATED

AAAARGH!

I hate Gateway. This isn't a driver thing. This is a Gateway thing. This is some stupid quirk to the motherboard itself. Previously I'd already learned, under XP, that installing bluetooth drivers for an external USB bluetooth key causes the wireless to become nonfunctional. It will at that point recognise wireless networks, connect to them, but not talk to them. Solved with Ubuntu, of course, now happily mixing bluetooth and wireless. But not mixing dual-monitors with wireless.

[barney385]

The DVD problem is some combined conflict between Compiz and VLC. It is "cured" by disabling desktop effects ("none"). I think that means I should scrub compiz entirely.

Anyone going to the AKLUG meeting tonight? www.aklug.org (http://www.aklug.org)

Thanks. I wasn't aware of this group.:)

[barney385]

Hmmm...I'm not flying to Anchorage just to have coffee!!!


It's good to see others are waking up to the open-source community though!!!

I've been fooling around with Ubuntu for about a year now, but I'm in between laptops.

Greetings to all!!!

I have my new laptop now. I have a T9300, 2gbs Ram and a M8600GT video card. It has a 160gb hard drive and 4965 Intel ProWireless.

I installed Hardy Heron 8.04 without a hitch. Everything works great. Oh, I'm running the 64-Bit edition also.

Now if someone here in Dutch Harbor/Unalaska shows up here everything will be great!!

If I'm ever up in Anchorage I'll be sure to post here and let you all know.

I can't tell you all how glad I am I made the switch...

Have a good one peeps!!

[SPLASTiK]

Juneau user here :D

[os2mac]

Welcome!

[Sarai the Geek]

And here I thought I was the only Juneauite using Linux... well, besides the new librarian at the University. Nice lady.

Alaskan Ubuntuers Unite! :guitar:

[Elep.Repu]

Hi, I'm here. Hello.

[Elep.Repu]

Hi all. I live in eagle river.

[FakeOutdoorsman]

I'm in Juneau. I use Linux on my desktop and on a web server. I find Linux to be especially good for video encoding. If anyone needs help in that sort of thing let me know.

[Sarai the Geek]

I'm in Juneau. I use Linux on my desktop and on a web server. I find Linux to be especially good for video encoding. If anyone needs help in that sort of thing let me know.

Juneau represent! :guitar:

[daroon]

Daroon here. I'm working with my son's school and another charter school trying to show them the value of Open Source in general and Edubuntu in particular.

I've hit a wall trying to get italc (classroom managment software) to work. I'll post another message detailing the problem. I have very little networking experience and no trainging, so I'm a bit over my head with this.

daroon

[Donnchad]

Fairbanks here, been using Linux for years now and have settled into Ubuntu.

[djmoore85]

Hey yall, doesn't look like much has been going on here for a couple months, but I wanted to stop by and say hello. Hailing from Eielson AFB, just started my tour here, have been a sole Ubuntu/Linux user since Feb. of 07. Anything I can do to bring the flexibility and infinite customization of open-source to AK I am willing to help.

[abandonedrealms]

I use Ubuntu because its made by the people, for the people, and it makes sense.

I wish to share what I've learned. This isn't easy being geographically isolated, only by airplane and boat can we leave our remotest communities.

I will began in this concern to '''Be collaborative.'''. Here are some things you can do via the Internet to assist us in strengthening Ubuntu (and the principles it both supports and depends upon)





join our mailing list is at https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-us-ak
Membership - get IRC chat client and '/join #Ubuntu-Alaska' can be AFK some.
Start a project - Start a project! and share it with the Ubuntu-Alaska community
Some Ideas - art projects, translations, exhibitions, support all via the Internet
Promate - tell everyone about Ubuntu, your mom, homeless people, police, etc.

[rasak]

Been Slow up here Been using Ubuntu in one flavor or another the past 2 years! Right now I use Mint-8 (Based on Ubuntu) I know enough to answer some questions! Need more post here!!

[tenach]

Hello! I am moving up to Anchorage, Alaska, sometime between May 1st and 10th, from Tacoma, Washington. I've been using Ubuntu for a few years now, as well as other distros. I want to help bring more Open Source into Alaska as well as offer my knowledge and services to those who need it.

[mapman88]

Hi All,

I live in Anchorage but work in the bush, and only have ubuntu on my computer in the bush. I hope to get a dual boot going at home with lucid lynx soon. I'm new to ubuntu, but like it so far. I was having some issues which I thought were with my nvidia drivers, but found out my monitor is failing, (not failed, but failing, works some of the time). I just tried a new monitor, and it works fine. Now I go home today and leave my ubuntu behind, gotta get that dual boot going at home.

[Off Topic]

Im in Wasilla, over the last 2 weeks Ive dumped windows from all my boxes except my mediasmart server, thats next. Ive played with Ubuntu on and off from 8-9 but never been serious about it until I became a tech.

[japhyr]

Hello everyone,

I'm in Sitka, and I've been using ubuntu for about two years now. I teach high school math and science, and I did an interesting project this year with students. Our school district is at a low point technology-wise, so I ran a project in which our school got a bunch of computers donated, and students learned to install ubuntu on them. Most are older dells that only ran 8.04 adequately, but students loved the project. We will run the program again in the fall, with a focus on more selective donations, and higher-level use of what we set up. Most of the computers are only used for word processing and spreadsheet-based graphing so far, although one teacher ran a successful graphic-design class based on inkscape.

The program has a lot of things going for it, and we will continue the work even when our district replaces our aging technology. For example, students were skeptical that anyone would want to donate working computers to us. Seeing people bring in computers made students think differently about their place in the community. Others did not believe you could fix a computer that was full of viruses, or only showed a blue screen of death. They were surprised to see a nonfunctional computer brought back to life. It was pretty cool to see the many different ways that open source culture influenced a school community for the better. Having experienced OS first-hand, our students will not want to give it up entirely, no matter what technology the district invests in. It will be pretty interesting to build a school technology setting that has open source systems and proprietary systems sitting side by side, and see students use each for what it does best.

We may explore the possibility of starting a Sitka Linux users group in the fall. I'm not sure how far we will take it, but I am pretty set on hosting one or two events to find out how many linux users are in Sitka. I am guessing that, if set up right, there are many people who would love the chance to play with Linux on donated computers, where they don't have to worry about messing up their own machines.

Any Sitka folks out there? Any Alaskan educators interested in doing something like this? Our small, self-contained communities seem perfect for projects like this. And in an urban setting, I can only imagine you could get a bunch of year-old computers donated and build an impressive program.

- Eric

[os2mac]

Japhyr, Great Job. Way to break the M$ cycle of education. Nice to see someone educating the options in the OS Market. If you need anything from us please let us know. We are a small group and not very active at the moment but we will do what we can. For a more active group and something to model your LUG after please look up AKLUG.

[os2mac]

Off Topic, Where do you work?

[os2mac]

Hi all. I live in eagle river.

Hi! Chugiak, here.

[japhyr]

I work at Pacific High School in Sitka.

[tenach]

Japhyr, that is pretty amazing work! :D That is really cool that the kids are enjoying the learning experience that is installing and using Ubuntu.

[bug67]

Hey,

Checking in from Eagle River. You guys ever meet up in person? Anyhow, I started a group in Social Groups:

http://ubuntuforums.org/group.php?groupid=813

Drop by and say hi. :)

[juanoleso]

I used to live in Eagle River, but now I'm up in Fairbanks (from Fbx originally). I liked Eagle River and the winters weren't as rough as they are up here.

[eenofonn]

Wow it's been a while since I've been on here... Anyone else in AK still active?

[tenach]

I am in and out of the IRC for this LoCo, but have since moved back to Washingotn state.