Ubuntu Group

[Cloggie]

I would like to know if there are people interested in a monthly meeting talking about Unbuntu / Linux in Pattaya or Bangkok.

We can talk about Ubuntu -- any fork like Mint, Red Had, Xandros, Debian etc. - interesting software we found, driver issues we all have etc etc.

I know not many people run Ubuntu / Linux because of sevaral reasons but WHEN it works, it works just like any other Operating System (my opinion)

I am more and more interested in moving away from Microsoft => Ubuntu but also know that we all have the same problems, lets solve them together!

Please let me know if people are interested.

M.

[dave_boo]

Hope there's good information offered.

Like a clarification that Red Hat is one of the older distros (1993) which is definitely not based on Ubuntu (or even Debian). Or that Xandros, which is 'fairly' new (2001) is based on Debian/Corel Linux. And to call Debian (1993) a fork of Ubuntu is ridiculous; Ubuntu (2004) gets most of their stuff from Debian's Sid repositories and was based on it.

This isn't a slam on Ubuntu in anyway, but for n00bs to use it and think that it IS GNU/Linux and not understand history is a bit like Thais thinking that Toyota is a Thai company......

[thaimite]

Unfortunately as I am not currently in Thailand Isuch a meeting would be of no use to me, but I am very happy to help and share issues with any other Linux users on this forumn.

I now run Ubuntu all the time and it just keeps getting better and better (although it still has some issues notably drivers).

The only time I now use Windows, is with XP inside a virtual machine (VMWare) running under Ubuntu, and that is only for the few applications that I must have that do not have Linux equivalents. This is usually specialist work software or applications for mobile phones or other devices.

OpenOffice (now Libre Office) is a great replacement for MS Office (apart from Visio), and I have found very good applications for all of my day to day tasks be it Torrent downloading, DVD conversion, games (i play very few of those) Internet browsing or anything else.

The new version of Ubuntu Maverick Meerkat version 10.10 is to be released tomorrow and I have been using the beta for the past month and it is really good.

I cannot pretend that switching to Ubuntu has not been a bit of a learning curve and steep at times but I fell that for day to day use Ubuntu (the only version of Linux I can speak about with any real knowledge is ready for the prime time. Given my time again I might start with Mint as it is closer to Windows, but by the time I found out about it I had already become familiar with the Ubuntu GUI which I now prefer.

All in all I would recommend everyone to give Linux a try and with the live CD you can boot and run with no changes to your existing set-up until you see if it is for you.

I love to sit and watch the frustration on the faces of my friends as they turn on their Windows machine to do some small task and are faced with countless MS and other updates often requiring several reboots. Case in point, last night a friend was at my apartment as he has no Internet connection in his own place. After turning on his PC he was faced with a massive download for .NET from MS after which he had to reboot, this cased another program to require an update which was yet another reboot after which Skype (his original reason for turning on the computer) refused to run until he rebooted a 3rd time making him 30 minutes late in his scheduled phone call. Rarely do I have to reboot Ubuntu after an update, and even if I do it shuts down and reboots so quickly my friends machines are still sitting at the windows "saving you settings" screen before it shuts down, when I am back up and working.

[dharmabm]

kudos dave_boo, and no offense to cloggie... ubuntu is NOT linux, it is but a derivative designed (fairly well, i might add) to lure people in a relatively painless way away from proprietary operating systems (ie.micro$oft). debian (on which ubuntu, mint and many others are based), redhat (on which fedora, centos and many others are based) and slackware (on which zenwalk, vector, salix, and many others are based) are probably the 3 oldest surviving and copied linux distros on the planet, and each is different in many ways as well as similar in many ways. many of the issues and problems we all face are similar, regardless of what flavor of linux we may use. but cloggie has a good idea, which i have wondered a bit about since i came here 3 years ago, and is the primary reason i am here on this group. everywhere i have lived until now has a linux users group, which are loosely affilaited through http://www.linux.org/groups/

there are 2 here in thailand (see thai link on site above), but as best as i can tell they are primarily in thai and for thais. i would love to help establish an expat linux users group here in bangkok (and/or pattaya), which i am sure could be affiliated with the thai groups (as i imagine most of their members speak english fairly well). it would probably only be a social extention of what we do here on the forum, but if it were held in a pub (preferably one that serves guinness), then i would certainly show up on a regular basis.

so, i second cloggie's motion. anyone else game?

k

<edit> toyota isn't a thai company?!?! ;>} </edit>

[urandom]

I'd be happy to meet other linux users in Thailand (shouldn't be ubuntu only in my opinion). I have never ever seen a machine in public place (starbucks and the likes) running linux after almost 7 years in BKK... there _must_ be some linux users here

[Crushdepth]

I'd be interested in a casual Linux meet up. I have been tinkering and dual booting various distros with Windows for a few years, and finally adopted Ubuntu as primary OS on both my work and home machines a couple of months ago. It's working out really well but still heaps to learn.

[urandom]

So maybe we could start with a first meet up as Crushdepth said ? Anyone with any idea WRT the place we could do that ? I guess network+beer are the only requirements... I'd be there if it's in BKK, otherwise, it may be more difficult.

FWIW, i have 6+ years experience with Arch Linux so i know this distro quite well. And i just moved my brand new shiny Thinkpad (greaaaaat machine) to CRUX.

[urandom]

Hey Kevin, your username sounded familiar, then I realized we exchanged a couple of emails few months ago (from arch bbs), not sure if you remember but anyway...

[urandom]

sorry for the infamous spamming but I just found this place: http://www.soi8.net/ Never been there, no idea if it's nice or not but: 1. access should be pretty easy 2. quoting the website: "FREE Wi-Fi Internet access!" (and we may murder the bandwith I'm afraid) By the way, are we supposed to bring our machines for this kind of meeting ? I guess so, am i right ? or am I a hopeless nerd having thought of that ? 3. they call themselves "family pub" so we would be able to stay out of distractions 4. there's guiness for Kevin. It looks like they dont have any kind of special events on Mondays and Wednesdays so those should not be too crowded. So guys, who's in for 20/10 or 25/10 or 27/10 ?

[Cloggie]

Thanks for all the replies so far.

Urandom, next week 20th Soi 8 sounds fine for me, hope more people will join!

What time do you 'we' want to start, any suggestions?

Keep in mind that I need to go back to Pattaya with the latest bus from Ekkemai.

Look forward to the first meeting also if that will be only 2 /3 persons, we have to start somewhere.......

[siamect]

Sounds fun... maybe I'll be there...

[urandom]

Urandom, next week 20th Soi 8 sounds fine for me, hope more people will join!

ok sounds great!

What time do you 'we' want to start, any suggestions?

Keep in mind that I need to go back to Pattaya with the latest bus from Ekkemai.

AFAIC, I usually end my working day around 8.00 pm so I should be able to be there before 8.30 pm... but what time is your last bus to pattaya, that sounds tough to go back there the same day. you dont have any other alternative? do you have to work on the next day?

Feel free to modify the following according to your liking/convenience:

who

-----------------

cloggie

urandom

when

-----------------

20th of October 2010 at xx.xx p.m.

where

-----------------

http://www.soi8.net/

agenda (just some random ideas)

-----------------

beer(s)

knowing each others

present our distro of choice (pros/cons)

troubleshooting with the help of other members

sharing tips

installation support from members if someone feels like trying out a new distro but is not confident enough to install it

/edit: the h3ll is wrong with the text editor on this website ??!

/edit2: it doesn't like libwebkit based browsers it seems... errf...

[urandom]

Sounds fun... maybe I'll be there...

it would be great to see you there. do you think you'll be able to confirm a bit before the 20th ? i'm especially thinking about the ones who'll do some hundreds of kilometers to join the meeting... i think we'd better change the date and be sure there are as many people as possible than having a meeting at 2. not that i would not enjoy a beer with anyone of you but the more we are, the more we share.

who

-----------------

cloggie

urandom

siamect?

when

-----------------

20th of October 2010 at xx.xx p.m.

where

-----------------

http://www.soi8.net/

agenda (just some random ideas)

-----------------

beer(s)

knowing each others

present our distro of choice (pros/cons)

troubleshooting with the help of other members

sharing tips

installation support from members if someone feels like trying out a new distro but is not confident enough to install it

[stub]

For Bangkok Open Source stuff, including Ubuntu, I'd suggest meeting up with Beer Camp http://groups.google.com/group/bangkok-beercamp and get along to Bangkok BarCamp 4 http://www.barcampbangkok.org/

[stub]

For Bangkok Open Source stuff, including Ubuntu, I'd suggest meeting up with Beer Camp http://groups.google.com/group/bangkok-beercamp and get along to Bangkok BarCamp 4 http://www.barcampbangkok.org/

Also the existing Thai Ubuntu users group could be worth a look - http://ubuntuclub.com/

[siamect]

do you think you'll be able to confirm a bit before the 20th ? i'm especially thinking about the ones who'll do some hundreds of kilometers to join the meeting... i think we'd better change the date and be sure there are as many people as possible than having a meeting at 2. not that i would not enjoy a beer with anyone of you but the more we are, the more we share.

For me any day is good as the other except for 23-24 Oct because of the Barcamp BKK although I'm not sure if I will go to that event or spend the time with my family...

I can get off work earliest 16.10 and it is about an hour I think to get get to soi8

So for me it is no problem to change the day...

Martin

[urandom]

all that sounds really great ! so basically the beercamp fellows are already doing what we planed to do, am I right (for those who know this group) ? so what shall we do now, anyone already in touch with them ?

[stub]

all that sounds really great ! so basically the beercamp fellows are already doing what we planed to do, am I right (for those who know this group) ? so what shall we do now, anyone already in touch with them ?

Turn up tomorrow :-) From http://groups.google.com/group/bangkok-beercamp/browse_thread/thread/6e2433cb4ef4a3a7 :

Next Beercamp will be on the 14th of October 8pm at 'Soul Food

Mahanakorn', a place just recently opened.

Jarrett, the owner, offered to make a menu for us of shared food and

we will get Beer Singh and Leo for 100 Baht, and Beer Lao for 120

Baht. He is also on twitter: http://twitter.com/WrisJarrett

There is a review on CnnGo

http://www.cnngo.com/bangkok/eat/soul-food-mahanakorn-348453

Google Map:

http://bit.ly/cgp4hx

Website:

http://www.soulfoodmahanakorn.com

Address:

Soul Food Mahanakorn

56/10 Sukhumvit Soi 55 (Soi Thonglor), Bangkok

Tel. +66 (0)85 904 2691

Open Tuesday through Sunday, 5:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m.

[urandom]

stub, do you know those guys? looking at the ML, it looks more coding oriented than a LUG, no? for tomorrow, I cant make it unfortunately, my shareholders are there atm so i guess it wont make it if they see me with glued eyes

[siamect]

stub, do you know those guys? looking at the ML, it looks more coding oriented than a LUG, no? for tomorrow, I cant make it unfortunately, my shareholders are there atm so i guess it wont make it if they see me with glued eyes

I think there are more people who cannot make it till tomorrow. I think all these groups are interesting and the best of all is that we can choose.

However the existence of other groups does not make our little planned meeting the 20th or whenever less interesting.

Martin

[urandom]

stub, do you know those guys? looking at the ML, it looks more coding oriented than a LUG, no? for tomorrow, I cant make it unfortunately, my shareholders are there atm so i guess it wont make it if they see me with glued eyes

I think there are more people who cannot make it till tomorrow. I think all these groups are interesting and the best of all is that we can choose.

However the existence of other groups does not make our little planned meeting the 20th or whenever less interesting.

Martin

agreed. so let's keep up with the original plan first and we'll merge (pun intended) one of our next reunions once we get to know each other a bit more (maybe you guys know each other well already but i'm not very active here)

[urandom]

today's update guys... join the event !

who

-----------------

cloggie

urandom

siamect

when

-----------------

20th of October 2010 at xx.xx p.m.

where

-----------------

http://www.soi8.net/

agenda (just some random ideas)

-----------------

beer(s)

knowing each others

present our distro of choice (pros/cons)

troubleshooting with the help of other members

sharing tips

installation support from members if someone feels like trying out a new distro but is not confident enough to install it

[Cloggie]

Sounds good for me, let me know what time?

October 23rd and 24th I will go to BarCamp Bangkok at Sripratum University to have a look there as well

[urandom]

looks like Martin can be there earliest around 5.30 pm, best i could do is 8/8.30 pm, what about you ? Kevin, stub, crushdepth, dave, waiting for you guys to add your nicks on list

[dharmabm]

best i can do is around 7 or so.

kevin

[urandom]

aaah the call of the guiness....

(changes in bold)

who

-----------------

cloggie

urandom

siamect

dharmabm

when

-----------------

20th of October 2010 at xx.xx p.m.

where

-----------------

http://www.soi8.net/

agenda (just some random ideas)

-----------------

beer(s)

knowing each others

present our distro of choice (pros/cons)

troubleshooting with the help of other members

sharing tips

installation support from members if someone feels like trying out a new distro but is not confident enough to install it

[siamect]

Great, now we are a crowd...

Do we know when Cloggie's bus is taking off?

Martin

[urandom]

Great, now we are a crowd...

True but I herd you liek mudkips heard geeks like prime numbers and 4 doesn't qualify.

Shameless ad:

Join the event, even if you're not using linux yet but are interested in knowing more about it !

Today's update:

who

-----------------

cloggie

urandom

siamect

dharmabm

when

-----------------

20th of October 2010 at xx.xx p.m.

where

-----------------

http://www.soi8.net/

agenda (just some random ideas)

-----------------

beer(s)

knowing each others

present our distro of choice (pros/cons)

troubleshooting with the help of other members

sharing tips

installation support from members if someone feels like trying out a new distro but is not confident enough to install it

given the fact I may be the latest one to arrive on 20th evening, I guess you should arrange the meeting time...

[ColinChapman]

I can't claim any great Linux expertise, but I'm wiling to come along and ask lots of stupid questions.

I see from the web-site that the happy hour ends at 7pm, so should we start before that? How will I recognise you all?

[urandom]

I can't claim any great Linux expertise, but I'm wiling to come along and ask lots of stupid questions.

great ! and don't worry about stupid questions, we *all* have some of this kind to ask

How will I recognise you all?

laptop bags

Today's update (changes in bold, as usual):

who

-----------------

cloggie

urandom

siamect

dharmabm

ColinChapman

when

-----------------

20th of October 2010 at xx.xx p.m.

where

-----------------

http://www.soi8.net/

agenda (just some random ideas)

-----------------

beer(s)

knowing each others

present our distro of choice (pros/cons)

troubleshooting with the help of other members

sharing tips

installation support from members if someone feels like trying out a new distro but is not confident enough to install it

ask stupid questions