The November, 2007 PLUG meeting was held on Thursday November 15th, at
7:30pm in room 3M58 at the University of Winnipeg. The meeting
consisted of;

(1)system configuration question and answers. A
discussion about using 'info coreutils' as in introductory manual for
new command line users was particularly good for new and experienced
users alike. (2) a review of the Ontario Linux Fest by an attending
member, a summary of the talks witnessed,and distribution of swag from
the fest.

The geeklog code has faithfully served us for almost 7 years now. Yet it's lack of robustness and security is showing signs that the site needs more resilient code. Look back soon for a new improved PLUG site!

In the meantime because of the spambot problem we have disabled logging in and posting of stories save for a handful of people. If you really need to post a story during the transition email me sydneyw or markj using the forms on the site.

Although I don't live in Winnipeg anymore, I thought I'd keep you guys updated on my latest project: EveryGUI, in which I think all UNIX users can find useful.

EveryGui provides two applications: Chameleon, which is a dynamic GUI for virtually any tool or OS command, and Designer which is a visual environment for editing config files that determine Chameleon's different behaviours for each tool/command.

There are more details of the project at the website. I developed this as one of my first projects written in python, and I must say it is a great language. Check out my python rant on the "about the author" page.

Adobe has recently released version 7.0 of it's PDF reader for Linux. I downloaded it from Adobe's FTP site and gave it a try. Installation was a snap using Adobe's basic installer, which if I remember correctly is the same as the installer that came with the 5.0 version. It loads quickly and I believe this puts Linux on par with the Mac/Win versions.

You can download your copy from Adobe's FTP Site.

A couple of weeks ago, at our Firefox CD Release Party I had the pleasure of spending the evening with a very knowledgeable group of individuals discussing the technology and politics behind the growing popularity of Voice Over IP (VoIP) systems worldwide and here in Manitoba. One of those taking part in the discussion was Bill Reid, a veteran of near legendary status in Manitoba's history of networking. He compared the current growing pains of VoIP to his early efforts in establishing MBnet as Manitoba's first internet point of presence. The discussion was so thought-provoking and informative that I couldn't resist inviting Mr. Reid to come and speak to PLUG members about the technology and the issues surrounding VoIP.

Mel Seder, one of PLUG's very first members, and one of the nicest guys imaginable passed away last week. We offer our condolences to Mel's family. Less than a month ago, Mel had been diagnosed with Primary Pulmonary Hypertension, a rare degenerative lung disorder.

A casual GNU/Linux meetup will be held Tuesday, Nov 2 at the Fyxx Expresso Bar at 310 Broadway Avenue at 8:00 PM. Please sign up at Meetup.com and RSVP to let us know if you will be coming.

This month, thanks to the kind folks at the University of Winnipeg Library, our meeting will be held in the University of Winnipeg Duckworth Centre on Spence Street at Ellice, in room 2D16 this Thursday, October 21 at 7:00 PM. Admission is free and all are welcome.

Our special guest at the meeting will be Scott Balneaves from Legal Aid Manitoba. In addition to working at Legal Aid's IT department, Scott is a developer with the Linux Terminal Server Project. So when Legal Aid hit a budget crunch when it needed to upgrade its desktop systems, Scott deployed the Linux Terminal Server Project.

After a delay due to the mislocation of my notes, here is the PLUG meeting summary as promised. The discussion was as wide-ranging as it was interesting, with just a smattering of controversy.

Just a reminder that we are holding our monthly meeting at 7:00 PM Thursday, September 16th at the University of Winnipeg 4th Floor Buffeteria. We may be able to have access to the Learning Commons for part of the meeting. There are tons of new initiatives and cool things that we will be doing in the next few months, so jump on the bandwagon.

Here is what's on the agenda: