East Bay Linux User Group Prepares for First Installfest

Fremont, California July 24, 2001 - Hurricane Electric, a leading business Technical Service Provider, will host the East Bay Linux User Group's first Installfest, Saturday, July 28, in hopes of recruiting more people into using the advantageous open-source operating system. Hosting EBLUG's meetings and website for the past year, Hurricane Electric has offered up their facility in Fremont, CA and equipment for the Installfest, scheduled for 1:00 p.m. An installfest is where members of the local Linux community come together and offer their time and expertise to help new users install and configure Linux software distributions on their computers. In addition to helping new users install Linux, Installfests are there to help those who have already made the leap to the free operating system but need help configuring something - networking, dialup internet access, or Linux-to-Windows connectivity. "By hosting this Installfest, we are hoping to introduce more people to the Linux community and to further the knowledge base of people already familiar with the operating system," said Mike Leber, Hurricane Electric president. "It's also a good way for Linux fans to come together and learn from each other."

The Installfest is open to every Linux enthusiast on all different technical levels and abilities. Whether a novice working on installing their first Linux distribution or a seasoned veteran, there will be someone at the Installfest to answer questions, troubleshoot problems, or help in updating to the latest version of the software that people are running.

Several brands of Linux software, including Redhat, Debian, Suse, and Slackware, will be on hand at Hurricane Electric to allow users the option of installing different flavors depending on their preference. Hurricane Electric will also provide switches and hubs, patch cables, and monitors for use at the Installfest.

The EBLUG, established in September of 2000, has seen a large increase in web traffic and membership in the last few months. Among regular meetings, held every third Wednesday of each month at the Hurricane Electric facility in Fremont, the LUG is looking to increase their membership through Linux traditions such as Installfests. EBLUG was formed to help spread the word about the latest happenings in Linux as well as what's going on in the open source world. Each month, EBLUG presents speakers from different companies in the Linux community to keep enthusiasts up-to-date on the newest technologies being created. "Since much of our business utilizes Linux, we are attempting to give a little back to the community that continues to build upon the initial open source movement," said Leber.