The next tech jam will be on the 11th June and will be reduced in what is going on (no workshops from Tom) due to teh Torbay Air show.

Full details are on the Tech jam website.

The 11th June also sees the Cornwall Tech Jam,

I will update the planned activities page for July after the June jam.

Sat 4th June 2016 sees the usual Exeter Pi jam 10 – 12 at Exeter Library

18th June is the monthly Meeting up on Holsworthy at the White Hart, start time about 1:30, (see list for information)

Don’t forget you can chat to us on IRC

irc.freenode.net port 6667 #dcglug

We have our own chat room for the tech jam which has been set up and is run by some of the young people who attend the jam. This is hosted on vltec but users are on both IRC servers.    There is a link on the Torbay Tech jam website for this.  We are also running our own Minetest server. so free free to ask for more information.

Further ahead the September Jam is 17th September which is also software freedom day, so any ideas or talks on free software welcome.

I have also been looking at scratch4arduino and have been making related blog posts on my website.   I am also in the process of putting together workshops / activities relating to this.

This is a quick preview of the April Jam

We will also be chatting the Dystopia group about free software and they will be giving some information on barriers to using IT.  Hopefully this will inspire people to take peoples needs in to account when creating software,  website, hardware and even printed forms.    If you can give any advice with regard to Accessibility features this would be really useful.

NEXT JAM : PLANNED ACTIVITIES

EXETER PI JAM
2nd April
Rougemont room
Exeter Central Library
10 – 12

http://exeterraspberryjam.blogspot.co.uk/

http://2timesdo.co.uk/

TORBAY TECH JAM
9th April 2016
12:30 to 15:30
Paignton Library

https://torbaytechjam.org.uk/
CORNWALL TECH JAM
9th April Redruth
http://www.softwarecornwall.org/cornwalltechjamapr16/

Sat 16th April

This should be the Holsworthy meeting at the White Hart,  please check with Neil W on the list.

There are several upcoming events.

Exeter Raspberry Pi jam – Saturday 6th February 2016

Cornwall Tech Jam  – Saturday 13th Feb 2016

Torbay Tech Jam – Saturday 13th Feb 2016

Software Cornwall also present a wide range of events please see their website for more information.

Aaron Moore is setting up a hack / maker type space in Cornwall – details here – Meet on the 2nd Sat of the month.

Ask on list for more information OR if there are any events you want to promote please let me know Paul Sutton via the list.

The North Devon meeting for January is OFF.   Meeting for Feb Should take place as normal on Saturday 20th February 2016.   Please contact Neil Winchurst on the DCGLUG list for more information.

Any additional help in terms of promotion would be welcome.

Support the campaign to ensure that EU leaders listen, and act so that young people can access the internet freely.

Click here.

The January Tech Jam will be on 9th January  12:30 to 3:30 at Paignton Library and info centre.  Full details are on the Tech jam website including a few ideas as to what will be there in terms of demos.  As always if you want to bring something to demo,  or need help feel free to come along or just come for a chat / social visit.

http://torbaytechjam.org.uk/

The tech jam can also be found on social media

Diaspora,  twitter & facebook or chat to us on IRC.   Again full info on the website.

See you on the 9th January.

One of the aims of the DCGLUG Is to promote GNU / Linux and Free software.   But what does this all mean.

Free software in the context of the group refers to software that is FREE as in FREEDOM rather than simply free as in cost.   The free software foundation set up by Richard Stallman in 1985 defines free software by giving users 4 basic freedoms which are:

• The freedom to run the program as you wish, for any purpose (freedom 0).
• The freedom to study how the program works, and adapt it to your needs (freedom 1). Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
• The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor (freedom 2).
• The freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements to the public, so that the whole community benefits (freedom 3). Access to the source code is a precondition for this.

You can read more about this on GNU Project website.

What is GNU.?

Back in the early 80’s the UNIX operating system came with source code,  when the owners of UNIX decided to make people pay for the software they also took away access to this source code.  So Richard Stallman set up the GNU project to create all the tools that came with Unix as free software so hackers could carry on as before and be able to modify the tools / software to fit in with their needs.

So what is Linux.   Linux refers to the kernel of the operating system,  this part carries out tasks such as memory / disk management, process management etc.  It was created in 1991 by Linus Torvalds, who at the time was a student at the University of Helsinki in FInland.  Linus is still involved with development to this day.

So what is GNU + Linux or GNU / Linux

While the GNU project simply created the tools used within the Unix operating system it did npt have a kernel to run on.    The GNU project did start on a kernel called HURD but this development was slow.  So when Linus created and eventually released the kernel under the GPL the concept of GNU + Linux was born as there was now both a kernel and related tools to get work done.

Links

GNU Project

Free Software Foundation (Boston, MA)

Free Software Foundation Europe