Tom works for Canonical, the makers of Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Edubuntu, etc. as a
Systems Administrator for Launchpad and
Landscape.
From Tom :
“The main topic of the talk will be about a volunteer project undertaken
by the SF-LUG to resurrect a housing authority’s computer lab using
Edubuntu. How the project started, where we are now, and where we go
from here. Possibly with a demonstration of LTSP (the Linux Terminal
Server Project) on my laptop. I’ll also be happy to answer any questions
I can about Ubuntu, Canonical, Launchpad, Landscape, etc.”
In this talk Kyle will cover the basics of how DNS (Domain Name System) works. The talk will include a short history of the service, how it works today, and a step-by-step walk-through of what happens between entering a domain into a web browser and getting back an IP address. Also covered is how you could use this new-found knowledge to take down the Internet. Specific implementations of DNS (BIND, djbdns, PowerDNS) will not be covered.
Innovation continues at a mind-bending pace, and this presentation will showcase some thought-provoking new directions that Web Services are headed in. The presentation will provide an overview of Amazon Web Services, including a Web Service named Mechanical Turk that allows computers to make requests of people, an online storage service, a Virtual Server controlled by a Web service, and more. There will also be a demo showing how to set up a virtual server. But mostly this will be an opportunity to have a discussion about innovation and entrepreneurial tools.
Amazon spent ten years and over $1 billion developing a world-class technology and content platform that powers Amazon web sites for millions of customers every day. Most people think “Amazon.com” when they hear the word; however developers are excited to learn that there is a separate technology arm of the company, known as Amazon Web Services or AWS. Using AWS, developers can build software applications leveraging the same robust, scalable, and reliable technology that powers Amazon’s retail business. AWS has now launched ten services with open API’s for developers to build applications, with the result that over 200,000 developers have registered on Amazon’s developer site to create applications based on these services.
Bio
Mike Culver joined the Developer Relations Group of Amazon Web Services in May, 2006. Mike brings with him fifteen years of technology leadership experience, including at companies such as Microsoft. In addition Mr. Culver has a strong background running an IT organization, with over a decade of experience in the Electrical Wholesale Distribution industry. As a Web Services Evangelist at Amazon, he helps developers take advantage of disruptive technologies that are going to change the way we think about computer applications, and the way that
businesses compete.
Visual Basic allows anyone, even beginners, to do Windows programming.
You can create powerful graphic applications just by dragging and
dropping widgets onto a form and typing a couple of lines of Basic.
Gambas takes rapid application development even further, and makes it
more powerful - with access to QT and KDE functions just a couple of
mouseclicks away - and it’s for Linux!
In this presentation you’ll get a quick introduction to the Gambas
development environment and see how easy it is to build a webcam application.
The PowerDNS Nameserver is a modern, advanced and high performance authoritative-only nameserver. It is written from scratch and conforms to all relevant DNS standards documents. Furthermore, PowerDNS interfaces with almost any database.
In this talk August will discuss how PowerDNS can serve your Name Serving needs, some of its advantages and disadvantages, how it can play well with other Name Servers and how you can migrate to it.
August is the Senior System Administrator at Sonic.net; more information about him can be found at his personal website.
Cryptography has been around since the days of the Pharos, and could
possibly be the reason for the birth of the modern computer as we know it.
In this talk, Aaron will touch on some of the highlights of crypto’s long
history; explain some simple and more complex ideas/terms, following with
information about how this involves Linux. He will cover how to secure not
only, the files you hold on your computer, but your traffic as it goes
over the tubes (from mail to myspace). Aaron will cover some of the common
misconceptions and overview some basic to advanced tools available. This
talk will try to have information and tips for those brand new to Linux
and cryptography… but also advanced users as well. Qrzbf ner ehzberq.
Several handheld computers are on the market that run(or can be made to run) Linux. In this talk, Bob will discuss the differences between Linux on the desktop and on these little devices. He will compare models from Compaq/HP, Sharp and Nokia, the different window managers, and show some of the applications available. Bob has owned a few different handhelds and will bring a couple of them to demonstrate. Some technical points regarding Linux on small systems will also be brought up.
The date for our next Installfest has been confirmed: Saturday, March 17th at O’Reilly Media in Sebastopol (directions).
If you are interested in attending, please pre-register on our Installfest page. If you would like to help out, please send an email to installfest[at]nblug.org. If you’d like to help promote the event, we will also have a flyer that you can print out and post in useful places (watch this space and the announce list for a link to the flyer when it is ready).
Also: In conjunction with the installfest the March General Meeting (Tues., March 13th) will be a discussion geared towards new Linux users. Watch this site and the mailing lists for more info!
As a predecessor to NBLUG’s upcoming InstallFest (Saturday, March 17th), the NBLUG Panel will be answering all of your basic Linux questions at tonight’s meeting. Topics range from multimedia (sound, video, burning, ripping), installing software, desktop managers (KDE, Gnome, et cetera), setting up printers, wifi networks, security, and much more. We will first start with the list of questions asked on our mailing list during the past weeks, and time permitting, will end with questions from the audience. Bring your friends and anybody you know who is interested in learning more about Linux for this new user-friendly talk!
The Linksys NSLU2 (Network Storage Link Unit) is a small NAS devices
(Network Attached Storage). The NSLU2 is most often referred to as the
“SLUG” by the Linux community built around it, due to the appearance of
its acronym. The NSLU2 runs Linux out of the box, due to this Linksys
was forced to release the source code under the GPL, opening it wide
open for anyone looking for a cheap/silent/small server. This talk
will cover Firmware Options, Installation of Firmware, Overclocking,
Installing a full version of Debian, and some cool uses for a “Slug”.
As a small side note, I will also show how to use Linksys’s new
Wireless G camera (WVC54G) in Linux. The talk will also feature the
Linksys WRT54G,and some related differences between it and the
“Slug”. Please leave the salt at home.
Chris will be briefly going over the history of Asterisk. He’ll discuss a few available protocols like h.323, SIP, and IAX2. He’ll go into a little more detail about IAX2 since it’s simple and has low over head. Chris will be demonstrating a simple SIP device. Then make a call from one Asterisk server to another. Maybe even a couple servers hooked to each other. Possibly a call into his home PBX that goes over a VPN tunnel.
NBLUG members are invited to call my PBX by dialing: (707)703-1982 or connecting to: guest@odunix.org with their SIP or IAX2 client.
Radio Requency Identification tags are used by Walmart and the Department of Defense to track supplies. RFID tags are also used by hospitals, prisons and schools to track people. Libraries use them to track books and soon, they’ll be in passports and maybe even on our drivers licenses. Come learn how the technology works and who’s got big plans for RFID in our big brother future.
