Welcome to SoSLUG, we are a group of enthusiasts based in Southend who meet every Monday to discuss all things Linux and to promote Open Source Software, both of which provide an alternative to Microsoft and Apple software. Collectively we form a Linux User Group (LUG) hence our name SoSLUG. Membership is open to everyone and whilst you don not need to join as a member you are encouraged to do so at a fee of £24 per annum, and you don't have to speak Geek to join us. Why not just pop along one evening, you may be novice, expert, or just plain curious. Perhaps you have never heard of Linux or Open Source software before, but the chances are you have already used Linux without realising it.
Do you use Google, Facebook or Twitter? That's right, they are Linux based. Do you draw money from an ATM, or checkout at the till in a supermarket. Chances are they use Linux as well, along with your mobile phone yes Android is Linux also, TV and DVD player, as manufacturers add internet functionality.
So what is Open Source Software? Well the articles on this site are a reflection of members interests. It may be photography, animation, video or sound recording. Anything in fact which can be supported by a computer. Looking for a way of cataloging or editing digital photos, but are put off by the price of commercial software? To answer that question, why not try the Open Source Software package called the GIMP. You don't even have to install Linux to run it, it works perfectly well on Windows too!
Maybe you just want word processing, spreadsheet or presentation software. Try Open Office (or LibreOffice). Its compatible with Microsoft Office, oh and did I forget to mention it runs on Windows too, just download it from the internet. There are lots of other packages out there to rival the branded software.
If you have got this far, and are sufficiently curious to maybe want to try one of the popular flavours of Linux, you can with a Live CD. Just insert a disk and off you go, nothing is installed The first thing you'll notice is its different (not difficult), so take a little time to get used to that, and maybe after a little while you'll be hooked, like us. If you need some help getting started, why not pop along, our advice is always free.
Lastly if you take a look around our site, you will see we occasionally get involved in community projects with others and groups in the Southend area, such as Mediashed, Metal Culture, and of course, Tap.
