BACKGROUND: Since the advent of the GNU project in 1984, and the phenomenal success of the Linux kernel since 1992, free Un*x operating systems (such as GNU/Linux, *BSD, and the GNU Hurd) have made serious inroads into the server marketplace, and stand poised to conquer the desktop.
PRINCETON CONNECTION: Un*x systems are second to none for didactic purposes, as their source code is free for students worldwide to read and modify. In addition, they're often far more stable, and always far more customizable than their proprietary counterparts, so they've become popular among college students
Getting started with Un*x isn't difficult, but given the sheer number of choices involved in acquiring and configuring the necessary software, potential users could benefit tremendously from a users' group familiar with Un*x and the issues involved in using it on the campus networks.
We Propose such a users' group. Currently the campus has a helpful FAQ maintained by Victor Shnayder '03 and a long-dormant newsgroup (pu.comp.linux). We propose to create a mailing list and web site dedicated to Princeton free-Un*x issues, to provide advice and to exchange ideas. The mailing lists are now up and running.
Our goals for the first month:
Our overall goal is evangelism: to promote the on-campus use and development of free un*cies such as GNU-Linux and (Free | Open | Net)BSD.
The current list membership is 18. We anticipate that this will grow as we pursue our evangelical mission and spread the word of Un*x.
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