Prof George Easaw is our friend from Goa, geasaw @ gmail.com, who recently shifted to Kerala. He has played a key role in building GNU/Linux skills at the Goa Engineering College, including in arranging the visit and talk of Richard M Stallman to this institution! We all miss him in Goa. But at least, he's lighting fires elsewhere :-) FN

MBC-LUG makes a silent entry ..

The Linux User Group (MBC-LUG) at Mar Baselios Christian College of Engineering and Technology, Peermade, Iduki, Kerala has started functioning from 25 October 2006. Ms Reenu George, faculty from Comp Science Engg will be co-ordinating the meetings.

The first meeting was attended by six staff members and almost 20 students from first year to final year of engg from diff branches. The meeting was held in the new 60+3 machine lab (all PIV, with LCD monitors) with it's own audio (5 + 1 woofer) and video projection facilities.

Probably this is the first dedicated Linux lab with this capacity ( 60 + 3) anywhere in the state of Kerala ......!!!!! and hope it is the first in India too ..

The meeting started with an explanation of the concept of free software and the birth of Gnu / Linux, the role played by RMS, ( he is a familiar name here..). The demo was very interesting for the staff and students most of whom were working on Gnu / Linux for the very first time ..

It was interesting to navigate thru Linux using the text commands and also to do some matrix computations and 2D plotting using Octave.

The LUG will meet every Tuesday from 4.30 to 6 PM (except during exam time..) The Lab will anyway be open for students to work upto 8 PM on any working day.. Internet connectivity will be given to the lab soon. The lab technicians are slowly getting used to networking in Linux which too will be done soon.., connecting all the 63 machines..

-- Kind regards,

George Easaw Ph.D.,

Professor, Dept. of Mech Engg., MBC College of Engg. Kuttikanam, Peermade, Idukki, Kerala. 685 531 INDIA. mobile : (0)-924-931-9335