Linux Users Group hosts free quarterly Installfest
By Areim Omar
April 8, 2010 10:28 p.m.
A room strewn with slightly worn, yet comfortable couches, donated computer equipment and a collage of CDs spelling out “UCLA” hanging on the back wall is a haven for the technologically savvy and the technologically inept alike.
The Linux Users Group office,in Boelter Hall 3820 is home to volunteers who provide software and hardware help to students and faculty in need.
This Saturday, the Linux Users Group is holding its quarterly Installfest, where members will provide free Linux installations for students required to have it for class or those curious about how Linux works. Group members will give instruction on the basics of the operating system, and for those wary of putting a new operating system on their computer, will put the system on a USB drive, if provided.
“(Linux) is really prevalent in academia, and it is free. We want to make for a better understanding of the open source nature of Linux,” said Jameel Al-Aziz, a fourth-year computer science student and member of the Linux Users Group.
Many computer science classes require the Linux operating system because it is open source versus a propriety system, which allows for creativity in expanding on the code rather than simply using an already set one. In order to see and understand the code, there need to be tools, said Neil Tilley, a computer science graduate student.
The main goal of the Linux Users Group, the UCLA chapter of a worldwide network of groups, is to provide a community that is easily accessible and much more personal than people are used to, Tilley said.
“You can’t underestimate the importance of human contact,” said Sean Moon, a fourth-year linguistics student and president of the group.
The group runs solely on donations of computers, books and other tools from software companies and publishers, in order to sustain its support system for students in need of technological assistance of all types. The office is open to all students on the weekdays, as long as someone is in the office, typically until 6 p.m. but those hours are almost always extended if someone is in the office, Al-Aziz said.
Anyone who is interested in joining the group, learning more about Linux, or discussing computer related topics is welcome to walk into the office, as the purpose of the student-run group is to benefit students, Tilley said.
