About & FAQ

We hope these pages sustain the interest of curious newcomers and provide some vocabulary for understanding how parts of computers mesh together. People with less technical backgrounds need a good on ramp to get up to speed with all this terminology. We are a group of volunteers helping one another. Learning a bit more about technology can feel like being on a slippery slope, in for a penny, in for a pound as they say. Technology can built upon itself with a seemingly absurd rate of change even for computer professionals.

Our purpose is to share our experiences with other users, developers and technologists. Less experienced, (even technophobic) curious users are welcome too.

Though Linux is a part of our group’s name, we respect and use other operating systems. We are mindful of and respect the effects of networks, Moore’s Law and project management constraints in tech projects.

We share our experiences with residents and visitors to the north-east San Francisco Bay Area — Walnut Creek, Clayton, Concord, Pleasant Hill, Pacheco, Martinez (the Diablo Valley area), Walnut Creek, Danville, Alamo, Blackhawk, San Ramon (the San Ramon Valley area) and Contra Costa County including Pittsburg, Antioch, Oakley, Brentwood and Lamorinda (Lafayette, Moraga and Orinda). Some of us are active in other groups in the San Francisco Bay Area, the state of California and beyond. An email contact form is below.

A new type of thinking is essential if

mankind is to survive and

move toward higher levels.

Albert Einstein, 1946

The ability to adapt behavior to challenges is as good a definition for intelligence as any I know, yet people continue to use other operating systems that present challenges all the time.

FAQ

  • Where do I start? Begin from what you know. We hope these pages bridge from where you are to learning more.
  • What programs can I run on my computer now? Each computer (large and small) comes with an operating system. App stores now make finding and installing software easy. The software that allows you to access the Internet is called a browser. If something isn’t working compatibility might be the culprit.
  • What operating systems can I download and use now? For those willing to try, some operating systems are developed openly like Linux and are always available for download. We recommend you start by trying Ubuntu. Computers are beginning to come pre-installed with some form of Linux operating system. An upgrade fee was required for Apple OS X but the latest version is a free upgrade. Apple OS X computers and Linux computers are based on UNIX. An upgrade fee is required for Microsoft Windows though public testing of pre-release versions have been available.
  • How is open source so different? Surprisingly, there are legal, community and technical aspects to really understanding (grokking) how open source works.
  • What about the command line? Before graphical operating systems interaction with a computer was always done using only a keyboard and text commands. All operating systems still offer this type of text user interface by typing commands one line at a time. This is still useful but less intuitive.
  • What is Linux, anyway? The word has been used by the public in several different ways. Please see our page describing Linux.
  • What is Ubuntu? Ubuntu (roughly translated) means humanity towards others. The word is used as the name of an operating system developed by the UK company Canonical based on the Debian GNU/Linux distribution.
  • What is your privacy policy? we don’t share or use any information provided with third parties.

Most Active Members

Looking for someone you saw at a meeting? Wondering who might turn up? Here are some of our members’ websites and an (alphabetical by last name) list of past active members. This is not at all an exhaustive list. If you’d like to be added, let us know.

Group History

  • Sep, Oct & Nov 2013 Regular Pittsburg meetings held on the second and fourth Fridays at 4PM at Steeltown Coffee & Tea, 695 Railroad Ave (at E
    7th), Pittsburg, CA. It is coffee shop and Mechanics Bank.
  • July 12th, 2012: Released our first podcast.
  • June 1st, 2012: Began exploring new focus areas, infrastructure upgrades and moved to twice monthly 7PM schedule.
  • Continued weekly meetings on Friday at 6PM at Caffe La Scala.
  • May 15th, 2009: First weekly informal meeting at Caffe La Scala.
  • April 24th, 2009: Several members attended Ubuntu California’s Jaunty release party at Caffe La Scala in Walnut Creek.
  • March 28th, 2009: Initial informal meeting at Todai in Sun Valley Mall in Concord with Phillip Tr
    ibble    , Robert Wall, Grant Bowman and others.

Goolge Plus Page

Our Google Plus page is up.

Contact Us

To make suggestions or for more information about the group you can come to a meeting, contact the email list or email admin@dvlug.org. We have a simple privacy policy.