The sys admin's daily grind: Getting wet at LUG Camp
Wet Zone
Charly reports from LUG Camp in Flensburg, Germany. The fact that Charly got wet has nothing to do with absent mindedness, but much to do with the sheer wetness of the event.
Each of the eight previous LUG Camps [1] has been characterized by something special, including indoor camping in an old factory building at the Wuppertal Camp in 2005, or unusual locations, such as the Brienz shipping company's dry dock, where the Swiss branch hosted an amazing event in Interlaken.
What Flensburg had to offer in 2008 was commitment. LUG obviously only recruits members who have (too) much time and energy – excellent prerequisites for hosting this year's LUG Camp, which has alternated between Germany, Austria, and Switzerland for nine years.
Floating Penguins
Naturally the fringe program would have something to do with water because, after all, Flensburg does host the Rum Regatta [2], and it was safe to assume there would be more than just a visit to the beach. In the Rum Regatta, the goal is to come in second; the first-placed team leaves empty handed.
Despite this, some 70 Linux geeks were still fairly surprised to be invited to join in with swimming tests. The organizers in Flensburg had rented the local baths for the afternoon and welcomed us with a synchronized swimming display that they had been practicing for almost a year. They really exhausted themselves, and weren't afraid to make fools of themselves to cheer up the audience with dry swimming displays [3].
We were touched, and jumped in at the deep end to take the swimming challenge from "Penguin" level – which is about what any normal seven-year old might be expected to achieve – to "Dead Tux" level – the name speaks for itself.
Blind Presentation
They also had a morning program, which the organizers took far too seriously. One of the mainstays at LUG camps is to drag somebody onto the stage and let them talk about a subject they haven't a clue of that is based on an OpenOffice presentation written by somebody else. Strangely, I seem to suffer from jet lag when I get back from some German venues, and Flensburg was one of them. If you are interested in experiencing the same kind of time warp, why not visit LUG Camp next year.
Check online for an event near you [4] [5]. Look forward to seeing you.
Infos
- LUG Camp: http://lug-camp.org
- Rum Regatta: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rum-Regatta
- Flensburg lead ducks: http://www.lugfl.de/index.php?id=bleienten
- FLOSS Calendar: http://www.guckes.net/cal/
- Linux Magazine event calendar: http://www.linux-magazine.com/resources/event_calendar
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
So Long Neofetch and Thanks for the Info
Today is a day that every Linux user who enjoys bragging about their system(s) will mourn, as Neofetch has come to an end.
-
Ubuntu 24.04 Comes with a “Flaw"
If you're thinking you might want to upgrade from your current Ubuntu release to the latest, there's something you might want to consider before doing so.
-
Canonical Releases Ubuntu 24.04
After a brief pause because of the XZ vulnerability, Ubuntu 24.04 is now available for install.
-
Linux Servers Targeted by Akira Ransomware
A group of bad actors who have already extorted $42 million have their sights set on the Linux platform.
-
TUXEDO Computers Unveils Linux Laptop Featuring AMD Ryzen CPU
This latest release is the first laptop to include the new CPU from Ryzen and Linux preinstalled.
-
XZ Gets the All-Clear
The back door xz vulnerability has been officially reverted for Fedora 40 and versions 38 and 39 were never affected.
-
Canonical Collaborates with Qualcomm on New Venture
This new joint effort is geared toward bringing Ubuntu and Ubuntu Core to Qualcomm-powered devices.
-
Kodi 21.0 Open-Source Entertainment Hub Released
After a year of development, the award-winning Kodi cross-platform, media center software is now available with many new additions and improvements.
-
Linux Usage Increases in Two Key Areas
If market share is your thing, you'll be happy to know that Linux is on the rise in two areas that, if they keep climbing, could have serious meaning for Linux's future.
-
Vulnerability Discovered in xz Libraries
An urgent alert for Fedora 40 has been posted and users should pay attention.