NYCBUG Launches new website

[Brad Schonhorst]

The New York City *BSD User Group (NYC*BUG) web site has been revised
and relaunched at www.NYCBUG.org.

In addition to a large number of enhancements and new features, the web
site is now hosted in a cabinet provided by New York Internet
(www.nyi.net) with a full 10 meg pipe.  Other projects in this cabinet
include BSDCertification.org and OpenBSD's FTP2.USA server
(ftp2.usa.openbsd.org), the NYCBUG Tor node (tor.eff.org) and a good
number of various group and project mailing lists.

The updated and revised applications are all now PostgreSQL-driven, with
the exception of one.  Additionally, since NYC*BUG now hosts the
devices, all monitoring, statistics and administrative tasks have become
easier.

A new online section has been developed for NYCBSDCon
(www.nycbsdcon.org), a *BSD conference that was first held this past
September at Columbia University.  We look forward to this year's
NYCBSDCon being held in an expanded and fuller format in the fall of 2006.

Current online applications that are included and updated include:

dmesgd, a repository for user to submit dmesgs from their *BSD systems.
 The application makes checking hardware compatibility easier with full
text searches.

Library, a section of the NYC*BUG site which contains a number of
documents for *BSD users and administrators.  Contributions are strongly
encouraged.

BSDTracker, which includes databases of both *BSD service providers and
*BSD using entities.  BSDTracker is a tool in illustrating the often
hidden, but large penetration of the BSDs into enterprises.

The Links section now allows for the easy submission of *BSD related
links.  It's an excellent tool to publicize your projects connected to
the *BSD community.  Links includes a section for date-based events and
happenings, so that the actual organizers can provide information easily
and quickly.

The Gallery now hosts photos from various *BSD events with a nifty
interface.

Finally, in conjunction with Tao of Security guru Richard Beijtlich
(taosecurity.blogspot.com), NYC*BUG has launched PortRequest for FreeBSD
ports.  While at the time of this release there are some 13306 ports
available through the FreeBSD ports section, every sysadmin finds a
useful application not yet in the ports tree that would not only benefit
themselves but others also. PortRequest is an attempt to bridge the gap
between systems administrators and port developers.

For all these new and enhanced applications, we encourage *BSD users to
contribute and submit their dmesgs, useful documentation, etc.  NYC*BUG
does not view itself as an ordinary coming-together of end-users on a
regular basis, but rather as a technical user group working to
strengthen and build the *BSD community.  It's contributions from those
in New York City and beyond which has already given NYC*BUG over two
strong years.

As hardware contributions continue, we will be adding additional mirrors
and projects to the colocation cabinet, including mirrors for each of
the projects not already included.  For anyone with hardware to donate,
whether full rack-mountable systems or parts, especially RAID cards and
hard drives, please contact us under the About section of the web site.

NYC*BUG would like to thank all those who have provided the sweat, input
and material for the new web site.  This includes New York PHP
(www.nyphp.org), which has provided hosting for the site and mailing
lists in our first two years.