Interests in *BSD

[Gayn Winters]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-freebsd-questions at freebsd.org 
> [mailto:owner-freebsd-questions at freebsd.org] On Behalf Of 
> Maxime Paquin
> Sent: Wednesday, September 07, 2005 4:14 PM
> To: freebsd-questions at freebsd.org
> Subject: Interests in *BSD
> 
> 
> Hello, I am part of a LUG or Linux Users Group at my school. 
> Our goal is to 
> help spread free and open source software and operating 
> systems. We are also 
> doing some kind of demonstrations where we install *Nix 
> distributions and 
> show how to use them. The point is, we don't have broadband 
> access and can't 
> download whole distros. What I (speaking for my LUG) would 
> like to know, is 
> if you could send us at least one copy of FreeBSD and/or 
> OpenBSD and/or 
> NetBSD. We aren't asking for a lot, only a copy would be 
> enough since we 
> could pass it to each other so everybody can try it and 
> understand how it 
> works.
> 
> If you are interested in sending us a copy of a *BSD, please 
> send it to:
> 
> Maxime Paquin - Valleyfield LUG
> 149 Armand Ouest, Valleyfield
> Quebec, Canada
> J6S 2L4
> 
> Thank you very much in advance,
> 
> Maxime Paquin

Maxime,

It looks like your user group needs a steady stream of CDs for multiple
releases of multiple operating systems. In addition, you'll also need
access to applications, drivers, etc.  My suggestion would be to focus
on how to get reasonable speed access to the Internet. 

The local user groups around here (Southern California) beg and borrow
facilities for meetings at local universities and companies that are
willing to let them plug into their local area network and use their
Internet connection (at least during meetings).  If your LUG had a web
page, you could provide a 'thank you' link to your sponsors' web site in
trade for such usage.  You might exchange such ads for other forms of
sponsorship as well.

Even if driving into Montreal is too far, I'll bet you can find computer
clubs (or even friendly professors) in the universities there that would
help you out as well.  Invite them as speakers...

Finally, your club might consider building and selling PC's (with
various *nix operating systems of course).  If you sold one a month,
you'd probably make enough for a great internet connection!  (The
initial capital to get started could come from "deposits or down
payments" ...)

Good luck,

-gayn