CovLUG
Linux is a modern, advanced, powerful, secure computer Operating System developed by an international community and is available free to everyone.
With over 100 members CovLUG is an active, friendly, fun and sociable group of people with an interest in Open Source software, hardware and operating systems - such as Linux - and is part of a vibrant local and international community.
Come and join us - we welcome you as novice, expert, home, academic or professional user to benefit from on-line help, advice and discussion via our active mailing lists.
The group is run on a voluntary basis by its members and thus depends on its members to organise ad-hock meetings and events for things to happen. If you would like to give a presentation to the group, suggest a talk or arrange a social or technical meet up of the local geeks, please join our mailing lists and post a message.
More About Us
The membership of the group is diverse; we include people using Open Source at work in a professional capacity, as well as those who enjoy using their favourite OS as a hobby. The levels of experience range from beginner to expert. If you are an Open Source user or just interested in learning more about Linux or Open Source software, hardware or projects you're welcome to join the group.
Interests
Our interests are much broader than the name of the group may suggest:
Open Source Operating Systems
The primary interest of the group is the Linux Operating System and derivatives, Android is also a Linux system, but members interests also cover BSD variants, Haiku, ReactOS, RiscOS Open and the less open systems of Apple MacOS/Darwin and unix products such as Solaris/OpenIndiana & Irix.
Open Source Software
With the many thousands of OSS projects there is plenty to interest members. Interests also cover open source programming languages such as Julia, Python, Octave, R and web programming, development and mobile apps.
Open Source Hardware
There are open source hardware interests too such as the Arduino, Raspberry Pi and the multitude of projects that can be created with them. There is even a mobile phone project, Openmoko and a tablet computer WeTab.
Other Open Projects
Perhaps the most famous 'open project' is OpenStreetMap.org and there are a multitude of others.
Of course, there are always discussions on all aspects of Free and Open Source projects.
Related Organisations
We are part of a lively, active and growing open source community throughout the Midlands - here are some of the other local groups: Rugby Linux User Group, Birmingham Linux User Group, PyWM, Python West Midlands, fizzPOP, Open Rights Group Birmingham, also here. On Meetup you may find several other groups of interest.
And some national and international groups of related interest: FlossUK, Open Rights Group, Electronic Frontier Foundation and Free Software Foundation Europe.