[Blackpool] MFS Meeting. (at PLANT NOMA) Tue, 15 May. "GNU Guix package manager"

Wed May 9 19:01:21 UTC 2018

Note the new location of PLANT NOMA on Dantzic Street, not normal
location of original Madlab.

Please feel free to forward this to those that would welcome it.

You can subscribe to the Manchester Free Software mailing list at:
https://lists.nongnu.org/mailman/listinfo/fsuk-manchester

* Event: Manchester Free Software's May Meeting

* Talk: GNU Guix package manager
* Speaker: Michael Dorrington

* Date: Tuesday, 15th May 2018 (3rd Tuesday of the month)
* Start time: 19:00
* Finish time: 20:30 (social in PLANT NOMA until 21:00)

* Location: PLANT NOMA
  -
https://madlab.org.uk/2018/04/madlab-and-plant-noma-announce-new-collaboration/
  - https://www.plantnoma.com/
* Address: Redfern, Dantzic Street, NOMA, M60 0AE.
  - Near Shudehill Interchange and not far from original Madlab.
  - https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=19/53.48668/-2.23934

== Details ==

The purpose of Manchester Free Software is to promote the Free Software
philosophy.

Every meeting we start with an opportunity for informal key signing.
For an explanation of what this is about see:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_signing_party

=== Talk ===

The main part of the meeting will be a talk with free discussion on the
topic.

The talk will be on GNU Guix (pronounced "geeks").  This is a package
manager like apt or rpm but with features those tools don't have.  Guix
allows normal user accounts (after a bit of system setup) to easily have
their own versions of software, have atomic upgrades and roll-backs, and
more.  Packages installed using Guix can be built from source on the
local machine or downloaded pre-built.  The Guix package manager can be
installed on a GNU/Linux(-libre) system that already has a package
manager without issue because Guix doesn't install packages in the
system package manager locations.

We will install and use the Guix package manager on the GNU/Linux-libre
from scratch system we built.  The features of Guix should mean
upgrading, removing and experimenting with packages on this system will
be a lot easier and safer.  The Guix features will be demonstrated in
the talk and the system investigated.  The aim of the talk is to give
users the knowledge and confidence to try Guix on any GNU/Linux(-libre)
system.

Depending on interest, we may, in a future talk, investigate the Guix
System Distribution (GuixSD).  This is where the Operating System (OS)
configuration 'declared' and then Guix builds the system.

More information:

* https://www.gnu.org/software/guix/manual/html_node/Introduction.html
* https://www.gnu.org/software/guix/packages/

If you have experience of GNU Guix or GuixSD then please consider giving
a lightning talk at the meeting.

== Event Planning ==

Software Freedom Day in Manchester 2018 is on Saturday, 15th September.

* https://www.softwarefreedomday.org/

== After-meeting ==

The formal meeting will be followed by informal discussion and
socialising in PLANT NOMA.

== Location ==

The meeting will take place at PLANT NOMA, details above.

== Transport ==

=== Parking ===

Around the venue there are parking meter bays that become zero cost
after 8pm on Tuesday so you will have to pay up until then and the
maximum stay is 2 hours BUT MAKE SURE YOU VERIFY ALL THIS on parking.

There are paid parking lots around the venue, they are marked by a blue
P in this OpenStreetMap centred on PLANT NOMA
<https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=15/53.48668/-2.23934>.  Most of
those parking lots are owned by NCP <http://www.ncp.co.uk/>.

If you can't decide otherwise then park in Manchester Arndale
<https://www.manchesterarndale.com/visiting/directions>.

=== Public Transport ===

Manchester Victoria (MCV) train station, Shudehill tram and bus station,
and Manchester Piccadilly bus station are all fairly close to PLANT
NOMA, see OpenStreetMap centred on PLANT NOMA
<https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=15/53.48668/-2.23934>.

Manchester Piccadilly (MAN) train station and Manchester Central Coach
Station are not too far away either.

== More Information ==

Information about Manchester Free Software can be found on the
Manchester Free Software pages on LibrePlanet
<https://libreplanet.org/wiki/Manchester>.

Regards,
Mike.
MFS Chair.

-- 
FSF member #9429
http://www.fsf.org/register_form?referrer=9429
http://www.fsf.org/about
"The Free Software Foundation (FSF) is a nonprofit with a worldwide
mission to promote computer user freedom and to defend the rights of all
free software users."

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