[Gllug] [slightly OT]: Linux volunteering

[Rev Simon Rumble]

Yes this issue has indeed come up.  I have been involved for some
years with a small, loose-knit group called "rent-a-geek" operating in
Sydney which install and manages Linux servers for a bunch of NGOs.
Our clients include Oxfam, the Nature Conservation Council, the
National Parks Association and the Total Environment Centre.

Our clients are very happy with the work we've done.  Their servers
and networks are vastly more reliable than before our involvement when
they subsisted on cobbled together networks set up and kept going on
the smell of an oily rag and not enough knowledge.

The key to our success in this activity has been our low, achievable
aims.  The group is made up of socially aware geeks who know what
they're doing.  All of us have jobs in IT and, within the group, a
load of experience.  That means we're also all very busy people so the
volunteering required had to be kept small.

It is tempting to go for a full open source solution, but I heartily
recommend starting small and working up from there.  Going for servers
is a good place to start.  It's where Linux is taking over in the
corporate world, the users need learn little that is new and alien,
and best of all their current servers, if any, are likely to be poorly
maintained and expensive so you'll end up looking like a miracle
worker.

Linux on the desktop is a wonderful thing to aim for, but it will take
a lot of time and a lot of committed volunteers.  Managing volunteers
can be difficult because, when they're not paid, people have to juggle
other responsibilities.  Starting with servers also gives you some
exposure to the problems involved without getting in too deep.  You
can build up a base of volunteers before tackling the desktop step.

We tend to install e-smith server (SME www.e-smith.org) which is a Red
Hat based distro designed for small, medium businesses.  It does
net access, email, web proxy, file sharing (Samba and Netatalk) and
has an easy to use web interface.  Of course you can ssh in for remote
management too.

The main reason we use e-smith is because several of our volunteers
work for the company.  They actually started using it for rent-a-geek
purposes and busily sending back patches to improve the distribution
and were then offered jobs with the company.  The lead developer is
one of us, so you can be sure it will continue to serve the needs of
NGO offices.

Phew, it's amazing how long an email can get when you're waiting for a
kernel compile :)

That's the quick run-down of rent-a-geek.  If you manage to get
something up and running, I'd love to be involved.  Being somewhat
itinerant in London, I can't put my hand up for starting things but
I'm happy to get involved while I'm here.  I also have loads of
experience of this kinda thing so if you have any questions, just ask.

rent-a-geek's site is: http://www.rumble.net/rent-a-geek.html

-- 
Rev Simon Rumble <simon at rumble.net>
www.rumble.net
Send email with subject "send key pub" for public key.

 "It's better to die on your feet than to
  live on your knees."
- Power and the Passion, Midnight Oil
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