We run regular skill shares about tech activism, GNU/Linux and free software. We also keep the computers in the cafe running. You can join our email list and find out what's going on. There's also the possibility of gathering up scrapped computer hardware, reviving it and distributing it to people.

GNU/Linux & Free software & Tech Activism events

Following on from the great success of the Free Software skill-shares at The Common Place over the summer, we've decided to set up a rolling program of similar events on the first Sunday of every month. All will be welcome, especially our friends from WYLUG. Setting the agenda for the next event will be done by concensus at each meeting.

Next event: Sunday 5th October 10am-4pm
Your hostess (event coordinator): Jessica Fishenden
Suggested program:

CRYPTODAY the 2nd! Possible contributions already offered are: how to use GPG encrypted email; securing your laptop & USB flash stick; encrypted files & filesystems; loop devices, device mapper modules and crypto support in the 2.6 kernel series; encrypting a /home directory.

We want to keep these events inclusive to newcomers, but also keep up interest for those who already know a thing or 00000010, so please come along whatever your skill levels are. This time around, we'll be trying to get the advanced stuff done in the morning then ave a 'clinic' session in the afternoon.

Possible future topics:

• Encrypted USB sticks and plausible deniability
• Secure email, including content encryption and 'end-to-end' privacy with SSL/TLS
• How to use free software at work if you're not allowed to
• Anonymising proxies, onion routers, and FreeNet
• BackTrack revisited

 .... Previous events:

3.8.08 Cryptoday the1st

6.7.08

This time around JimDog is going to be leading the session. The plan is to install and demonstrate VirtualBox (including demo of building from source), then use this to demonstrate the BackTrack distro as a virtualised LiveCD. We'll look at the software on that distro and discuss how it could be used to attack your computer, in order to allow you to make your computer safer against such attacks. Also, we'll be demonstrating how wifi networks using WEP are vulnerable, so people will understand why they shouldn't use WEP. This will include a live demo of cracking a WEP password set by a 'member of the audience' - watch out Derren Brown...

 1.6.08

- Tired of having to buy a new computer every 3 years because it seems to have slowed down? - Wonder why you have to pay to 'upgrade' a program you already bought, just to keep using it? - Have activist types been telling you to stop sending them Word documents? - Ever wondered why some of the computers in The Common Place run something called 'Ubuntu Linux?' ... if the answer to any of these questions is yes, then you might want to come to our skill-share on Sunday 1st June, 10AM-4PM at The Common Place. There will be teaching, explaining, sharing ideas and hands-on tuition using the GNU/Linux operating system and other free software. This programme can be changed according to who turns up and what we all want to do, but to give you an idea of what we have in mind:

* * * L I N U X A N D F R E E S O F T W A R E S K I L L - S H A R E D A Y * * *

* * * T H E C O M M O N P L A C E , S U N D A Y 1 S T J U N E , 1 0 - 4 * * *

This event is open to people of all skill levels. If you've done some of this stuff before, come and share that with people who haven't. Hopefully you can still pick up some new skills during the day. If you'd like to volunteer to demonstrate or talk on a particular topic, get in touch and we'll fit you in. People can just turn up to any of the sessions but it would be helpful if you let us know in advance that you're planning to come. Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it [remove the numerals to make it work] 10AM INSTALLFEST: Bring your own computer and we'll talk you through the process of installing the GNU/Linux operating system. You can install it to co-exist with your old Windows system, if there's space on your hard disk, or wipe it off and make a pure Linux system. Before lunch you should have your computer running Linux. - If you want to bring your computer, make sure anything important is properly backed-up first - Let us know in advance what you're bringing so we can prepare - If anyone has done this before, come and help someone else do it - We might also try converting one of the cafe computers that just runs windows, to 'dual-boot' (i.e you chose at start-up whether it runs windows or Linux 11AM HISTORY AND ETHOS OF THE FREE SOFTWARE MOVEMENT: We'll talk about why free software matters, how it started, what makes it different from proprietary software, and how it helps people to reduce consumption and overcome the boundaries of capital. "Free as in speech, not free as in beer." - Please come and join in if you've had experience of copyleft publishing or if you want to tell a story about how free software has affected your politics 12NOON FINISH INSTALLATIONS: We'll finalise the installations we started earlier and if time permits, fine-tune the systems - Please come and share tips for improving security, reducing energy use improving system performance 1PM LUNCH BREAK: The fanstastic common place brunch will be served! 2PM THE COMMAND LINE IS YOUR FRIEND: Tired of mice? Prefer to type? Want to harness the full potential of your system? Impress your friends etc.... we'll have some learning resources INTRODUCTION TO SOME COMMON FREE SOFTWARE APPLICATIONS: Introduction to some of the most widely-used free software. How to do the things you used to do in windows, but better. 3PM NOW WHAT? What you might do with your new skills - Tech collectives, Indymedia collectives, LUGs - How to join in developing software (you don't have to be a programmer) - Using free software in your activism - Helping other people to avoid surveillance and censorship: encryption, anonymising services, onion routers, tunnelling, etc. - On-line resources to learn more - Should we do some more events like this? e.g. focussing on specialised topics? - Anyone want to take on a specific project (open or closed group?) 4PM TIDY UP