OSEL Blog

The May issue of Open Sources is now available.  This issue is almost exclusively about the OSWALD (Oregon State Wireless Active Learning Device).

On Monday (4/27) the LUG, CPATH, and EECS jointly celebrated the release of the OSWALD.  Not only did we get to see how many people can fit into the new LUG room, we also enjoyed an afternoon of cake, pizza, mingling, and hacking.

For those who haven’t been introduction to the OSWALD, it is a hand-held device originally designed by OSU student Kevin Kemper as his senior design project.  Now the OSWALD plays an active role in the undergraduate computer science program by demonstrating concepts in a hands-on setting.  Since it’s launch, first year students have written an MP3 player for the OSWALD in Java.  Read Open Sources for more.

Get it while it’s still April :).

The April edition of Open Sources is now available. This month’s issue is all about Barcamp, held on April 4th.  Pictures are available on the Flikr Group.

The Open Source Education Lab is hosting another fabulous BarCamp at OSU’s Kelley Engineering Center.  Saturday, April 4th from 10AM through 7PM though the end time is flexible.  Setup, for those willing, begins at 9AM followed by introductions at 10:30.  Sessions will begin at 11. For more information, check out beaverbarcamp.org and remember to register.  As always, everyone is invited.

What is a BarCamp? Unlike traditional conferences that do silly things like make schedules ahead of time, at BarCamp the schedule is created throughout the day by popular consensus. Anyone who wishes to lead a talk on any topic can do so. We have enough rooms to host a bunch of different tracks going at the same time. Pick what is most interesting at the time, jump between sessions or just run one yourself!

Curious about the new Oswald device/Fuzzy Walrus/Platform for Learning?  We’ll have 10.  Want to talk OLPC? Done. Learn more about Python web development with Django? Not a problem. Learn to juggle or crochet? We’re there for you. How about mirroring the success of our own Open Source Lab at other universities? Go for it! Anything that you want to talk about is fair game, just sign up for one of the conference rooms in the lobby and whoever wants to partake in that discussion will join. Sound fun? It is! BarCamps in Seattle, Portland and throughout the world have had phenomenal success with these “unconferences.” Their flexibility and fresh material makes for a fun, thought-provoking day.

Note:  Thank you mburns for the wonderful write up

Summer is approaching fast!  Not only does that mean an imminent return to sunny weather but also and means Google Summer of Code is back.

Google is accepting summer of code applications through April 3, programming begins on May 23.  Join the festivities!  Find a cool project and apply.

This year, Google is paying a stipend of $4,500 for successful projects.

Also, a big congratulations to the Open Source Lab for being accepted as a mentoring organization again for 2009.

If you are interested in working with the OSL this summer, check out the ideas page and submit a proposal!

Articles:

Original Network World article

KVAL article

The OSU Open Source Lab has been voted one of the nations 10 coolest university networking labs due to its renowned open source project hosting history and interesting development projects.

Specific cool lab features sited were:

• The Linux kernel - We even have had a “Woozy Beaver” kernel version committed on OSU’s campus in the LUG.
• Drupal - Drupal is heading the way of Firefox.  What was once another program to create and maintain web sites is gaining popularity and is now widely used both on OSU’s campus and in the open source community.
• Apache Software Foundation including the Apache web server - The OSL helps keep the internet running.  Apache is used on more than half of the web sites in the world.
• Oregon Virtual School District - The OSL is developing an online learning and support system for K-12 students with Moodle.
• Government Open Source Conference (GOSCON)

As Fall2008 comes to a close, I wanted to recognize all of the great speakers we’ve had at LUG this term.  The LUG has had five presentations over the past 10 weeks and hopefully there will be more in the future.

On an administrative note:  The LUG will continue meeting on Monday afternoons at 6PM in KEC 1007 next term!  Bring yourself, projects, homework, etc. and eat pizza while learning more cool things about open source.

On to the presentations!

Kevin Kemper, Ryan Albright and Ben Goska presented the KD device aka Platform for Learning aka Fuzzy Walrus

For the sake of this description we’ll call it the PFL or Platform For Learning

On the very first week of this term Kevin Kemper, Ryan Albright, and Ben Goska came to the LUG to talk about the new CS platform for learning.  The idea behind this cool new gizmo is to unify the information incoming CS students learn over the course of the CS program.  Starting Winter 2008, incoming CS students will receive a PFL and begin writing programs for the device immediately so that even introductory code is applicable and extensible.

Remember there is a contest for naming this new CS tool so submit a name and possibly win a free PFL!

Larry Cafiero from Fedora

Larry Cafiero visited OSU and talked about his experiences working for Fedora, Open Source, and why what he does is cool.  Larry’s visit also highlighted something we often forget in the LUG.  There are jobs for everyone in Open Source.  Many of those are programming intensive but many involve talking to people, expanding the market for open source, and dispeling common myths about FOSS.

Donnie Berkholz

Donnie presented not only a lightening talk on cool git tools but also gave an advanced BASH tutorial as a follow up to the beginning BASH presentations given at the beginning of the term.

Eric Betts on Beaver Source

Last but not least, Eric Betts presented the Beaver Source project beginning here at OSU.  The idea behind Beaver Source is to promote open source on campus while encouraging collaboration on CS projects within the university.  Beaver Source provides important CS project tools like version control, bug tracking, team collaberation, etc. paired with a social network to bring new students into projects and encourage new project formation.

The OSU Linux Users Group and Open Source Education Lab are hosting two Linux tutorials on Monday and Tuesday next week.

Tuesday’s tutorial will introduce Linux at OSU/Beginning BASH.  This tutorial will outline everything you need to know about our Linux engineering servers on campus (flip and flop) as well as introducing BASH.  No knowledge of Linux is required and the presentation will be aimed towards using Linux servers as a tool rather than a home computer.

In short:
What: BASH/Linux server help
Who: Anyone interested is invited
Where: KEC 1005
When: Tuesday 10/7

Topics covered:

• Command Line basics: man and –help, options/flags, parameters, how to change from the default shell to BASH
• Remote server basics:  ssh, scp
• Basic negotiating the file system: ls, cd, mv, mkdir, rm, find, grep, cp, intro to pipes
• Basic file editing/reading: less, vim, nano, emacs
• environment variables and aliases
• What shell and the engineering servers will and will not do either because of capacity, no root access, etc.

Monday’s tutorial will be aimed more towards running, installing, and working with Linux as a personal computer. Though the same content will be covered there will also be a mini install feast, more individual help, and more focus on package managers, Linux distributions, etc.  This meeting will also be in KEC 1005 at 6PM.

I hope to see some of you there! Feel free to contact me with questions or comments.
Sarah Cooley cooleys@onid.orst.edu

The OSU Linux User’s Group has a booth this year at the Beaver Community Fair (Club Expo).  For current LUG members, come help man the booth or stop by and say hi.  If you’re new to OSU or interested in the LUG we will be there!

Community Fair Schedule/Details:

When:  October 3 (The first Friday of classes)
Setup times: 10-12
Fair times: 12-17
Where: MU Quad

Google donated $300,000 to the OSU Open Source lab, continuing to support Open Source development, hosting, and software use at OSU.  Google’s contribution will promote growth within the OSL and allow the lab to continue hosting large, innovative or essential, projects such as Drupal and Apache.

Thank you Google!

 The Official Press Release

Students from the OSL and OSEL giving a 30 minute presentation about open source opportunities at OSU.  If you have or know of open source opportunities on campus or in Corvallis (preferably available to incoming OSU freshman), tell us!

E-mail things we should talk about, ideas, etc.  to the OSEL mailing list or Sarah Cooley at cooleys at engr.orst.edu.