If you're looking for where to get a copy of Linux... See "Major Linux Distributions" at SVLUG's Link Farm.

Silicon Valley Linux Links "The Link Farm"

• Freshmeat (Open Source editorials, see also Software)
• Slashdot ("News for Nerds, Stuff that Matters")
• LinuxToday (summary of Linux in today's news)
• Linux.com (news, links, info)
• Linux Weekly News (weekly, with some daily teasers)
• comp.os.linux.announce (last 50 via Google!groups)
• Yahoo! Full Coverage: Linux (search results)
• Linux.org.uk News - portal and discussion site
• The print publication Linux Journal (monthly) from Specialized System Consultants, Inc. (SSC)
• Linux Gazette — a volunteer-staffed monthly Web magazine (also packaged by Debian and some other Linux distributions)
  See also its Mirrors & Translations listing.
  SVLUG President Emeritus Ben Spade hosts an LG mirror site (stalled at 2004, though).
• Brave GNU World (monthly, 1999-2004)

• Linux-specific Documentation and References
  • Linux Documentation Project (LDP) Home Page -- one of the most popular Linux pages
  • Help Files Library from JustLinux.org
  • LinuxHQ — kernel info
  • Linux directory listing on Yahoo!
  • LDP search using Google search engine
  • Linux Security Administrator's Guide, by Dave Wreski [dusty (1998), but still there]
  • Linux Security Site by Kurt Seifried
• Open Source Documentation and References
  • Computers:Open Source at DMOZ Open Directory Project
  • Linux/UNIX Independent Group for Usability Information (archival link; folded in 2001)
  • GNU Manuals
  • "The Cathedral and the Bazaar" - an open source white paper
  • Moon Group Support Site — was "the home of all things mail", still useful for Mailhelp archive
• Linux-Related Organizations
  • Linux Standards Base (LSB)
  • Linux Incompatibility List - a better angle on the "Linux hardware compatibility list" problem
  • Linux International
  • Linux Professional Institute - Professional Certification for the Linux Community
  • Open Source Development Labs -- consortium for Linux development
  • linux.org's Linux Home Page

  Linux Userbase Counter Current estimate of Linux users worldwide The user base doubles every 6 months.

• Linux Advocacy Info
  • Linux Advocacy mini-HOWTO
  • Linuxmanship
  • "Operating System Sucks-Rules-O-Meter" - obviously Linux Rules

• Linux-Related Project Meta-Sites (foundries)
  • SourceForge
  • BerliOS Developer
  • Savannah for GNU and free non-GNU projects
  • SGI - Developer Central for Open Source
• A few Interesting Open Source Projects
  honestly, we can't dream of noting them all...
  • GNU-Win32 Project -- Unix environment on Windows
  • Although Blackdown seems to still exist, this Java/Linux portal is kept much more up-to-date.
  • Article "Escaping the Java Trap" highlights specifically open-source Java on Linux (most Java being notoriously proprietary)
  • Linux Enterprise Computing
  • Video4Linux resources - video capture subsystem
  • General Graphics Interface (GGI)
  • POSIX ACLs for Linux - information, and patches for kernels that don't yet have POSIX 1e ACLs
• Linux Software and Related Products
  • Freshmeat.net (updated daily)
  • Linux Software Map (updated weekly)
  • FileWatcher.com - FTP search engine
  • Enterprise IT Planet Linux
  • Scientific Applications on Linux [unmaintained since 2001; still useful]
  • Cheap Bytes - software and book vendor

• Ask Slashdot: Open Source Jobs
• HotLinuxJobs: search firm for both direct hire and contract jobs
• Linux Job Market: jobs board run by Christopher Lozinski
• IT Toolbox Linux Jobs
• Mojolin.com Linux Jobs
• SVLUG's own Jobs mailing list

• Ubuntu Linux: Debian-derived distro with GNOME (Ubuntu), KDE (Kubuntu), xfce4 (Xubuntu), education (Edubuntu), and server (Ubuntu Server) flavours
• Mandriva Linux: cutting-edge desktop distribution, derived from Red Hat
• Debian GNU/Linux: a worldwide community-maintained distro with over 21,000 packages on 11 CPU platforms
  • Debian GNU/Linux security info
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL): a corporate-standard Linux, not freely redistibutable, though rebuilds such as CentOS are (local offices in Mountain View)
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux updates FTP site
• Fedora is the freely-redistributable successor to Red Hat Linux, and a quick-moving testbed for RHEL. See also its one-disk desktop variant, BLAG.
• Novell / SUSE (local sales office in Oakland): a corporate-standard Linux, SUSE being the "community" side, Novell the corporate side
  • Novell / SUSE Linux security info
  • Novell / SUSE Linux Patches, Updates, Bugfixes
• Gentoo Linux: the leading source-based distribution, with VidaLinux Desktop OS and Sabayon Linux as desktop variants
• Slackware Linux: the oldest surviving distro, appealing for its elegantly sparse design, stability, and administrative control
• Knoppix: by default a run-from-CD distribution with focus on the KDE desktop and excellent hardware detection
• MEPIS Linux: a KDE-based desktop distribution, especially good for laptops and new Linux users
• Xandros Desktop OS is a KDE-based desktop distribution highly recommended for first-time Linux users, the two retail editions having sweeteners for paid support and greater Windows compatibility
• Karsten's Distributions Guide: a taxonomy
• Linux Distribution Chooser: automated questionnaire, to guide you
• Distrowatch's Major Distributions page, aka Beginner's Guide to Choosing a (Linux) Distribution
• Article " A Linux Distribution Comparison Matrix" (five major distributions compared)
• PowerPC-specific distributions
  • Yellow Dog Linux, a Red Hat-derived distribution
  • Fedora
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux
  • CentOS, the leading RHEL rebuild
  • Debian GNU/Linux
  • Ubuntu / Kubuntu
  • Gentoo Linux and VidaLinux Desktop OS
  • Mandriva
• Linux-compatible operating systems (run Linux software via compatibility module)
  • BSD OS (distributed by BSDi — now defunct)
  • DragonFly BSD
  • FreeBSD and its desktop offshoots FreeSBIE, PC-BSD, and TrueBSD
  • NetBSD
  • OpenBSD
  • lxrun: Linux compatibility for SCO OpenServer & UnixWare, and Sun's Solaris x86

• ASL, veteran server/workstation builder (Fremont)
• ASA Computers, Linux and BSD servers and workstations (Santa Clara)
• California Digital Corporation took over the Linux-based server and cluster hardware business of VA Linux Systems (Fremont)
• Emperor Linux, laptop/notebook vendor
• Iron Systems (created by the founders of Telenet Systems): BSD and Linux servers (San Jose)
• iXsystems (formerly OffMyServer, formerly part of BSDi, formerly Telenet Systems), BSD and Linux servers (San Jose)
• Linux Certified, laptop vendor and services company (Sunnyvale)
• Linux Consulting (Alvin Oga), vendor of rackmount 1U servers, small (cube) PCs, and high-capacity blade-server storage, and provider of support and consulting services (Palo Alto)
• Linux Systems Corporation markets and sells personal computers to the consumer and business markets using Xandros Desktop OS (Livermore)
• Mazda Technologies makes and sells Xeon and Opteron servers, rackmount storage, server racks/cabinets, ethernet switches, workstations, and laptops using Linux — and does software engineering and IT consulting (Fremont)
• Net Express makes Linux and BSD workstations, servers, clusters, and RAID arrays (Hayward)
• Penguin Computing, x86 and Opteron-based Linux computers (San Francisco)
• Sun Microsystems, Opteron-based Linux computers (Santa Clara)
• WalMart, believe it or not. Books, software, and other goodies too. (10 stores within 50 miles of SVLUG)

• almost any store that sells computer books (Borders, etc.) carries some books with bundled CDs/DVDs (but beware of obsolete software)
• Best Buy carries Linspire, sometimes other distributions (East Palo Alto, Union City, San Carlos, and Sunnyvale)
• Fry's Electronics carries Novell / SUSE Linux, Mandriva, Linspire, Slackware, and FreeBSD (San Jose, Sunnyvale, Campbell, Concord, Palo Alto, Fremont, and Sacramento)
• Micro Center carries MEPIS Linux, Novell / SUSE Linux, Linspire, and Xandros Desktop OS (Santa Clara)
• CompUSA carries Linspire, Slackware, Novell / SUSE Linux, Xandros Desktop OS, and MEPIS Linux (Concord, San Francisco, Emeryville, Sacramento, Pleasanton, San Bruno, San Jose, San Mateo, San Rafael, Santa Rosa, and Vacaville)

• sbay.org - South Bay Community Network
• BALE - Bay Area Linux Events

• Linux User Groups or Associations in Northern and Central California (and adjacent parts of Nevada)
  • Bay Area Debian
  • Bay Area Linux User Group (BALUG) (San Francisco)
  • Cal Linux Users' Group (CalLUG)
  • Central Valley Area Linux Enthusiasts (CVALE) (Stockton area)
  • Chico State Linux User Group (CSLUG) at California State University, Chico
  • Consortium of All Bay Area Linux (CABAL) (Menlo Park)
  • CSUEB Linux User Group (Hayward)
  • East Bay Linux User Group (EBLUG) (Fremont)
  • Fresno Linux Users Group (FLUG) (Fresno)
  • Linux Users Group of Davis (LUGOD) (Davis)
  • LinuxDojo (Linux Users Group Hayward) (Hayward)
  • North Bay Linux Users' Group (NBLUG) (Sebastopol)
  • PC Clubhouse Linux SIG (Hayward)
  • Peninsula Linux Users' Group (PenLUG)
  • Reno Linux Users Group (RLUG) (Reno)
  • Sacramento LUG (SacLUG) aka Linux Users Group of Sacramento (LUGS) (Sacramento)
  • San Francisco Linux Users' Group (San Francisco)
  • SJSU LUG (San Jose)
  • Smaug (Santa Cruz)
  • Stanford Linux User Group (Palo Alto)
  • Starship Augusta Ada (San Francisco/North Bay) - the 24th century's free software user group
  • UC Santa Cruz Linux Users Group (SlugLUG)
• Resources for user groups
  • BALE - Bay Area Linux Events
  • Linux Online User Groups
  • Linux User Group's Webring
  • Linux HQ Links (including LUGs)
  • LUGOW (the original LUG list, based in the Netherlands)
  • USENIX Local Unix User Groups List
• Info about starting a Linux User Group in your area
  • Linux User Group HOWTO
  • Article "How to Run a GNU/Linux User Group Web Site"
  • Article "Recipe for a Successful Linux User Group"
• Bay Area Technical Organizations
  • ACCU (Assoc. of C and C++ Users) Silicon Valley Chapter
  • ACM - San Francisco Bay Area Chapter
  • ACM/SIGGRAPH - Silicon Valley Chapter
  • Bay Area FreeBSD User Group (BAFUG) (San Bruno)
  • BayLISA (Bay Area Large-Installation System Administrators)
  • Bay Area Python User Group (BayPIGgies) (San Bruno and Mountain View)
  • Berkeley Unix User Group (BUUG) (Berkeley)
  • CocoaHeads, Silicon Valley Chapter (Cupertino)
  • Experimental Rocket Propulsion Society (ERPS)
  • Oakland Perl Mongers (Oakland)
  • SF Bay Area NetBSD User Group (Sunnyvale, but venue shown is reportedly wrong, try the one on BALE)
  • San Francisco OpenBSD Users Group] (San Francisco)
  • San Francisco Perl Users Group (San Francisco)
  • Silicon Valley BSD Users Group (SVBUG) (San Jose)
  • Silicon Valley Java Users Group (SVJUG)
  • Silicon Valley Perl Mongers (South Bay locations)
  • Silicon Valley WebGuild
  • Sonoma County System Administrators (SoCoSA) (Sebastopol)
  • The Tech Museum of Innovation (Downtown San Jose)
  • West Valley Amateur Radio Association (WVARA)
• Other Linux User Groups or Associations
  • Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts (ALE)
  • Central Indiana Linux Users Group (CINLUG)
  • High School Linux Users Group (HS-LUG), mail list supporting use of Linux in high schools
  • Linux Users of Los Angeles (LULA)
  • Orange County Linux Users Group (OCLUG), Orange County, California
  • Ottawa Carleton Linux Users Group (OCLUG), Ottawa, Ontario, Canada ("Silicon Valley North")
  • Sarnia Linux Users Group (SLUG), Sarnia, Ontario, Canada
  • Skåne Sjælland Linux User Group (SSLUG), Copenhagen, Denmark
  • Triangle Linux Users Group, Research Triangle Park (Raleigh/Durham), North Carolina
• Miscellaneous Non-local or Non-Technical
  • Silicon Valley PAF Users Group (genealogy)
  • SD Forum

• User Friendly comic strip
• Dilbert comic strip
• Ask Humorix: So You Want To Start Your Own Linux User Group
• Segfault.org: "What If Linus Torvalds Gets Hit By A Bus?" - An Empirical Study
• Running Windows Viruses with WINE