From:	 Jacqueline McNally <jacqueline@decisions-and-designs.com.au>
To:	 Linux Weekly News <lwn@lwn.net>
Subject: EVENT RELEASE: PLUG to Host Linux.conf.au
Date:	 Thu, 21 Feb 2002 01:47:43 +0800

Linux . conf . au

EVENT RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PLUG to Host Linux.conf.au
At The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Jan 22 - 
26, 2003

Perth, Western Australia (February 21, 2002) - PLUG (Perth Linux Users' 
Group Inc), a non-profit association for the Linux and Open Source 
community, today announced that it has been successful in it's bid to host 
the Linux.conf.au (LCA) in January 2003. LCA is a technical conference for 
professionals, enthusiasts, and students of Linux and Open Source. 
Technical papers are presented in a lecture style environment, with keynote 
presentations by a select few luminaries from the Linux and Open Source 
community world-wide.

The Perth Linux Users' Group aims to promote and assist the Linux and Open 
Source community through fortnightly seminars and workshops providing the 
opportunity to connect face-to-face with industry speakers and other Linux 
users. In addition to the free email discussion list, PLUG provides news, 
technical support, resources and forums on the web site 
(http://www.plug.linux.org.au). As part of the bid preparation for the 2003 
conference, PLUG produced a five minute video to invite people to attend. 
This video is available from a number of servers on the Internet from 
England, the USA, and Australia. You can find it at 
http://perth2003.linux.conf.au/.

Linux.conf.au is a national 'roaming' conference under the auspices of 
Linux Australia Inc (http://www.linux.org.au/). Its original incarnation 
was under the name "Conference of Australian Linux Users" (CALU), held in 
Melbourne at Monash University in 1999. In January 2001 it was renamed to 
"Linux.conf.au" (http://www.linux.conf.au/), and held in Sydney at the 
University of New South Wales under the direction of the Sydney Linux User 
Group (SLUG). In February 2002 it was held in Brisbane at the Univeristy of 
Queensland under the direction of the Home Unix Machine Brisbane User Group 
(HUMBUG).

LCA has a very high standing in the international community for being a 
very technically focused, yet relaxed conference schedule. All presenters 
are selected from the community are of the highest calibre.

IBM is positioned as a major supporter of the Linux community, and will 
continue as a key sponsor of Linux.conf.au in 2003. Other world-wide 
organisations are expected to support LCA 2003, as well as national and 
local businesses. The first Call For Papers will be released shortly.

#####

About Linux
Linux is a core part of a modern multi-user computer operating system 
developed by a world-wide network of enthusiasts and professionals, and is 
available for free under the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL). 
This license is special in that it specifically permits the end user access 
to the underlying source code that creates the Linux kernel, and permits 
them rights to modify it and redistribute it. The GPL is available from the 
Free Software Foundation (http://www.fsf.org). It is this model of license 
that leads to a "peer review" model of software development, since no part 
of the program remains undisclosed to any interested party.

Many organisations including IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Compaq Computer and Dell 
Computer are adopting Linux kernel based operating systems for a variety of 
tasks, from network servers to personal desktop machines.

The Linux kernel, in combination with a large selection of "user space" 
tools and utility programs are combined to create a complete computer 
operating systems, for example, Red Hat, Debian, SuSE, and MandrakeSoft.

As well as operating on commodity Intel based personal computers, Linux 
also runs on a number of other types of computers, such as large mainframes 
and commercial network servers, down to pocket organisers and wrist watches.

More information on Linux is available from http://www.linux.com/.

Linux(R) is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.
Other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

MEDIA RELEASE CONTACTS:
Perth Linux Users' Group Inc		
James Bromberger
+61 417 772 286 (GMT +0800)
james@rcpt.to

Linux Australia Inc
Gary Allpike
+61 400 885 567 (GMT +1000)
spice@spice.net.au

PUBLICITY CONTACT:
LCA 2003, Perth Linux Users' Group Inc
Jacqueline McNally
+61 8 9474 3021 (GMT +0800)
jacqueline@decisions-and-designs.com.au