I would have to link my love for Linux and anything Open Source, to the Star Trek television program.

• As a child watching Star Trek, never once do you see the crew downloading or purchasing software. Instead the crew would program in their own code, optimizing the ship and developing new algorithms on the fly. This is what I though computers should be like, open and available code for modification to suit the users needs, and this was also the primary reason I learned BASIC on a TRS-80 (in the 1980s).
  

  • -Thank you, Mr. Roddenberry for opening this doorway.
    

Linux user since 1997, server and desktop.
Free Speech, free beer, free software.

Mohave Community College Installfest

• April 1, 2009

  The InstallFest went off fantastically. Six (out of 10) machines were loaded with Ubuntu 8.10 and one with the Jaunty Beta. I have to say that the beta faired best during the install -- although the default being to 'overwrite' the current OS is silly. The major issue we had was resizing Vista partitions on the SATA drives, it would not resize -- and luckily these were machines that had no data, so that we could do single installs, otherwise many people would have said "NO" to Ubuntu. This needs to be fixed soon. 10 CDs were given out so that they could install at home.

Goals for Linux and Ubuntu

• Why I chose Ubuntu
  • Ubuntu generally works out of the box; with some hardware I have had to do some hacks to make them work, but overall even obscure hardware such as tablet drawing pads and odd wireless have come to work without too much labor.

• Getting the AZ LoCo InstallFest(s) streaming live over the intertubes.

Current Level of Involvement

• Ubuntero
  

• Active in IRC #ubuntu-arizona
  

• Co-Admin AZ LoCo Team Server Arizona Ubuntu LoCo
  

• Distributing free copies of Ubuntu to local stores, and local schools.
  

• Ubuntu Users Group for Mohave Community College (MuLuG - moo-lug) -- MCC User Group.
  

• Test-Server
  

• MCC Community Server
  

• This was my (work study) project, for the Fall 2008 semester -- to create a Social Networking site exclusively for MCC students. How could I pass up a chance to install Ubuntu 8.10 server on a Poweredge 200, and build a place for students to gather on the internet? ( built in eight days )

Linux Community Involvement

Past Involvement and History

Xipe Project

1998 -1999 The Xipe Project was a web development company, focusing on using LAMP to deploy Point of Sale systems, and integrating these with the businesses shopping sites.

DeVry Decatur

While attending DeVry, I helped found Linux@DeVry (1998), it was our local Linux users group.
During this time, I worked at a company deploying video surveillance systems, for Day Care centers. Managing 60 remote sites: Linux servers connecting to Axis IP cameras, and posting the image feeds to our web servers back in Atlanta. The core ideals of the project were sound, letting parents view their children, and monitor the activities there over the web from work or home. This is where I built my first self installing CDROM based on the Red Hat distribution.

• I left DeVry and Atlanta towards the end of 1999, to move back to Kingman AZ.

Mohave Linux Systems

1999 -2001 Upon arriving in Kingman we opened a Linux Store front, Mohave Linux Systems (tuxpc.com). Modeling it after a favourite store in Atlanta, GA -- the Linux General Store. The idea was to provide home users with low cost Linux PCs, and businesses with firewalls and network security. The Mohave Linux Systems store front closed in August 2000. From there I have worked as a Chef, Bus Driver, and Magazine Editor.

The Tri State Scene

2004 - 2005 (the Scene as it came to be known)
The Tri-State Scene came to life in 2004, and lived in tens of thousands of homes around Northern Arizona through 2005. A magazine printed in tabloid format on an offset printer in CMYK. All of this magazine was developed in Linux using Scribus, GIMP, Inkscape, and the assorted text editor (woot to VI). 10,000 copies were distributed to Kingman, Bullhead City, and Lake Havasu City, Arizona. This was also when I first had the opportunity to sample Ubuntu, which was a fantastic install on my Dell laptop, with a 600 mhz processor. Giving me the ability to edit and write from the road.
TriStateScene.com-deadlink-

Back into College

2007 - Present After closing the magazine I took my Linux passion back home as a renewed hobby. In 2007 I re-entered the academia, setting my sights on a BA Studio art and a MFA from NAU (Northern Arizona University).

I am currently seated as the Vice President of MC4. MC4 is the Computer Club at Mohave Community College, we organize computer recycling events (add link) and host LAN parties for the community ( and a little fragging helps a person regain the focus).
I was able to get MC4 to have Enemy Territory Quake Wars as one of the games in the LAN, thank you ID SOFTWARE for making Linux versions of your games.

The Cut

• Projects that were cancelled or were closed, but nonetheless were interesting and fun to do.

  • KAMPR.org -- Kingman Area Mexican Pioneers Reunion, a community/family site 2007kampr.org (domain owner did not renew)
    MyParty.dyndns.org -- Mohave County Democrats/Independents Social Networking site 2008myparty (project canceled)
    

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