Bangalore Linux User Group

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BLUG logo, created by Harikrishnan C

The Bangalore Linux Users Group is a Free and Open Source Software user group.

Formed in 1998, it jumped into the public eye with its participation at Bangalore IT.COM '99 - then India's largest and most prominent technology event. The Government of Karnataka gave the BLUG an entire pavilion, where it exhibited Linux-based machines showing various applications, under the motto "Seeing is believing". This participation was a huge success, drawing people's attention to the then-nascent operating system, and earning the pavilion the title of "Crown Jewel of Bangalore IT.COM" from the local media.^{[citation needed]}

Over the years, the BLUG participated in a number of technology events, and in 2001 facilitated India's premiere FOSS event - Linux Bangalore. Linux Bangalore/2001 (and its sequels - Linux Bangalore/2002, Linux Bangalore/2003 and Linux Bangalore/2004), broke ground for the growing Linux and Open Source community in India, seeing participation by thousands of delegates from India and abroad. (The current edition of the event is called FOSS.IN)

In late 2000[1], the BLUG was registered as a not-for-profit society, under the Karnataka Societies Registration Act 1960[2].

During 2004-2005, recognising that Linux and Open Source had become mainstream technologies and had little need for generic advocacy, members of the group proposed creating smaller groups in Bangalore. The formation of Special Interest Groups (SIG) [3] is a natural outcome of this. Another outcome was regular "Birds of Feather" or BOF meets organised each fortnight at various locations across the city.

In February 2005, the BLUG was judged to be the "Most Popular Indian Linux User Group" at the Linux Asia conference in New Delhi. (Alternate Google Cache link)

In mid-2005, the BLUG regrouped and resumed its activities, including meetings, while at the same time adopting the role of a staging platform for multiple FOSS activities, especially amongst students.

From late 2005 onwards, the BLUG began a campaign of talking at various technical colleges. BLUG members speak on technical and non-technical FOSS topics at student-arranged events in colleges, in an attempt to get more students (and faculty) involved in FOSS.