GLUG

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GLUG is the acronym for Grupo de Usuarios de GNU/Linux da Galiza (Galizan GNU/Linux Users' Group), which as the name suggests is a group of GNU/Linux users with pan-galaican aims. It is one of several (the exact number is unknown) such groups in Galiza, although alongside with AGNIX it is the only one which tries to encompass all the country.

Regular activities of the group include the organization or co-organization of seminars, conferences and technical parties, support for doubts and questions in their website, and institutional maneuvering in behalf of Free Software.

[edit] Name, history and reach

The name of the group was meant originally in English, but in the past years it has seen a more frequent use in its galizan form, despite it not matching the acronym. The acronym itself is often matter of confusion, since GLUG may also stand for GNU/Linux Users' Group. This is generally avoided in Galiza by using the acronym GUGL (Grupo de Usuarios de GNU/Linux) for the latter phrase.

The GLUG is the second LUG formed in the country -- the first one being GPUL --, and the first with the mentioned pan-galaican aims. It was also one of the first organisations to introduce regular usage of galizan in the Free Software World (although precedents such as Proxecto Trasno should be mentioned).

In matters of user count, the GLUG ranks about the couple of tenths, although there is not an accurate census and the number of active people is both less and widely variable. To further increase confusion, it recognizes both registered users and merely website users with nearly equal rights. Also, a good fraction of its users also partake on other galizan LUGs.

[edit] Recent history

During the early years of the XXI century, the group changed directive and sought to expand the base of users. It also underwent a major redesign of the website and a migration to Drupal (from PHPNuke). The logotype was renewed, as well as most of internal policies. In 2006 new statutes were drafted and approved, both to make the group conformant with the current Spanish law and to reflect the new arrangements in the policies.

One of the troubles that the GLUG has traditionally fought is the widely fragmented, disorganized structure of the Galizan Free Software scene. In recent years the group has sought to persuade other LUGs into joining in some form of larger organization (either a federation or a fully fledged fusion) to have a more tightly woven user base, to better administer resources and to avoid duplicate efforts. So far, other Galizan groups (GALPon, AGNIX and Inestable) have shown interest in one such organization, but the process goes slow.

In the months preceding the Galizan elections of 2005, the GLUG played an important role in managing that all the concerned parties carried the compromise to introduce Free Software in the government and education to some degree. The most success was found in the Bloque Nacionalista Galego, who had large parts of its IT programme based on the ideas proposed by the GLUG and included the need to promote Free Software on all possible fronts as the first point of this programme. Since the party won, alongside with the PSdeG, the 2005 Galizan election, it is this programme that is now supposed to draw the guvernamental future of Free Software in Galiza.

In the 15th of May, 2006, the AULUSC, GLUG, GALPon, AGNIX, GPUL and GULO signed an agreement with the CESGA ( CEntro de Supercomputación da GAliza, Galiza's Supercomputing Center, a government-owned supercomputing center that, aside from its regular duties, also carries a good part of the Galizan network traffic -- hosting the galizan NIX, for example -- and serves as unofficial carrier for the government plans regarding Free Software) to develop regular activities publicly founded.