At our next meeting we shall look at current developments of Linux running on ARM processors. It has probably been many years since any of us ran Linux on a RiscPC or even the Debian build for Iyonix now and there has been significant progress in terms of support for a wide variety of hardware and the amount of software packages available.
The often rumoured ARM Netbooks of 12 to 18 months ago do not seem to have appeared yet but various Linux distributions/vendors have been putting significant efforts into supporting the full desktop Linux experience as and when these devices appear. Now we know Windows 8 will be coming to ARM we may well see resurgence in interest for such ARM Linux devices.
A number of vendors have also shown prototypes of very dense rack mounted servers where a typical PC size server chassis could in fact house dozens of ARM processors or individual ARM servers. To this end the last release of Ubuntu contained beta support for Ubuntu server running on ARM. It is intended that April's 12.04 Ubuntu release will feature Ubuntu Server on ARM as a fully supported target despite there being no ARM server grade hardware available to date.
Sadly it looks like one of the system boards I had hoped to have available on loan for the evening will not arrive in time but do not fear we won't have to resort to emulation to show Linux on ARM there will be a modern dual-core Cortex-A9 system present on the evening running Ubuntu natively!
Gareth
Our last meeting was our customary New Year social event and for the first time since I became a member some 11 years ago was held in Ipswich at the Last Anchor down on the waterfront.
I have to say I thought the food was excellent and I hope everyone thoroughly enjoyed the evening as I did. Perhaps the seating layout wasn't quite ideal to enable us all to talk too easily but nevertheless a success I think and it was good to see Anne and our friends from the Essex club.
My thanks once again to Peter for his efforts to organize this event
Gareth
| Here are a few photos from the evening. Peter |
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None this month.
| 2012 | ||
| 15 February | Linux 2011 on ARM etc. | Gareth et al |
| 21 March | Slide show evening | All |
| 18 April | AGM + extras | All |
| 16 May | TBA |
Meetings are now on the Third Wednesday of the month unless otherwise stated.
Our meetings are held at the Bourne Vale Social Club, Halifax Road, Ipswich IP2 8RE , for a map and other details please see the website. http://icenicomputerclub.users.btopenworld.com
The first visit is free and subsequent visits for non - members is £2·50. The membership fee is £20 due from the AGM date in April, but may be reduced for those joining late in the year.
Continuing our publicity for EAUG events, there is now a full list of meetings up to the end of the year on their website.
http://www.eaug.org.uk/mtg.htm
Meetings are at the Great Baddow Village Hall, on the second Tuesday of the month
opening at 7:30 p.m. for a start at 7:45 - 8:00 p.m.
For directions see below (note the new web addresses)
http://www.eaug.org.uk or 'phone one of the contacts on http://www.eaug.org.uk/ppl.htm
Tea/coffee/biscuits usually available.
Visitors pay 2.00 GBP for the evening, which is deductible from the normal joining subscription if you decide to join at a later date.
See the Membership page of the website for more information:
They have now moved to the St. Andrew's Computer Club at Britannia Road, Ipswich.
They have a full programme on the parish website (http://www.ourstandrews.co.uk), We may be able to make new contact with them to arrange something in common.
"ICENI does not have any Insurance cover for computers or other equipment so please be advised that you bring machines to the club at your own risk."
However many household insurance policies will include cover away from home often with no increase in premium. (Ed.)
If anyone would like a copy of the CD of our old newsletters this could be arranged.
I am open to suggestions on what people would like to have included in the website.
Our website URL is
http://icenicomputerclub.users.btopenworld.com as a virtual domain,
it can also be reached using http://www.btinternet.com/~icenicomputerclub
Email to: iceni@woolridge.org.uk