At the social Meeting on 3rd May 2006, we discussed the options for a Workshop Meeting. We thought it had become possible because a new member offered to make a suitable venue available to us. However, since then, the venue fell through, but rather than waste the work done, the ideas presented are preserved in case an opportunity arises to carry them through.

We had a number of people express their support on the Mailing List with several suggestions made. The consensus on the list out of 19 people was that most preferred a weekend, out of those a Sunday came up most often. After discussion, the favourite suggestion was a series of workshops leading to a full build of Linux from Scratch.

So here is what we think could work well:

1. At the first meeting, everyone who can bring a box installs VMWare.
2. We then begin the process of building Linux from Scratch inside the virtual machine.
3. At the end of the session, we save the image so far.

Using VMWare will allow us to carry on where we left off at subsequent meetings, thus solving the biggest obstacle to creating a Linux from Scratch installation; the long compile times.

Talking of long compile times, we will then have some spare time for chatting/other activities. If anyone who hasn't got a Linux installation yet and wants to come along, we can have a Mini-Install-fest alongside the main event. Other people have asked for a media server, so that could be another sideshow. (I think two other events are enough, but please add your thoughts.)

A Sunday to be determined.

To be dertermined.

We've had offers of lifts from:

• Corfe Mullen (Terry Coles)
• Bournemouth
• Wimborne (Dave[from]Lab6com)
• Tollard Royal (John Carlyle-Clarke)
• Sturminster Marshall
• Fordingbridge
• Bournemouth
• Bridport (via Dorchester), not until 27th May - DomC
• Bournemouth(I am in Winton/Moordown) Robin Shepheard

We need:

• patch leads (I can bring a selection in 1,2,3,5 & 10M lengths - Robin Shepheard)
• projector (not necessarily for the first workshop) (Terry Coles probably) (I can possibly also manage this - Robin Shepheard)
• WiFi Access Points (dave{from]lab6.com can provide) (I can also bring an access point - Robin Shepheard)

If you can help guide the rest of us, please put your names here, with skill offered:

• Terry Coles (installation, media server (audio only at present).

While I can't call myself an expert in any field, I am more than willing to help out in any way I can. I have experience with networking, building Gentoo (well I have done it a few times) and I have played with a fair few distros and have a bit of experience with WIFI cards, oh and have a reasonable experience of vmware. Only possible problem I have is that about every other sunday I am back in Sussex so a reasonable amount of warning is neccesary. Oh and I can download and burn to disc (cd/dvd) any distros that we may need for the workshop - Robin Shepheard