What are the CLUG email lists?

The main CLUG list is linux-users at it dot canterbury dot ac dot nz

This is the list to use to get help getting something to work, suggestions on some setup, feedback from a meeting and anything else with linux.

The CLUG Infrastructure list is no more

This list for a while organised admin-style things such as the meetings?. It has not been used for ages and NickRout? has no facilities for running email lists any longer. If anyone wants access to the archives please email NickRout?

How do I subscribe to and unsubscribe from the CLUG email list

The main CLUG list

Subscribing: send an email to mailserv@it.canterbury.ac.nz with SUBSCRIBE LINUX-USERS in the body of the email. (in upper case)

Unsubscribing: send an email to mailserv@it.canterbury.ac.nz with UNSUBSCRIBE LINUX-USERS in the body of the email. You must do that from the same email address that you are subscribed under (or the software will not know who to unsubscribe)

Help! All these Linux emails are flooding my inbox.

You should filter them to a separate email folder, and you may also prefer to view them in "threaded mode" - so that all the emails on one topic stay together.
The way to filter and thread varies between different email clients. The best Header to filter on is probably "Comments: University of Canterbury Linux Users Group" - which should appear in the header of every email from the list.
As well as using an email client to filter your email you can use procmail?. There is a sample ProcmailRecipe? that shows how to filter list from this CLUG list.

How do I ask a question on the list?

• Do some of your own reading first - check the help systems that come with your Linux distribution, and ask Google.
• Post your question in a concise manner
• Most importantly, try people's suggestions before posting again
• Read the Etiquette guides from other important mailing lists, such as the Samba server list, http://us4.samba.org/samba/ml-etiquette.html
• For a detailed guide, read Eric Raymond's "How To Ask Questions The Smart Way"

How do I reply to the list?

You should generally just be able to hit the "Reply" button on your email program, which will send the emssage to linux-users@.... Occasionally this will try to reply to the original sender and not the list - this is because of the sender's Reply-To settings (see next question)

Please edit the reply to remove any un-necessary quoted material from the previous messages. Top-posting, bottom-posting or inline comments, whatever style you choose will be fine as long as you trim the quotes.

All of the problems people have with one style or another stem from lack of trimming. All of the people who have commented on this question on the mailing list seem to agree on one thing only: trim your quotes.

What is this Reply-To thing people keep talking about.

You should try to have your email client leave the "Reply-To" field in your emails blank when posting to this list. That means that when a reader hits "Reply" their reply will go to this list. Gmail will not allow you to set a blank "Reply-To" - some gmail users therefore put a prominent warning in their list emails so that you realise the standard "Reply" button will not work as expected - something like: *Warning: Non-standard Reply-To is set / Gmail*
The reasons that all replies (other than the purely personal) should go to the list are

• It helps educate others who will learn from the answer.
• It means that people searching the archive days, months or years later, can learn too.
• People on the list can see that the question has been answered, and don't need to repeat what has already been said.

You probably should not send replies to the list and the original sender's private email address. Why would they want two copies?

What is the scope of the CLUG list? (What is on-topic, and what is off-topic?)

Any issues related to GNU/Linux, Unix and other unix-like operating systems such as FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, Hurd, Sun's operating stystems is relevant as well as free and/or open source software, and commercial software that runs on linux/unix/BSD. Related issues such as software patents, copyright, and digital rights management are mentioned. There is also a certain amount of traffic related to "infrastructural" issues such as the organisation of meetings, social events, etc that happens on the list. Sometimes we even get down to off topic chitchat, given that many of us are friends. Sometimes windows is even mentioned, usually as a point of comparison or in connection with interoperability issues. If you get too off topic, or if there is a better forum for your posts then someone will be sure to let you know :-)

What is the organisational structure of the CLUG?

Flat (i.e. there is none). Organising is done on a purely voluntary basis. If you want to help organise anything Linux-focused, join the list and make it happen; this is where your helpers congregate. The busiest people are often helping by just answering questions on the CLUG list. ThereIsNoCLUG

What do acronyms like OT and RTFM mean?

Acronyms represent common phrases that the writer is too lazy to write out in full. You can find the meaning of these at the website The Acronym Finder

I've been using computers for years, but some of the topics on the list are so over my head I feel like a complete beginner

Do not worry. The list is frequented by both "newbies"; and old hands, with the complete spectrum of skill and experience levels. If posts mean nothing to you or if they seem irrelevant simply delete them and digest the relevant ones. If you find no relevant answers or questions then the list is probably not for you. You can learn a lot by watching the list traffic.

Lots of us start out this way. Find the right level at which to seek guidance, and it will be forthcoming. We want you to succeed with Linux.

Why is it important to keep the CLUG lists free of redundant junk?

There is a lot of mail on the list, and we want to keep the signal-to-noise ratio as high as possible.

'Ask not what GNU/Linux can do for you, ask what you can do for your GNU/Linux.'

Is there an archive of the mailing list available?

Yes, in fact there are at least two, ethernal.org and mail-archive.com

Where can I learn more about Linux (apart from the CLUG list)

The RUTE book List of useful reference sites goes here.

Does the CLUG hold meetings?

Up until the end of 2008 regular meetings/presenattions took place - see the Presentations? for more information. As of May 2009, these meetings are suspended due to lack of demand.