PLUG regular meetings?

[Jason]

How would everyone feel about in-person PLUG meetings again? Thoughts?

[fox]

I would go if I'm here when we have one.

[ssfc72]

A PLUG meeting would be good if there was a presentation to be done by someone.
Otherwise a PLUG Mug at the coffee shop is fine.

[Jason]

A PLUG meeting would be good if there was a presentation to be done by someone.
Otherwise a PLUG Mug at the coffee shop is fine.

I was thinking about that. Maybe try for once a month, but if there's no topic, then have a PLUG MUG. I'd be willing to do the occasional presentation, although I haven't done anything interesting with Linux lately.

[Jason]

I'd love to get more input from other members, not that you guys don't count. Buster usually chimes in but he'd rather talk more about AI and essays, I guess.

[buster]

I have posted into the void lately, but it seems to be a solitary occupation.

But I think I understand why there hasn't been a flood of responses to your request about meetings.

27 years ago there were computer clubs with Windows that people attended and learned, but ultimately they broke up. (I believe Jason's Linux group was an offshoot of one of those.) We had a core of people who were eager to learn this new exotic system.

We explored and created desktops with the distros that were released, and there was energy and there were surprises as the months went by. But the distros matured as we aged, and we, I think, did less distro hopping. Many tended to settle into a comfortable Linux system that just worked for us. I tend to use computers now rather than tinkering with them.

Bill and I seem to have selected Mint, Mike has settle into Ubuntu Gnome (some things in the universe cannot be explained), and I'm sure others have come to the same conclusion about a distro. Marilyn has used Linux for years, specifically Mint. If you like your systems, as Mike and I do, why change and tinker?

It's going to require I think an intriguing topic to get people off their couch and to a meeting. But I hope you can do it Jason.

[buster]

I have a suggestion for a meeting that might attract a fair number if we could publicize it. However it would not convert Windows users to Linux.

Jason, you have upgraded your Win10 to Win11 without incident, even though Microsoft didn't suggest you do. You could explain what the problem appears to be in many cases, and how this can be worked around relatively safely, maybe cloning the Win10 drive for safekeeping.

Some of us have Win10 computers, such as my TV computer which interacts with my Win11 computer very nicely. The Linux Mint does not do so well. I would love to move my 10 to an 11.

Just a suggestion.

[Jason]

Jason, you have upgraded your Win10 to Win11 without incident, even though Microsoft didn't suggest you do.

Is that even possible? Seems like Windows 10 has been nagging people for years to upgrade. I thought it pushed me into it, but when I found my machine wasn't compatible, I bought a new one that was. I upgraded my wife's Windows 10 computer, but I did that right away. It's not officially compatible, but there are workarounds.

You could explain what the problem appears to be in many cases, and how this can be worked around relatively safely, maybe cloning the Win10 drive for safekeeping.

Maybe the compatibility issue was what you're talking about. There are many ways to move to Windows 11, although I think only one works now, which is the one I used. It's pretty easy and involves using a program that creates a custom image you install/upgrade from (like Etcher). It uses Rufus:

https://www.tomsguide.com/computing/your-unsupported-pc-can-still-run-windows-11-in-2025-heres-how

I don't think there's enough there for an in-person meeting like we used to have. Not sure I'd do it anyway. I'd have to take a shower afterward.

Seriously, though, the method above did work for me when I used it, but that was about 1.6 years ago. And even if it does now, no guarantee Microsoft will continue providing updates for it. And Microsoft may remove the free-upgrade option when Windows 10 goes defunct so don't wait too long!

Does your TV computer need to connect to the Internet? If not, you might save yourself the trouble and stay on Windows 10. The main problem with using an EOL (End-of-Life) version of a product is that it may not receive any security updates. But that really only matters if you're connecting that PC to the Internet.

[Jason]

So far, we know that at least 3 people would attend a formal meeting with a presentation like the ole' days.

Sometimes I can't believe it's been over 5 years since the pandemic started. It doesn't feel like it! I expect most people felt like the 2-3 years of the pandemic crawled along.

[Paul Kneeland]

I would attend a meeting, circumstances permitting.