I help run the Lancaster County Linux Users Group. We’ve been around for 7 years. A lot of LUG’s have come and gone during that time period and it’s easy to see why. I’ve been thinking about closing our LUG for a while now. It’s not that people don’t use Linux, it’s just that the Linux revolution is over. Everyone has returned back to their normal lives and Linux is no longer a novelty, it’s just part of everyday life like reality tv and cell phones. There haven’t been any exciting new developments or projects for over a year now. Sourceforge has kind of flatlined as developers, businesses, and users have reached the limit of the open source model.
No new great server apps or utilities have really been developing. Linux is just another tool I use to get humdrum jobs like DNS, web serving, and database stuff done. It certainly will never usurp or replace Windows like it was hyped to. Don’t get me wrong I love Linux - I’m just not excited by it anymore. On the other hand Apple has really picked up the torch where Linux left off. I’d say the developments in OSX are way more interesting than what’s happening in Linux. In fact since I’ve been using OSX I’ve hardly used my Linux workstation at home.
Well I still need a topic for this month’s LUG meeting so post a comment and let me know if you can think of anything new and exciting in Linux.