Video summary
The video highlights the growing IT and open-source ecosystem in Carinthia, Austria, focusing on several key initiatives centered around Klagenfurt and Villach. A major new development is the establishment of a hackerspace called Node K H in Klagenfurt, which serves as a hub for enthusiasts and offers resources for visitors from neighboring regions like Styria. Additionally, the city hosts the annual Cyber Security Night event, where participants can join Capture The Flag competitions on November 10th and attend presentations and award ceremonies on the following day. These events are supported by QR codes provided in the presentation to direct attendees to relevant online information, encouraging local engagement and collaboration within the tech community.
Beyond these specific events, the Open Source Experts Group (OSEC) plays a vital role as an advocacy organization for Linux, GNU, and Free Software users within the Chamber of Commerce. OSEC promotes digital sovereignty by organizing talks on alternatives to proprietary software, such as LibreOffice, and connects entrepreneurs across Austria with similar groups in other states. The Software Internet Cluster (SIC) also features an open-source working group that supports these efforts through presentations and discussions available online. These organizations collectively aim to foster a culture where businesses and individuals can adopt free and open-source solutions, reducing reliance on single-vendor ecosystems and enhancing technological independence.
The Kernther Linux Club, based in Villach, adds a vibrant social dimension to the scene with its long-standing tradition of community gatherings. The club meets monthly for informal discussions without a set agenda, celebrates International Free Software Day with installation parties and Debian release events, and hosts gaming nights featuring open-source titles like Hedge Wars. To balance their technical focus with outdoor activities, the group organizes annual hikes to the Dobrač mountain antenna site, humorously referred to as "Lookout," standing for Linux Usergroup on unpaved Terrains. Their commitment to education and celebration is further demonstrated through their Linux Day events, which cover diverse topics from gaming to installing Linux on satellites, aiming to make technology accessible to everyone regardless of prior experience.
Looking ahead, the club has secured a new venue for its upcoming Linux Day at the IT Gymnasium St. Martin in Villach, marking a significant expansion of their reach and impact. The event will carry the motto "21 is only the getting," celebrating two decades since the first major Linux gathering in Carinthia while drawing inspiration from *The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy*. This celebration underscores the region's dedication to fostering a welcoming environment for both seasoned users and newcomers alike. By combining technical workshops, social events, and outdoor adventures, these initiatives collectively demonstrate that Carinthia is not only capable of handling advanced computing but is also building a thriving, inclusive community around open-source technology.
Read the full video transcript
Yes, Kernten can handle computers. So, we
see we already have something in
common with Hockmas Castle,
which is poor with Ringal, which you like a
kernel, well, very gladly, when you show things in
dialect. Today I'm going to tell you about some
great
projects that are
happening in our state.
And we'll start right away with
Klagenfurt. There's a new
hacker space there. So, if you ever
come to Carinthia, to the state capital,
there is now also a hackerspace
Node K H which is in Klagenfurt. I've included
a QR code on all my slides, wherever there is one. If you like, you can scan it to
go directly to the
page where you can find the information. Yes, it has been
founded, there are some pretty
cool leaders involved in the project,
and I can only recommend it to everyone
. Feel free to drop by when you
're in Carinthia. For the Styrians, it's
obviously super easy now. Corm,
you can get to us in Carinthia in under an hour,
and vice versa of course, so feel
free to drop by
when you're with us. Yes, there's something else in
Klagenfurt, namely the Cyb Security
Night, an event that has been
taking place here for years.
This gentleman was here last year; I think you might
know him. No introduction needed
. And you are cordially
invited to join us, if you have time, from
November 10th. It's always Cyber Security
Night and Day. The 10th is Cyber Security
Night, and the 11th is, so to speak,
Cyber Security Day. What is being done there?
On the 10th there's something called Capture Reflexes,
stories where you
can register as a team and, uh, be there. And
on Cyb Security Day there will be
several more presentations
and also the awards ceremony. So,
if you have time for that too, Klagenfurt is also an option
. Um, you're cordially invited to come and take a look
. Yes,
here again it's the same:
just scan the QR code and, as I said, there are
always cool offers like
last year. So, what else is happening
in Carinthia in terms of
IT? OSEC has been back since last year
. OS stands for Open Source Experts
Groups. It's essentially the
advocacy group for Linux, GN,
and FreePSD users within the
Chamber of Commerce,
and I'm now the
spokesperson for it. Within the
Chamber of Commerce, where most
business owners are required to be members, they represent
the interests of Linux users and
the open-source community. They
also organize fantastic
events, like last year's
with Mr. Stocker, who
was working in
Department 6 of the Austrian Armed Forces. He spearheaded the
transition of the Austrian Armed
Forces to
LibreOffice and gave a
great presentation on the subject.
Yeah, a cool story. I think he
was there after our day, also
participated in other events, and
reported on them. So, if you
are an entrepreneur, regardless of the federal state, except
Tyrol, unfortunately there is Walke there.
Otherwise, there's an OSC in every federal state
, uh,
contact me, I can connect you there
and yes, help us to
promote Open Source within the Chamber of Commerce. Digital
sovereignty is a hot
topic right now, and we should take advantage of this trend.
So, then there's also the SIC, which
is the association in Carinthia for entrepreneurs,
the Software Internet Cluster, and there's
now an
Open Source working group there as well.
I get to be there again [laughter]
and my colleague Markus Hass,
who also works in that area
and was also at the last ID, the ID is part of
the event series within
the Chamber of Commerce, where they
showcase different IT sectors and
he, for example, got a great presentation on
why it might be wise not to
use Microsoft Office, but
alternatives and gave a great
presentation that is
available online. Yes, that's OSEC, that
's SIC. What else is there, of course? There is
the Kerntner Linux Club. The
Kernner Linux Club has been around for
many, many years. I have been the
chairman of that organization since last year.
And yes, that's our awesome logo.
Uh, yeah, and I'd like to tell you a few more
great things. I
structured my presentation somewhat in the way that
is customary in Carinthia.
Klongfelach. We've now ticked Klongf off the list
. Now we are entering the more
beautiful city. I should add that I
am Vaher. Now we come to the better
or more beautiful town of Filach. Yes,
the Kernner Linuxverein is based in Filach,
and we hold
many events there, such as our
monthly
get-together, where we sit down without a
program; those who want to chat
about Open Source
and Linux simply come along, and then
we have a nice evening. It's always the
second Sunday of the month,
and there's no agenda, just a relaxed get-
together. We're located at
Lederergasse 18. It's a kind of
open space that people are allowed to use. It's
called Mitz and that's where you'll find us when
we have our regular meeting.
But we don't just hold regular meetings, we
also celebrate I love free
software day. Some people mistake it for
Valentine's Day, but no,
it's the uh, I love free
Software Day, which is always on February 14th.
Coincidentally,
and yes, we always celebrate that too and
hold an event where you can have
installation parties, so to speak, where you
can come. If you're not
familiar with Linux, you can of
course join the storm tables, but on that
day specifically, we'll be doing everything
we can to bring free software to
light, also in the tent. We
also once had a Debian release
party, the last one for Debian 13. Of
course, there was a cake
with a penguin on it. Yeah, it was pretty
cool. What else do we do? We're having a
Linux Gaming Night. It's just an
event where we sit around and
play computer games that are open-ended,
and yeah, we're so fed up now
that we've also discovered
that Super Dux Card
has a player limit. So, if someone
is good at programming and
could raise the level so that everyone could participate
, we would be very happy. But
there are also many other great games,
as you can easily see below. Uh,
Hedgews, you can play it with lots and lots of
people, and it's
really fun that we now
have so many great games in the open source world that you
can play together. Yes, we are a
club, but we don't just sit in front
of the computer all the time; we also go on
hikes like our Lookout.
We're going there, we're a technical association,
so of course we'll go up the mountain in
Kernten, where there's a giant antenna. This
is the Dobradsch, the local mountain of
Filach, and we always go there on the 15th of
August and have a great
time. We
came up with "Lookout" as an acronym, which stands for Linux
Usergroup on unpaved Terrains.
Lookout followed us, but the reverse isn't really
our thing. Outlook isn't really our style, but yes, it's also a
cool event we do every year,
and of course a Linux club wouldn't be a Linux
club if it didn't also hold a
Linux Day.
That was last year's Linux event,
our very first big Linux Day that
we organized together, and it
was really, really cool. There were
presentations ranging from gaming on Linux to
how to install Linux on a
satellite. So, the
range was quite wide, and yes, it will be
great again this year. Here are
the upcoming dates for the
regular meetings. 13.09. The next
regular meeting is on [date] and then
the regular meeting would be on October 11th. And the
most important date for us as an association is
the next Linux Day. The next Linux
Day will take place in a new location,
in the largest school in
Fillach, the IT Gymnasium St. Martin.
We have now found a great partner
with whom we will be organizing the Linux Day
. Our motto for this year is "
21 is only the getting"
was the first Linux event in
Carinthia at our place in Fach and that's why
we thought 21 years later that this
is a nice motto based
on the great book The Hitchhiker's Guide to the
Galaxy.
Yes, that's what happens around here.
If you have time on October 30th,
you are of course cordially invited
to join us. You can also
submit it during the day and show that
a cool event, a
cool big event, can also take place in Carinthia
.
Yes, that's all for now. If you have any questions, feel
free to ask. But it's not the same for me
. I'm at this event the whole time and they keep talking to
me about
Linux Open Source. I always try to wear a
Linux shirt when I walk around. So,
you should be able to recognize it, or
recognize me. So if you have time,
come and chat with me for a bit,
and thanks again for letting me be here
and give this great presentation
. Thank you very much.
[applause]