Last year, in its annual budget, Linux Australia allocated a sum of $5000 for media training. The entire amount was unspent.

Rather fittingly, given that it will celebrate its 100th birthday next year, the Australian capital, Canberra, will host the 14th national Linux conference in January 2013.

Proprietary social media platforms are used heavily even by those attending a conference meant for free and open source software users and Bdale Garbee used this fact to kick off his talk on FreedomBox at the 13th Australian national Linux conference in Ballarat today.

Bruce Perens looks a bit disoriented as he comes into the hotel lobby, looking for me. "Anyone here called Sam?" he calls out. The tiredness is evident on his face after the long haul from the US to Australia.

At the 13th Australian national Linux conference that begins in Ballarat on Monday, all presentation material has to be suitable for people aged 12 and above.

The 13th Australian national Linux conference, which begins next week in Ballarat, will be a bit short on original presentations as the organisers have decided to have a "best of" selection for most of the final day.

Thirteen years have gone by since the first Australian national Linux conference was held, but the event is still driven by the same category of people: volunteers.

Independent security professional Jacob Applebaum has been announced as the fourth and final keynote speaker for the 13th Australian national Linux conference which is being held in Ballarat from January 16 to 20.

After a hiatus of four years, Linux Australia, the umbrella organisation for Linux user groups in the country, has decided to revive the Rusty Wrench Award.

Every year, the Australian national Linux conference tries to have one local speaker among those who present the keynotes.