VGLUG: An Inspiring Community-Driven FOSS Education Story

A DECADE STORY OF A FOSS COMMUNITY IN TAMIL NADU

SATHISH

Volunteer

VGLUG FOUNDATION

Viluppuram GNU/Linux Users Group (VGLUG) is a non profit organization started in 2013, Impression of worldwide Free and Open Source Software movement.

This organization is a social movement that works towards enlightening the masses with the essence of free software and to liberate knowledge.

VGLUG

"FOSS was specifically chosen as a subject on which to educate students..
... FOSS knowledge is akin to scientific
facts"

‘We are using FOSS as a tool for poverty eradication.’
Karkee Udhayan, Founder, VGLUG

FOSS

into the

MASS

WEEKLY

MEETUPS

Despite working with limited resources, VGLUG’s work has put Villupuram on
the world stage. This was due to organising of two global events in the town, the
2022 Wikipedia meet-up and the International Debian Conference in 2023

• Wikimedia Hackathon

• Summer Camp

• Python Hackathon

• Winter Camp

• Kids camp

EVENTS

Mini Debian Conference Tamil nadu

"VGLUG plans to establish GNU Linux User Groups (GLUGs) in each village, in
true grassroots fashion, where residents of that village would serve as volunteers."

100 Villages 100 GLUGS

Students actively contribute to FOSS as part of their engagement with VGLUG.
They have developed applications for Linux distributions in addition to four
tools for Wikipedia

MASS INTO THE FOSS

SPELL FOR WIKI

SANGA ILAKKIYAM

SpotWikiEdit

QuickWikitionary

WikiBulky

FreeTamilLibrary

DrRavikumarMP

GETMYEBOOK

FOSS becoming as BOSS

Ensuring the livelihood of under privileged people

linux admin

Arts and science students

python

What we can provide to the people with FOSS

PYTHON TRAINING - 2024

VGLUG specifically aims to serve needy students, i.e., those who are marginalised
in many ways. It has accordingly set an eligibility criteria and devised a process to
select students who can attend their meet-ups.

Thanks