What is lug.org.uk?

Updated

lug.org.uk is the UK Linux User Groups organisation. It provides technical services—website and email hosting, mailing lists, and DNS hosting—to User, Support, or Interest Groups in the United Kingdom that are interested in or advocate for permissive licenses, such as Free Software, Open Source Software, and Linux distribution groups. If you run or are starting a group that fits this description, you can apply for resources; the infrastructure is provided by BitFolk.

Who it serves

The organisation is aimed at groups, not individuals. According to its own description, it supports:

  • Linux User Groups (LUGs) in the UK
  • Other associated groups focused on Free Software, Open Source Software, or Linux distributions
  • User, Support, or Interest Groups that advocate for permissive licenses

The common thread is a UK-based group with an interest in or advocacy for permissive licensing and Linux.

What it offers

lug.org.uk lists four core technical services for eligible groups:

Service What it means for a group
Website hosting Free hosting of group web sites
Email addresses Free email addresses for the group
Mailing lists Running group mailing lists
DNS hosting DNS hosting services

These are provided free of charge to groups that align with the organisation's offer, per the site's description.

How to get involved

If you run a group that fits, or are thinking of starting one, the site directs you to its application process. The homepage also links to:

  • Server Admins — for those involved in running the infrastructure
  • Apply for lug.org.uk resources — the route for groups seeking hosting or services
  • All LUGs — a list of Linux User Groups and associated groups in the UK
  • Link To Us — for linking back to the organisation
  • Status — service status information

Infrastructure and origins

The lug.org.uk infrastructure is provided by BitFolk. The site notes that its template was originally based on the Jekyll Theme Simple Blog.

What it is not

lug.org.uk is not a general web host or a commercial service. Its scope is specifically UK groups tied to Linux, Free Software, Open Source Software, or permissive licensing. If your group falls outside that description, the resources are not intended for you.