History
The West Michigan GNU/Linux Users Group (WMLUG) was founded in 2006 by myself, Patrick TenHoopen, after talking the idea over with some friends. Its first meeting was held in March 2006. I had started using Linux in 2003 and my growing interest in it made me want to share my experiences with like-minded individuals.
I had been a member of the West Michigan Novell Users Group (WMNUG) for many years, and have served on its board and helped organize its annual "Big EveNt", a local technology conference. Using this experience, I felt comfortable starting up my own group.
We were extremely fortunate to have New Horizons Computer Learning Center in Grand Rapids, MI, host the meetings for many years. As a training organization, they had multiple classrooms equipped with computers and projectors that we could use. They were very gracious and accommodating. I encourage you to go to them for your professional training needs as I have done many times before. Unfortunately, the location closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Due to the pandemic, in-person meetings were suspended for a few years. Although I missed the meetings, even after the pandemic was over, I enjoyed the extra free time from not having to prepare a monthly discussion topic. Starting in 2025, meetings are being held at the Georgetown Library in Jenison, MI.
As stated on the home page, WMLUG's goal is to provide a friendly atmosphere to learn about using GNU/Linux and free (libre) and open-source software. I encourage member participation and we have had many members give demonstrations or presentations over the years.
