Join us this month for a round table discussion with the general membership, where participants will have the opportunity to share ideas, raise questions, and engage in open dialogue on topics important to our community.
All of you!
January 13th, 2025 19:30 EST
Online using Nextcloud: https://hub.gtalug.org/call/7m45sf9i
We are coming to you to tell us about your favorite tech related toy or software.
For our December meeting, we’re turning the spotlight over to you! We’d love for each member to share a favorite tech-related toy, tool, or piece of software. It doesn’t have to be strictly computer-based—anything that scratches your tech itch is fair game.
Tell us what it is, what it does, and most importantly, why you enjoy it. Maybe it’s a gadget that makes life easier, a piece of software you can’t live without, or even a clever non-digital device that satisfies your inner tinkerer.
Come ready to show it off, share your enthusiasm, and maybe even inspire someone else’s next favorite tech treasure!
All of you!
December 9th, 2025 19:30 EST
In Person: TMU George Vari Engineering and Computing Centre, 245 Church Street (just north of Dundas), Room 201 (See note below)
Online using Nextcloud: https://hub.gtalug.org/call/7m45sf9i
The doors to the building are normally locked. There will be someone from GTALUG at the doors on the southeast corner of Church and Gould to let people in. If you come late or don’t see anyone at the door please SMS at 647 657 6575 for THIS NIGHT ONLY. Do not call.
OBS: Open Broadcaster Software – What Is It, How Do I Set It Up, and How Can It Work for You?
Curious about streaming, recording, or running a live show? Join us for a hands-on session all about OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) – the powerful, free, and open-source tool used by content creators worldwide.
Alan will take you on a guided tour of OBS, showcasing its core features and how it can be used for everything from simple screen recordings to fully-produced livestreams. Whether you’re a beginner or just looking to refine your setup, you’ll learn:
Stick around for an open Q&A session, where Alan will answer your questions, troubleshoot common problems, and help you get comfortable with broadcasting.
No experience required – just bring your curiosity!
Alan Heighway
November 11th, 2025 19:30 EST
In Person: TMU George Vari Engineering and Computing Centre, 245 Church Street (just north of Dundas), Room 201 (See note below)
Online using Nextcloud: https://hub.gtalug.org/call/7m45sf9i
The doors to the building are normally locked. There will be someone from GTALUG at the doors on the southeast corner of Church and Gould to let people in. If you come late or don’t see anyone at the door please SMS at 647 657 6575 for THIS NIGHT ONLY. Do not call.
Are you spending too much time “optimizing” your programs? As Knuth famously said “premature optimization is the root of all evil”.
Conversely, are your programs actually too slow? I once has a customer whose daily billing started to take 26 hours. Can you imagine what their CFO said?
One classic answer is to set a budget for how fast a program must be, and then measure in dev, in CI/CD and in production, to be sure it’s doing its job.
That’s what this talk is about.
David Collier-Brown
October 14th, 2025 19:30 EST
In Person: TMU George Vari Engineering and Computing Centre, 245 Church Street (just north of Dundas), Room 201 (See note below)
Online using Nextcloud: https://hub.gtalug.org/call/7m45sf9i
The doors to the building are normally locked. There will be someone from GTALUG at the doors on the southeast corner of Church and Gould to let people in. If you come late or don’t see anyone at the door please SMS at 647 657 6575 for THIS NIGHT ONLY. Do not call.
Short talks, 5-15 minutes, on various subjects around Linux and FOSS. If you have a talk, let us know and we’ll add you to the list.
Submitted talks: The AI box
Still looking for speakers!
Come ready to speak, listen, and engage. This is your platform.
Moderator: Alan Heighway
August 12th, 2025 19:30 EST
Online using Nextcloud: https://hub.gtalug.org/call/7m45sf9i
Got a burning question or a topic you’re eager to explore?
Whether it’s something we haven’t touched on yet or a subject from a previous discussion you’d like to revisit, this is the meeting for you.
Join us for an open, round-table style session where the agenda is driven by you. We’ll be collecting questions and topics from both in-person attendees and online participants, and we’ll address each one during the meeting.
This is your chance to:
No topic is too big or too small—if it sparks curiosity or conversation, we want to hear it. And if any discussion opens the door to a deeper dive, we’ll consider dedicating a future meeting to that subject alone.
Come ready to speak, listen, and engage. This is your platform.
Moderator: Alan Heighway
May 13th, 2025 19:30 EST
In Person: TMU George Vari Engineering and Computing Centre, 245 Church Street (just north of Dundas), Room 201 (See note below)
Online using Nextcloud: https://hub.gtalug.org/call/7m45sf9i
The doors to the building are normally locked. There will be someone from GTALUG at the doors on the southeast corner of Church and Gould to let people in. If you come late or don’t see anyone at the door please SMS at 647 657 6575 for THIS NIGHT ONLY. Do not call.
No current mainstream AI chat system meets the full definition of Open Source or Free Software. In this presentation we will discuss the state of openness in current AI chat systems, where conventional concepts of open source can be applied and where they can’t. Legal and licensing difference between the various options reveal that some are far more open than others, and that “OpenAI” isn’t really that open at all.
Also, Evan will be announcing the creation of a new organization, formed by Canadian AI and IT professionals, to support of Open Access AI in Canada.
Evan Leibovitch
April 8th, 2025 19:30 EST
In Person: TMU George Vari Engineering and Computing Centre, 245 Church Street (just north of Dundas), Room 201 (See note below)
Online using Nextcloud: https://hub.gtalug.org/call/7m45sf9i
The doors to the building are normally locked. There will be someone from GTALUG at the doors on the southeast corner of Church and Gould to let people in. If you come late or don’t see anyone at the door please SMS at 647 657 6575 for THIS NIGHT ONLY. Do not call.
In this session, we’ll dive into the practical use of Large Language Models (LLMs) for software development, with a focus on how AI can enhance your coding workflows. I’ll demonstrate three powerful options: two cloud-based models—ChatGPT and Claude Sonnet—and one locally hosted solution, LLaMA. We’ll explore how these tools can assist in everything from code generation and debugging to documentation and testing. We’ll look at options for integrating them into your development environment, highlighting their strengths and limitations. This talk is designed to provide actionable insights for developers at any level. There will be ample time for questions, so come prepared to explore how AI can accelerate your software development process and improve your coding efficiency!
March 11th, 2025 19:30 EST
In Person: TMU George Vari Engineering and Computing Centre, 245 Church Street (just north of Dundas), Room 201 (See note below)
Online using Nextcloud: https://hub.gtalug.org/call/7m45sf9i
The doors to the building are normally locked. There will be someone from GTALUG at the doors on the southeast corner of Church and Gould to let people in. If you come late or don’t see anyone at the door please SMS at 647 657 6575 for THIS NIGHT ONLY. Do not call.
In this session, we’re going to take a practical, hands-on look at the state of generative AI, with a special focus on open-source models, particularly DeepSeek R1. I’ll cover what makes DeepSeek R1 noteworthy, how it compares to other models, and why there’s so much excitement around it. More importantly, I’ll show you how to run these models locally on Linux using tools like Ollama and LM Studio, so you can experiment without relying on the cloud. Since this is a friendly crowd of Linux enthusiasts, I’ll tailor the discussion to practical, real-world applications—including AI-assisted scripting, coding, and documentation generation, among other things. Expect a lively Q&A, so bring your curiosity—whether it’s about self-hosting models, fine-tuning, or the broader implications of AI in open source.
February 11th, 2025 19:30 EST
In Person: TMU George Vari Engineering and Computing Centre, 245 Church Street (just north of Dundas), Room 201 (See note below)
Online using Nextcloud: https://hub.gtalug.org/call/7m45sf9i
The doors to the building are normally locked. There will be someone from GTALUG at the doors on the southeast corner of Church and Gould to let people in. If you come late or don’t see anyone at the door please SMS at 647 657 6575 for THIS NIGHT ONLY. Do not call.
January 14th, 2024 19:30 EST
In Person: TMU George Vari Engineering and Computing Centre, 245 Church Street (just north of Dundas), Room 201 (See note below)
Online using Nextcloud: https://hub.gtalug.org/call/7m45sf9i
The doors to the building are normally locked. There will be someone from GTALUG at the doors on the southeast corner of Church and Gould to let people in. If you come late or don’t see anyone at the door please SMS at 647 657 6575 for THIS NIGHT ONLY. Do not call.