Summer Camp
Summer camps/workshops are annual technical workshops conducted by Free Software Foundation Tamilnadu. In simple words, the whole camp is based on free culture and free software technologies. Students learned the power of collaborative workings as well as technological stuff. The event was powered by Volunteers.
Summer Camp 2k16 @Villupuram
Schedule & Syllabus
Date : 22th July – 24 July 2016
Time : 9.00 am – 4.30 pm
Venue : University College of Engineering,Villupuram
Discussion & Planning
The Work was started before a month from the event. The first planning was made on June 5, 2016 with few activist of FSFTN , Villupuram, UCEV, IFET, Mailam GLUG members . Later it was followed and works started blooming. We have decided to conduct the event at July 22, 23 and 24, 2016 and venue in UCEV college. The Activist from University College of Engineering, Villupuram and IFET College of Engineering was paid their whole interest.
Registration plan
We have planned to collect Rs 600 each for providing them pendrive, food, snacks, cheat sheets and certificate. For registration we have selected an ambassadors from various colleges. Students from those colleges could register through respective ambassadors. We also had a public venue for other peoples at Vel Tech Computers, Villupuram.
Work Efforts
Venue confirmation work gets started first. We have approached Dr. Senthil, Dean, UCEV for getting venue at UCEV. Successfully we got permission for conducting the camp in UCEV college with food and accommodation for volunteers. And then Designing work was started. We have started designing the web page immediately after confirming the venue. We also created the poster and distributed to various colleges in Villupuram. Volunteers also designed small mimes and shared in the social medias for promoting the event. Once all those works got completed, we went to many colleges in Villupuram such as Mailam Engineering College, AR College of Engineering, VRS College of Engineering and Technology, University College of Engineering, Panruti, University College of Engineering, Tindivanam, Surya College of Engineering, etc. and approached the HOD of CSE and ECE dept. and explain about FSFTN and Summer Camp. They allowed us to meet their students and explain about the workshop. We went to the class rooms and explained about the Technical topics we have enveloped in this camp. Really we got good response from them.
Registration
Registration was started on 11th of July. We have started to inform the colleges around Villupuram and we have selected one among them as a ambassador (Also gave importance for the people who have already attend the GLUG meetups and had a prior knowledge about our activities). We have fixed 18th July as a last date but later we have extended upto 20th July. The ambassadors are provided with a registration book which need to be filled with the participant details who are registering for the Summer Camp. We have provided one book per college with 30 tickets (slip in the book) but we are made to give additional books as more than 30 peoples was eagerly registered (Some colleges). Finally we have collected the amount and registration book from the ambassadors and created the overall list of the participants. Total registration was 156, On spot registration 30+ and UCEV students 80+.
Action Plan
We have plan to separate the participants into various groups. Each group contains 8 members from various colleges, various departments and various year with equal count of boys and girls. Each groups is leaded by our volunteers. There are about 29 groups. The volunteers had prior knowledge about the technologies that was taken in various sessions. So that, participants can ask their doubts to their volunteer who will be as one among them. It was really a successful attempt. This also helps the speakers as well as the participants. We made fully hands on sessions, participants are advised to bring laptops. Ragul Kanth customized the GNU/Linux Operating System with the necessary packages such as Blender, Flask, etc. Mr. Balaji took responsible for the speakers.
Previous day efforts
On previous day We were went to get the gifts and other necessary things for the next day inauguration function. Mr. Balaji took responsible for the ID card and Kits for the participants. Manimaran, Saran Kumar, Farooq Khan, Ragul Kanth, Dharuman, Vishnu, Tamil etc were joined and wrote the customized operating system in the pendrives. Sathish and Manimaran Divided the participants into different groups. Isakki raja, Hari Priya, Anandha Krishnan and Sai Kumar Helped us in all the circumstance. Girls such as Keerthana, Bagya, Dhanalakshmi, Thevenee, BarkathNisha etc. were draw the rangoli in the entrance and decorated that. Volunteers such as Ranjitha, Harini, Gayathri and Dinesh from IFET College of engineering joined with us and helped us in purchasing the things for inaugural function and also helped in registration. It was a coordinated work of many people.
In Villupuram Summer Camp
This Camp Started with Session on Free Software Philosophy followed by Gnu\Linux installation Session.There were 256+ Participant including students, professors
and working professionals.
They were divided into 29 team comprising of 5 to 8 members in each team. Volunteers were assigned to lead a team and help them out if they need any. The team building was taken care to include students from different year of study, different college and gender.
Inauguration
- Summer Camp 2k16 was Inaugurated by Mr. Sibi Kanagaraj, Secratery of FSFTN, Dr. Senthil, Dean, UCEV, Mr. P. Arjun, HOD i/c, CSE, UCEV. Participants and the volunteers were gathered for the inaugural function.
- During the innaugural function, We got an Affilation certificate from Mr. Sibi Kanagaraj that the GLUG-UCEV was get affilated to FSFTN. After the inaugural function the stage persons were delevered a speach.
Day 1 -> 22.7.2016
- Free Software Philosophy and Shell Scripting – Mr. Sibi Kanagaraj, Secretary of FSFTN.
Free Software Philosophy
As usual, This event also get started with free software philosophy. Mr. Sibi Kanagaraj handled the philosophy session. Short and sweetly he said the four freedoms and he said what is free software and why we need to use free softwares and why we are promoting that. The freedom includes, You can read, run the program for any purpose and can distribute the modified or unmodified verions of the software.
Shell Scripting
Followed by the Philosophy session He handled the Shell Scripting. He said few shell commands participants were followed and executed the commands. He covered the basic commands which the participants will use frequently. Thus it helped to make them feel comfortably with GNU/Linux.
- Learn more about Free Software Philosophy and Shell Scripting
- GIT and Open Hardware – Mr. Prasenna Venkatesh
GIT and Open Hardware
Mr. Prasenna Venkatesh handled the GIT and Open Hardware session. He explained how to work collaboratively using GIT. GIT is a Version Control System. He explained few GIT commands as follows
- git init => initiate the git in particular folder. That is, once this command was executed, the current working folder will tracked by the git.
- git clone => This command will be executed along with the url. This command is used to clone (Make a copy) the project or file form the specific url.
- git add => This command will be executed along with file name. This will add the changes (creation, edition, deletion, modification of a file) made in that folder to the git.
- git commit => This will be executed alog with -m “Message”. This will save the changes that added to the git using the previous command and in message, the changes what we have made will be specified, so that others can understand the current status of that project.
- git push => This command will push the edited or modified or updated project to the central repo.
- git pull => This command will pull the new updates from the url where it was cloned.
The above are the few basic commands of GIT. After completed the GIT session, he continued with the Open Hardware session. On this session he explained about Arduino (A prototyping hardware). Arduino is an open hardware. In the sense that, Its Schemas are available openly and hence it is called as Open Hardware. There are also other few open hardwares available such as Beagle Bone BLack, etc. He concluded with the IOT and the Community Weather Station they have installed in Pondicherry.
- Learn more about GIT and Open Hardware
Discussion
Once the sessions were came to end, after all the participants left, we along with all the volunteers including speakers, had the general discussion about the sessions and the participation of participants. Some were new to the volunteering, so we had made them to share their experince. We also collected the feedback form the participants before they are leaving. The day was quite successfull.
Day 2 -> 23.7.2016
- Bootstrap – Mr. Ashwin
Bootstrap
Next day Bootstrap was at the morning session. Mr. Ashwin Handled the Bootstrap session. He was started with some basics of HTML since some students from other than computer filed was there. after he moved to the CSS and then to the Bootstrap. Bootstrap was totally unaware to them. It is an front end web frame work developed by Twitter developers. It contains many pre defined styles, we can use those styles by simply calling that class using the class id. Its quite awesome which reduce the time span for developing the front end.
- Learn more about Bootstrap
- Blender – Mr. Vignesh
Blender
Blender was an AN session. Mr. Vignesh handled the blender session. Blender is an 3D animation suit. It was really attractive tool make every on to be seated at the corner of their seats while rendering the final image. He concentrated on each and everyone and clarified the doubts of the participants.
- Learn more about Blender
Discussion
As usual the discussion was made along with the volunteers and the speakers. We have jointly read the feedback of the participants. They have liked the blender session more, since, it was a graphical design which induces their creativity. Volunteers really felt comfort with the participants and they were so interactive within themselves.
Day 3 -> 24.7.2016
- Python, Flask and Machine learning– Mr. Sooriya deepan and Mr. Selva.
Python and Flask
Third day sessions was fully engaged with Python and Flask handled by Mr. Sooriya deepan and Mr. Selva. Pre session was conducted for the volunteers so that they can easily clarify the participants doubt. Mr. Selva demonstrated the python and Mr. Sooriya deepan handled the session. It was started with the basics of python. Participants simultaneously executed the python statements in Ipython interpreter. After completing the basics of python Mr. Sooriya deepan and Mr. Selva moved to the Flask. Before that they have explained what is front end and what is back end and also what is request and what is response so that participants can clearly understand the role of request and response in Flask. Participants were felt happy while seeing the output of the flask in the web browser.
Machine Learning
Mr. Sooriya deepan explained what is machine learning and how the machine learns. Due to low time period, he has to be rush up the session and it was went like a one man show but quit interactive. He explained What is neural network and how it will be. Finally he showed an example for neural network that Google used to recognize the animals. The session was ended up with feedback talk.
Final Touch about FSFTN
- Finally explain about FSFTN works,efforts and solving some social awareness and issues by Mr.Deva Kumar and Mr.Ragul Krishnan
Certificate Distribution
- We have invited Mr. Sibi Kanagaraj, Secretary of FSFTN, Mr. Arjun ,HOD of CSE Dept., Mr. Regan, Asst. Prof. CSE Dept., for the certificate distribution.
- After that we started to distribute the certificates. Team members has to come along with the team volunteer to get the certificate.
- We have called any one from the participants to give a feed back about the event. They said this was the first event that they have attended where peoples from various colleges grouped and guided by the volunteers.
- Sathish have thanked the volunteers from various colleges, College ambassadors, participants and who have did the back end work etc. Finally we have put an end with the National Anthem.
- They were learned a lot and enjoyed a lot.
All Volunteers in SC2K16 – Villupuram
Ambassadors in SC2K16 – Villupuram
Organizers SC2K16 – Villupuram
Group Photo with all Participants and Volunteers in SC2K16 – Villupuram:
Group Photo with all UCEV Participants and Volunteers in SC2K16 – Villupuram
Brought you by
GNU/Linux Users Group Villupuram
GNU/Linux Users Group University College of Engineering, Villupuram
Website link : https://fsftn.org/events/sc/2016/vpm/
Photos link : https://www.flickr.com/groups/3009274@N21/pool/
Credits goes to
- UCEV administration (Provided full support, venue for conducting the event)
- UCEV Hostel management (Provided accommodation and food for the volunteers and participants)
- UCEV non teaching staffs (Served us in all aspects such as tea and snacks distibution and mic set handling)
- Vel Tech Computers (Provided public venue for the registration)
- UCEV Volunteers
- IFET Volunteers
- Villupuram GLUG Volunteers
- FSHM Volunteers
- SKP volunteers (Came from thiruvannamalai and stayed and worked with us for all three days)
- Annamalai canteen (Provided tea and snackes)
- Ambassadors (Helped us in registration)
- Organized by Sathish kumar K, Ragul Kanth G, Manimaran K, Saran and Villupuram GLUG members.
- Custom OS build by Ragul Kanth
Previous Edition

Summer Camp 2016 @Chennai
Website link : https://fsftn.org/events/sc/2016/chn
Links
- https://fsftn.org/events/sc/2016/vpm/
- https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/philosophy.en.html
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shell_script
- http://www.tutorialspoint.com/git/
- https://opensource.com/resources/what-open-hardware
- http://www.w3schools.com/bootstrap/
- https://www.blender.org/
- https://fsftn.org/events/sc/2016/chn
- https://sathishsathi.github.io/summer-camp-2016.html#summer-camp-2016
- https://manimaran96.wordpress.com/2016/07/29/summer-camp-2k16-villupuram/