Technical infrastructure

=Internet=

Email list
We have Google Groups mailing list:

freegeekseattle@google-groups.com

IMO it would be better for us to host our own email and listserv. Unfortunately email administration takes an ongoing time commitment. If you are interested in babysitting our maillist, please contact the Technical Infrastructure Coordinator.

=Web=

We have a web site, hosted on Mark's server dynamo. It is a Mediawiki instance. You are reading it now.

Special:Version

Road Map
This is the approximate plan for the next few projects.


 * 1) Install Server <- planning done, but not yet installed and running. See https://github.com/freegeek-seattle/install_pxeserver
 * 2) APT Proxy
 * 3) Router
 * 4) FCS Network
 * 5) Volunteer database <- Currently in progress
 * 6) SSL <- This is only part of the security picture; see below
 * 7) Inventory tracking database

Install server, APT proxy and router will likely all be the same machine, which is already set up thanks to User:Mousey. Lucas and koanhead are currently working on the volunteer database. Before the new extension is installed to the production server, we will need to secure that server. SSL is a necessary but not sufficient step, koanhead is also looking at Kerberizing dynamo's FGSEA-related services and possibly providing SSO.

User:boxcutter is currently planning on changes to the FCS network, which may actually be in progress as of --Koanhead (talk) 17:57, 27 May 2014 (PDT)

Long term
When we have some income, koanhead thinks we should move our Web-facing presence off dynamo and on to a server owned solely by FGSEA. Here are some possibilities:


 * 1) Colocation
 * 2)  | Seattle Community Colocation is a local nonprofit that provides colo service to other nonprofits (like us). This is not a free service, a donation is requested. This should run us about $30 to $100 per month, depending on our bandwidth and power usage (continuous amps, not watt-hours.)
 * 3) Other for-profit colo facilities exist, such as | worldlink. This particular package is $80 per month for 5GB bandwidth, two amps. If you know of a better deal, please add it to this list or put it in the comments.
 * 4) VPS - This is likely the cheapest option. VPS run from free-beer / $5 per month to as high as you'd like. Low end VPS run as small as 32MB RAM and 2GB storage. VPS are as reliable as the dom0 provider is. This option provides us with a server which is *virtually* ours; it still lives on someone else's physical machine.
 * 5) Self-hosting - This isn't an option yet, but when we have a physical location of our own, we will almost certainly want some sort of internet access there. As long as we're paying for our own power we can have as many servers running as we want.

At the very least, we will eventually need a roomier server than dynamo can provide, and we should not depend on Mark's largesse to host us forever (with a server of our own, we could even return the favor.)

Some ideas for future services:


 * 1) Thrift store online - After we get a bank account, perhaps we can get a merchant account and run our own online store.
 * 2) MediaGoblin for sharing meeting and event video

In progress
Volunteer database

=Local=

This section refers to our setup in the working area at FCS.

In progress
Install Server