Hiking and hacking in Switzerland
Penguins in the Alps
Snow-covered white mountains, green meadows, yellow cheese, purple cows, the distant sound of yodeling marmots, and plenty of Linux people from all over the world – a perfect combination for a geek event.
From August 9 to 17, 2008, the 10th annual Linux Beer Hike (aka Linux Bier Wanderung [1]) took place in Samnaun Compatsch, Switzerland [2]. Around 50 Linux enthusiasts, families, and friends from more than a dozen different countries came together to hack, explore the Alps, and enjoy the local cuisine.
Samnaun is located in the canton of Graubünden, close to the Austrian border. Famous for its large skiing area (connected with Ischgl in Austria), the valley offers fantastic possibilities for all sorts of walks, hikes, and excursions during summer. Therefore, it was not really surprising that this year the LBW had fewer indoor activities than in previous years, even though it was the first at which snow made an appearance during the week. Most attendees spent their days outside exploring the countryside and enjoying the good weather (Figure 1).
apt-get remove mountains?
While some members of the British Go Association moved their Go board to the Swiss-Austrian border (around 2,800m or 9,200 feet) to play an international tournament (Figure 2), others walked the "scenic" route from the top of the mountain back to the hall (which was itself still 1,846m or 6,056 feet high). The adventure included crossing the border to Austria, making snow penguins, some (involuntary) tobogganing, a field full of boulders to climb over, more snow, and almost no complaining or cursing.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

News
-
Fedora 42 Available with Two New Spins
The latest release from the Fedora Project includes the usual updates, a new kernel, an official KDE Plasma spin, and a new System76 spin.
-
So Long, ArcoLinux
The ArcoLinux distribution is the latest Linux distribution to shut down.
-
What Open Source Pros Look for in a Job Role
Learn what professionals in technical and non-technical roles say is most important when seeking a new position.
-
Asahi Linux Runs into Issues with M4 Support
Due to Apple Silicon changes, the Asahi Linux project is at odds with adding support for the M4 chips.
-
Plasma 6.3.4 Now Available
Although not a major release, Plasma 6.3.4 does fix some bugs and offer a subtle change for the Plasma sidebar.
-
Linux Kernel 6.15 First Release Candidate Now Available
Linux Torvalds has announced that the release candidate for the final release of the Linux 6.15 series is now available.
-
Akamai Will Host kernel.org
The organization dedicated to cloud-based solutions has agreed to host kernel.org to deliver long-term stability for the development team.
-
Linux Kernel 6.14 Released
The latest Linux kernel has arrived with extra Rust support and more.
-
EndeavorOS Mercury Neo Available
A new release from the EndeavorOS team ships with Plasma 6.3 and other goodies.
-
Fedora 42 Beta Has Arrived
The Fedora Project has announced the availability of the first beta release for version 42 of the open-source distribution.