In their second annual one-day conference, which took place October 25, 2008, Ontario Linux Fest [1] proved that location really does matter. This year the conference moved from an industrial-sized convention center to the conference facilities of a Toronto-based hotel and completely changed the tone of the experience they offered. Instead of being in awe of the high ceilings and overpriced coffee stands, attendees dug into the free coffee and started talking about stuff that really matters. Even the vendor area, with its natural light and a view into a garden courtyard, promoted conversation.

Throughout the day, attendees were offered 26 sessions, including conference presentations, birds-of-a-feather meetings, workshops, and two keynotes. Linux Magazine's own Jon 'maddog' Hall delivered two presentations, including a revised rendition of his popular talk, "Sustainable Computing." Jeremy Allison delivered the second keynote presentation.

In his new presentation, called "Living La Vida Linux," Allison walked the audience through his adventures in music collecting, format-shifting, and legality. His biggest question was, "Do I have the rights to format-shift my music?" Unfortunately, the answer is: It depends. If you are located in the United States, the answer depends on your state and jurisdiction. In an ideal world, you would be allowed to format-shift your music and use lossless encodings that are free of software patents and other use restrictions. Allison went beyond music and the Internet and reached back into the world of print and recommended Rainbows End by Vernor Vinge [2].

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