Hands On Program

AI Night: Under the Hood of LLMs

Overview

Everyone is using AI. Far fewer people can explain how it works, what it costs to run, or how to use it safely. Join us, in person or online, for a hands-on workshop that takes you from the math behind large language models to running one on your own laptop. All experience levels are welcome. No machine learning background is required.

In this session you will:

• Learn the math in plain terms: what matrices and weights are, and how models are trained

• See how commercial platforms such as Anthropic, OpenAI, Gemini, Copilot, and Devin work, and how harnesses, agents, MCP servers, and software factories fit together

• Scope an AI project: hardware sizing, picking the smallest model that works, benchmarks, optimization, and cost estimation

• Run a model in Docker and call it from the command line and an API

• Practice prompt engineering and log every prompt and response with Open WebUI

• Connect a local model to VS Code and generate your first Python code

• Test your skills against prompt injection with Lakera’s public Gandalf game, and learn the basics of AI security and governance

Requirements (in person and remote):

• A laptop with 8 GB RAM minimum (16 GB recommended). No GPU is needed, but GPU setup instructions are provided

• Docker Desktop, VS Code with the Continue extension, and Python 3.10 or newer, installed before the event

• Pre-work instructions, including a short download of two small models, will be emailed to registered attendees about a week before the event

• Remote attendees: a stable internet connection and, ideally, a second screen so you can watch the presentation while you work in the labs

Overview

Join us for a hands-on workshop where you'll master the Command Line Interface (CLI) across Bash, PowerShell, and Windows CMD. Whether you're a seasoned terminal dweller or still reaching for the GUI by instinct, this workshop is designed for all experience levels.

In this interactive session, you'll learn the essential tools and techniques that every sysadmin should know. From navigating and managing files to editing files under pressure, processing logs, and investigating a system, you'll gain hands-on experience with the most commonly used CLI tools.

By the end of this workshop, you'll be able to write your first real Bash and PowerShell scripts, connect to remote machines with SSH, and manage sessions with tmux. Bring your laptop with WSL2 or a Linux VM ready to go, and get ready to type your way to CLI mastery!

What you'll practice

• All experience levels welcome.

• Bring a laptop with WSL2 or a Linux VM ready to go.

• We'll cover the tools that show up in every competition real-world sysadmin scenarios.

• Expect a lot of typing.

• You'll learn to navigate and manage files across Linux and Windows shells.

• You'll gain hands-on experience with nano, vi, grep, sed, awk, pipes, and redirection.

Virtualization Night: Fun with Containers

Join us for an evening focused on container fundamentals with a deep dive into Docker. Whether you're new to containers or looking to sharpen your home-lab skills, this session will walk through building, running, and securing containers and lay the groundwork for hands-on labs at future meetups.

What you'll learn:

• What containers actually are and how they differ from virtual machines:
  Images vs. containers, the Docker CLI, and running your first container

• How to pull, run, and manage containers:
  Working with Docker Hub images, mapping ports, and controlling the container lifecycle

• How to build your own image with a Dockerfile:
  Layers, tags, and containerizing a simple application you run yourself

• Container security best practices:
  Using trusted images, avoiding root, keeping images minimal and patched, handling secrets, and scanning for known vulnerabilities

Come early at 6 to grab a seat, network, and get your laptop set up. Bring your questions — and a laptop if you want to follow along!