The week-long conference, at the University of Otago, has attracted 500 delegates from around the world.

Linux Australia president Jonathan Oxer is adamant Dunedin was an inspired choice. The nonprofit incorporated association accepts competing conference bids in the same way as the International Olympic Committee does.

Linux Australia conferences have been rotated around major Australian cities since 1999, but when a Dunedin team of Linux users led by Mike Beattie stuck their oar in with a compelling proposal, Oxer and his executive were convinced it would be worth taking some heat by shooting across the ditch rather than accepting a competing bid from Melbourne.

"At the time the decision had to be made, the Dunedin team were much more advanced in their planning," Oxer says.

"They'd put together really a good proposal and they had a good concept of what they wanted, so we decided Dunedin was the better bid.