Yearly, on the primary weekend of February, a sure Brussels college campus livens up. There, you’ll discover lovers of open-source software program and {hardware} alike, arriving from completely different corners of the world to fulfill up, speak, and pay attention. The explanation all of them meet there may be the convention referred to as FOSDEM, a long-standing open-source software program convention which has been taking place in Belgium since 2000. I’d wish to inform you about FOSDEM as a result of, relating to conferences, FOSDEM is one in all a form.

FOSDEM is organized in alignment with open-source ideas, which is to say, it jogs my memory of an open-source mission itself. The convention is volunteer-driven, with a core of workers liable for essential duties – but, everybody can and is inspired to contribute. Identical to a big open-source effort, it’s supported by college and firm contributions, however there’s no admission charges for individuals – for a convention, this implies you don’t have to purchase a ticket to attend. Final however positively not least, what makes FOSDEM shine is the neighborhood that it creates.

FOSDEM’s focus is open software program – but, for hackers of the {hardware} world, you’ll discover a robust {hardware} part to take part in, since a large number of FOSDEM guests are both fascinated by {hardware}, and even develop hardware-related issues day-to-day. It’s not simply that our {hardware} can’t reside with out software program, and vice-versa – right here, you’ll meet loads of pure software program, an honest quantity of pure {hardware}, and a number of locations the place the 2 worlds are laborious to tell apart. All in all, FOSDEM is little question a part of hacker tradition in Europe, and right this moment, I’ll inform you about my expertise of FOSDEM 2023.

What’s So Cool?

This yr, FOSDEM occurred from 4th to fifth of February, with virtually ten thousand guests from nations everywhere in the globe, considerably biased in direction of Western Europe near Belgium. However, folks booked lengthy flights, took trains and deliberate accommodations properly upfront – AirBnB and lodge rooms round get bought out fairly a bit earlier than the occasion. Why make investments time into such a gathering? For a begin, if you happen to’re arriving by yourself simply to discover, there can be loads of like-minded folks so that you can meet, exploration and talks to be taught from, and heat recollections afterwards. Not simply that, nonetheless – this convention helps open-source communities acquire their wings, and if you happen to take part in an open-source mission, even by advantage of utilizing a programming language, there’s an entire new dimension in FOSDEM for you.

My first journey to FOSDEM, again in 2018, was to fulfill some open-hardware mission builders and share expertise about an concept of mine; as soon as I bought to the convention, the varied talks bought my consideration, and FOSDEM’s volunteering system pulled me in throughout my free time. Subsequent yr, I actually was engaged on a small however attention-grabbing open-source {hardware} mission, and I went to fulfill some contributors and to-be-users of mine, chatting about {hardware} all through. A yr afterwards, I didn’t have as a lot of a motive to go – however at this level, I simply couldn’t miss it. Two “FOSDEM taking place on-line” years handed, and I went again to Brussels, now ensuring to carry a number of pals in order that extra folks may admire what makes this convention; maybe, FOSDEM is only a bit addictive.

“Group” is probably going the phrase I take note of relating to what makes FOSDEM distinctive. The aura of FOSDEM by no means appears to fail to carry people who I’m fascinated by, it’s why folks come again, and it’s why some folks volunteer all through the occasion and even develop into workers to make FOSDEM attainable yr by yr. There is no such thing as a giant company directing the occasion, and FOSDEM wouldn’t be a lot if it weren’t for everybody’s particular person contribution, whether or not it’s giving a chat, being in a room listening, wandering across the stalls, standing at a stall speaking to anybody fascinated by your mission, serving to at one of many infodesks, or being on standby all through the weekend serving to debug video streaming issues at a second’s discover; everyone’s participation makes the open-source world shine only a bit extra because of this.

Anticipated Pathways

Relating to open-source communities, yr after a yr, FOSDEM doesn’t simply familiarize folks with open tasks – it additionally brings the tasks nearer collectively. My precedence is {hardware}, however as you may anticipate, the brightest examples of FOSDEM serving to open-source tasks develop, are within the open-source software program space – and this yr, Matrix is a good demonstration of what I imply by that.

Matrix is a totally open messaging platform that goals to take over each single proprietary messenger by pressure of open-source with out compromise, and the takeover has been taking place in every single place – from buddy teams to total governments. This yr’s FOSDEM, Matrix had a blast – they did the “Matrix 2.0” principal observe speak, hosted a Matrix-dedicated devroom with talks all through the weekend, had builders meet up and hack on numerous features, and delivered the message of Matrix to myriads of individuals past the core – all in all, it’s a social jet engine increase in direction of a future freed from proprietary messengers. Now, it is a big mission, however because of concepts just like the Birds of Feather rooms, small tasks can have their very own small get-together; additionally, any thematic speak can and infrequently does flip into an impromptu mission meetup afterwards.

This type of precept, in fact, propagated all through the FOSDEM’s {hardware} hacker entrance. For a begin, there was the AW constructing, a must-visit space – not big however nonetheless distinct, stuffed with {hardware} mission embassies and devrooms; so as to add to it, an additional dozen of heavily-hardware-adjacent tables might be discovered all all through the campus. After all, a part of open-source software program is the cell OSes, and also you’d anticipate the postmarketOS and the Linux on Cell neighborhood round a desk completely stuffed with smartphones of every kind. Nevertheless, there was far more – a ham radio fanatic gathering, the coreboot/flashrom embassy, MicroPython, Espruino and embedded JavaScript tables, Automotive Linux, OpenHAB, and the OpenEmbedded/Yocto mission desk, all of them keen to speak with individuals who could be their customers and simply not understand it but, or already are customers and want to elevate the LCD and nickname veil.

For example, MicroPython’s ambassador has informed me that all through this yr’s occasion, she’s met fairly a number of hardware-curious individuals who have both by no means heard of MicroPython or by no means bought to attempt it, and have been blissful to discover a desk the place they might really see for themselves what MicroPython is about. Subsequent to their desk, Pine64 took a big highlight – with key members arriving from so far as Far East, at FOSDEM, you possibly can meet the Pine64 in particular person, each the manufacturing and the neighborhood facet. From the same old Pine choices to developer-only boards, tech demos and some yet-to-be-released devices just like the Star64, the Pine64 desk was by no means free of people that needed to try genuinely open-source units of every kind. As I mentioned, the {hardware} didn’t finish within the AW constructing – as an illustration, FOSSASIA had a desk the place they have been displaying the PSLAB, a small all-in-one benchtop lab gadget.

All of those are examples of how FOSDEM helps the {hardware} scene and the way the {hardware} scene is an inseparable a part of FOSDEM – nonetheless, that’s removed from the one worth FOSDEM gives for a {hardware} hacker.

Random Encounters

{Hardware} was a supporting part at many software program desks too – as an illustration, the Jenkins desk had a cute cluster of ARM units with a neat 3D-printed body that helped demo the options of Jenkins, the FreeBSD desk had a “{hardware} hacking with FreeBSD” demo sporting a BeagleBone and some breadboards, and the KDE desk had a single-board laptop with a touchscreen demoing their cell gadget work. These are all apt examples of how some {hardware} hacking on the facet can tremendously increase a software program mission’s perceived coolness – by the pure energy of metaphorical blinking LEDs proven being powered by this software program mission. Everyone knows that pure {hardware} solely will get you thus far – which makes such collaborations essential.

Nevertheless, you’d be lacking out if you happen to paid consideration solely to hardware-augmented issues and to not the general joyous open-source spirit that fills the campus. Whether or not it’s folks in VLC hats or the PostgreSQL elephant wandering round, the impromptu hacking classes at cafeteria tables, the distinctive power in devrooms when the entire viewers is listening to a speaker’s proudly delivered discoveries and software program struggle tales – you’re invited to take part on this ambiance. You’ll be taught of entire new areas of open software program and {hardware} world, uncover complexities that you simply might need by no means suspected to be there and acquire respect for folks coping with them.

Additionally, you will discover stuff you by no means knew you needed to search out. For example, from time to time, a far-away-country-based neighborhood units up an embassy at FOSDEM – this yr, I used to be stunned to discover a desk the place a number of Taiwan’s software program world representatives have been displaying how they advance their very own openness and training targets, make pals within the European open-source neighborhood. Additionally, in some unspecified time in the future, I left one of many principal buildings and located a sizeable group of individuals watching a small clear balloon stand up – later, I discovered that it was geared up with a LoRa transmitter! Such occurrences can be distinctive for everybody, and if you happen to stroll across the campus as FOSDEM unfolds round you, you’ll discover one thing that fascinates you specifically.

Naturally, each developer-populated neighborhood attracts people who find themselves on the lookout for builders, and also you may simply bump into some methods to receives a commission for what you already love doing, too. What in case you are on the lookout for a profession change and simply haven’t regarded an excellent alternative but? Nicely, drop by the roles board, a devoted wall for job and contract commercials, mission pitches and, as a bonus, a sticker alternate. Or, maybe, do you’ve gotten a public good open-source mission concept in thoughts, and one thing to indicate for it? The NLNet embassy is correct there – they’re a corporation that sponsors open-source tasks in software program and {hardware} areas, and in case your mission suits their standards, you possibly can get a grant to work on that one elementary concept of yours.

FOSDEM’s neighborhood has a manner of surpassing your expectations if you happen to give it an opportunity – and, in fact, as with all self-respecting convention, the talks seal the deal.

Talks, Of Course

The “wholesome mixture of {hardware} and software program” MO additionally applies to the talks, and I’ll give {hardware} the highlight but once more – there’s greater than sufficient for all of our tastes. For example, this yr, FOSDEM’s principal observe had individuals dive into open-source chip design, browser-based maker instruments and residence automation, giving these subjects a much-needed spotlight. Other than the primary observe, talks occur in thematic devrooms, with a number of devrooms carefully tied to {hardware} and a number of pure software program ones. The lightning speak areas have {hardware} talks peppered in, too – I’ve discovered the LibreSoC open System-on-Chip household, FPGA music synthesis, FOSSBot instructional robotic, and FabAccess (artistic house entry management system) talks to be participating, quick but candy.

Ddevrooms are the place it’s at for studying functions – there, you may be taught immediately from builders on any given matter. Say, would you wish to know simply what the deal is with SecureBoot, TPMs and safe computing on the whole, with out the everpresent FUD? There’s total two devrooms (Safe Measured Boot and Open-Supply Firmware) the place you may be taught immediately from open-source builders tackling these, and so they’ve been happening for a number of years in some type. Are your {hardware}&software program expertise alone not sufficient to create units that customers take pleasure in interacting with? Drop by the Open-Supply Design devroom to be taught the under-taught fundamentals of pleasant design. The Embedded, Cell and Automotive devroom may have you get near the steel, from VoLTE and FPGA bitstreams, to Bluetooth mesh networks or reverse-engineering this and that, and far more – that is maybe, one of the vital instantly participating devrooms for a Hackaday reader. Final however not least, if you happen to ever needed to study FOSS on cell units and the challenges related to making our pocket units free from proprietary nonsense, the namesake devroom has loads to supply.

My view has at all times been you could view all of the talks afterwards, however you may’t stroll round and meet folks post-factum. Nevertheless, it’s laborious to disclaim that the talks will maintain you entertained at a whim, and there can be some that you simply really feel such as you simply gained’t be capable to miss. Maybe, would you wish to be taught extra concerning the infrastructure that runs FOSDEM?

Talking About The Infrastructure

Whether or not you’d wish to socialize throughout FOSDEM or it’s simply you could’t make the journey, the entire talks are livestreamed and recorded. It’s a easy assertion, however take into account the quantity of devrooms, and the sheer quantity may have you understand that these phrases have some severe backing to them; certainly, the video infrastructure has some technical spice to it. The recordings are up virtually as quickly because the convention ends, and the livestreams have all of the distant attendants extremely glad with their digital journey. The infrastructure, whether or not networking, video, or the on-site volunteer coordination, has the occasion go with out a hitch, evidently refined all through the years by the FOSDEM core group – volunteers who’ve been there all through the years and have taken up all the basic preparation and coordination duties.

After all, don’t neglect, it is a community-driven convention, which implies there’s loads of hacker spirit at play whereas making issues work this flawlessly. For instance, throughout a peek behind the scenes, I used to be astonished that a part of the FOSDEM video infrastructure stack features a flock of 35 Thinkpads chugging away with lids half-open. Let’s face it – the outcomes do converse for themselves, so it has to have been the very best resolution to no matter downside this a part of the stack tackles.

On the other facet of the equation, one other hacker spirit manifestation is one thing you will discover in all devrooms sitting on presenter desks – these sizeable lasercut packing containers, every geared up with a bunch of XLR, HDMI, VGA and Ethernet connectors, as properly an LCD display. You recognize there’s one thing essential happening – and certainly, inside you discover a mixture of AV seize and processing boards, a single-board laptop, and a PC energy provide. These packing containers have been a vital ingredient when making FOSDEM’s video stream work, and the precise SBC and AV board mixture in use this yr has been perfected through the years – offering stability, throughput and featurefulness that finally, solely a DIY resolution may attain.

After all, it’s not simply the core workforce that runs every little thing. In the event you’re a FOSDEM customer and you’ve got a little bit of free time, be it Friday or Sunday night, or all through the convention; maybe, your devroom of alternative or an attention-grabbing speak additionally occurs to wish a herald – there’s a volunteer system that exhibits you which ones a part of FOSDEM may use assist, and allows you to take part. Friday night, in case you arrive to Brussels early sufficient, is the buildup – giant quantities of Ethernet cables are rolled out from constructing to constructing, signage is connected, tables, chairs and posters are put the place they belong. Sunday night, as you may guess, is the cleanup occasion, when all of those adjustments are rolled again; there’s at all times a necessity for a spare pair of arms. All through the occasion, every devroom, speak and infodesk wants a bunch of volunteers, and if the volunteer system exhibits that one in all them may use a number of extra folks, it’d simply be your time to shine.

Till Subsequent 12 months

Regardless of being an open-source software program convention, FOSDEM has loads of issues to supply to {hardware} hackers, and the neighborhood that springs up all through the weekend, makes it an distinctive place to be; I anticipate to maintain coming again. This yr’s FOSDEM is over, leaving us with a bouquet of movies to observe – subsequent first weekend of February, will probably be time for the 2024 installment, and maybe, you’d additionally wish to drop by and test it out for your self!

Massive purple FOSDEM brand upscaled by Andrew Shadura.