Microkernel and Component-based OS Devroom at FOSDEM 2024 CALL FOR PARTICIPATION

On-line version of this CfP: http://fosdem.microkernel.info/

The developers and users of several free and open source microkernel-based, unikernel-based and component-based operating systems will meet as part of FOSDEM 2024 [1] and will share a developer room. The devroom is currently looking for content in the form of talks and other activities related to microkernel-based, unikernel-based, component-based operating systems and similar areas.

Possible topics of the devroom include, but are not limited to:

* introduction of a specific OS or framework * design of subsystems and the general architecture of an OS * languages, tools and toolchains used * enabling support for hardware (architectures, device drivers) and programming languages * development processes, debugging * maintenance, testing and release engineering * safety, security and robustness * trends and challenges * research and open questions * community and governance * use cases, experiences and status updates * best practices and lessons learned * demos

The devroom has been scheduled to Saturday February 3rd 2024 in the afternoon (Central European Time).

This is a call for your participation. We kindly ask you to submit your proposals no later than on December 10th 2023 (End of Day, Anywhere on Earth). Please use the pretalx [2] web site to submit your proposals. Note that this is a new submission system and the user accounts from the previous submission system (pentabarf) have not been transferred.

Make sure to select the Microkernel and Component-based OS as the track when submitting your proposal and include at least the following information:

* title of your proposal * short abstract (one or two paragraphs) * duration (at least 15 minutes and no longer than 40 minutes) * your full name * your short bio

You can specify your preferred time slot of your proposal and any other relevant information. The communication language of the devroom is English. Please note that the devroom has been allocated only a half of a day this year. Therefore the final decision on the duration of the talks will be made by the devroom organizers based on the number of accepted proposals.

The official devroom schedule (along with the accepted talks) will be announced on December 15th 2023 on the devroom's mailing list [3] and the speakers will be notified via e-mail. The schedule will be published on the FOSDEM web site, too.

About the Devroom

Since the first Microkernel OS Devroom at FOSDEM 2012 [4], this devroom has been a part of each following FOSDEM (with slight variations of the name). The focus gradually widened to include component-based, unikernel-based and other operating systems. By now, it has become a somewhat institutionalized tradition for the open source operating systems community, a kind of "extended family meeting" and it is one of the places where microkernel and unikernel enthusiasts meet regularly.

To this date, over two dozen projects have participated in one way or another. Many of the projects face similar challenges but come up with partially different solutions. Therefore, the goal of the devroom is to bring the various projects together, let them exchange ideas, cross-pollinate and socialize.

As every previous year, the devroom will offer the "stage" both to established community members and to newcomers. We like to select the talks in an inclusive manner, while staying true to the main technical topics (system-level software, broadly speaking) and creating a balanced and unbiased schedule. We would like to keep the quality bar of the devroom same as in the previous years.

Presenting at FOSDEM implies that the recordings of the talks will be published under Creative Commons license by FOSDEM. By submitting a proposal, the speaker agrees to have the talk made available publicly indefinitely. For organizational purposes, we also need contact information of the speakers of accepted talks.

Microkernel Dinner

It has also become a habit that the devroom participants dine together somewhere in Brussels. The year 2024 will not be any different, so there is going to be a dinner on Saturday night. We will inform you about the exact arrangements later.

About FOSDEM

FOSDEM [5] is a two-day conference organized by volunteers to promote the widespread use of free and open source software. FOSDEM is widely recognized as one of the largest and best such events worldwide. FOSDEM covers a wide spectrum of free and open source software and hardware projects and offers a platform for people to collaborate.

To this end, FOSDEM has set up developer rooms (devrooms) where teams can meet and showcase their projects. Devrooms are a place for teams to discuss, hack and publicly present latest directions, lightning talks, news and proposals. Besides developer rooms, FOSDEM also offers main tracks, lightning talks, certification exams and project stands.

In recent years, FOSDEM has been hosting more than 8000 developers annually at the ULB Solbosch Campus in Brussels, Belgium. The participation in FOSDEM is totally free, although the organizers gratefully accept donations and sponsorship. No registration is necessary. Attendees are expected to follow the FOSDEM's code of conduct [6].

Important Dates Recap

* 2023-12-10: Deadline for proposal submission * 2023-12-15: Schedule published and speakers notified of acceptance * 2024-02-03: Devroom taking place

Contact

For any comments, questions and suggestions, please do not hesitate to use the devroom's mailing list [3] to contact the devroom organizers.

The primary organizers of the devroom in 2024 are:

* Martin Decky * Razvan Deaconescu

References

[1] https://fosdem.org/2024/ [2] https://pretalx.fosdem.org/fosdem-2024/cfp [3] https://lists.fosdem.org/listinfo/microkernel-devroom [4] https://archive.fosdem.org/2012/schedule/track/microkernel_os_devroom.html [5] https://fosdem.org/ [6] https://fosdem.org/2024/practical/conduct/