# FOSDEM 2024 Distro Devroom submission form
https://fosdem.org/2024/news/2023-09-29-devrooms-cfp/

## General overview

* **Proposal title**: Distributions
* **Additional Organiser emails**:
* [e-mail]
* [e-mail]
* [e-mail]
* [e-mail]
* [e-mail]

### Elaborate description

#### For FOSDEM 2024

Linux distributions are critical digital infrastructure in the 2020s. In addition to their relevance today, they are the oldest and most historic Free and Open Source Software communities still in existence. As the context of Linux distributions changes and evolves since their origin in 1991, they remain an important fixture in digital infrastructure.

Linux distributions do important work in ensuring various versions of upstream software work well together and can co-exist. They are also often responsible for "de-vendoring" upstream software so that security fixes can be applied more quickly. Additionally, Linux distributions have become the centerpiece of other important infrastructure projects like containers and container orchestration software.

This devroom provides a unique home for the convergence of several different Linux distribution communities to share ideas and start conversations that matter to all of us. Although there are several different distributions that have different approaches to software packaging, choice of desktop environments, and various use cases, this devroom is a historic open forum that is unique to FOSDEM in making a space for all of our communities to share and learn from each other.

#### From FOSDEM 2023 devroom profile

As more and more workloads are being considered for containerization in the future and are finally landing in virtualized environments today, distributions remain a critical success factor and are more important than ever. Containers, like virtual machines, are not magical and rely on piles of software being assembled in a way that is repeatable, reliable, and functional. This is at the very heart of the problem that distributions have always solved. Each distribution is responsible for building, testing, and releasing software as well as managing the lifecycle of each application in the collection. Additionally, distributions do very important work in ensuring that various versions of upstream software work well together and can co-exist. Distributions are also, often responsible, for "de-vendoring" upstream software so that security fixes can be applied more quickly.

#### From [2023 planning pad](https://hackmd.io/@siddharthvipul/distro23application)

Distributions still matter in a world filled with containers and single-task virtual machines. Without distributions, software is bespoke to install and difficult to audit & manage at scale. Distributions have responded to the changing nature of workloads by specializing and becoming more flexible. This has kept distributions as a critical component in the DevOps transformations that require assembling piles of software into delivery vehicles in a repeatable, reliable, and functional manner. This is the core problem that distributions have always solved.

Every distribution is responsible for building, testing, and releasing software as well as managing the lifecycle of each application in the collection. Additionally, distributions do very important work in ensuring that various versions of upstream software work well together and can co-exist. Distributions are also, often responsible, for “de-vendoring” upstream software so that security fixes can be applied more quickly.

For this Distributions devroom, we want to focus on the ways that distribution technologies can be leveraged or reused to ease creation of a multi-verse of artifacts from a single source tree. We also want to continue to highlight the huge efforts being made in shared environments around Build/Test/Release cycles. Hot topics related to the delivery problem as it impacts updates in terms of both size and rollback/reliability are expected to be featured along with new solutions being developed for containers, virtual machines, and IoT (Internet of Things).

## Questions

* **Preferred slot**: Full day (Sunday)
* **Relevant URLs**:
* https://archive.fosdem.org/2023/schedule/track/distributions/
* https://fedoraproject.org
* https://centos.org
* https://opensuse.org
* https://microos.opensuse.org
* https://almalinux.org
* **Special Requirements**:

### Why does this proposal fit FOSDEM?

Distribution developers and maintainers are widely represented at FOSDEM. Several attendees use or directly participate in the Linux distribution space. Every year, there is a consistent engagement with our call for proposals as well as in the audience of the devroom itself. Historically, some talks have had a packed room with no additional seating space.

Additionally, as the open source community grows, some FOSDEM attendees do not have a wide view about the role of Linux distributions in contemporary digital infrastructure. This devroom provides opportunities for open source newcomers to gain that perspective and also be a part of the 30+ year story of the Linux kernel and operating systems.

The talks are only part of the story. Since many folks are interested in the Linux distribution space, it’s not uncommon to discuss a piece of software or feature request only to find that the principal authors (or commentors) are also present in the space. Building in a dedicated space for this augments the fantastic hallway track at FOSDEM.

### Submitters affinity to the topic

We are a collection of community architects/managers, engineers, and community members of various Linux distributions from across the Linux ecosystem. Our reviewers have a common affinity for Linux distributions, but we are also diverse in our focus, which means that we have a greater likelihood of appealing to multiple FOSDEM attendees who care about Linux broadly (as compared to skewing heavily toward one distro or one family of distros). The submitters are compromised of both FOSDEM veterans, who are deeply familiar with FOSDEM, its audience, and structure, as well as newcomers to devrooms who are learning and contributing in the spirit of sustainably growing our organizing efforts.