Conferences, conventions, and symposiums focused on free and/or open-source issues and technologies are the focus of topics in this category.
With source codes open to public scrutiny and modification, there is more public participation in free and/or open-source software than in proprietary alternatives. Programmers, interested in enhancing their own coding skills, often rely on open-source software. Due to the fact that the code can be viewed and modified, programmers can base their projects on existing software, modifying it make it better, or to serve a new purpose, then publishing it as their own.
Businesses, organizations, and governmental bodies sometimes turn to open-source software, not only for cost efficiency, but because it can be customized to meet specific needs, and upgraded as needed, improving the value of the software to the company with each build. Too often, with proprietary software, a business has to adapt to the available software. With open-source applications, they can adapt the software to their own needs.
For these reasons, the future of free software and open-source alternatives to proprietary software looks bright. With large numbers of programmers, information technology professionals, businesses, and others having an interest in open-source software, there are several scheduled meetings, many of them on a large scale, every year.
Sponsored by various open-source and free software organizations, universities, and technology companies, many of these events cover the full range of free and open-source technology, while others are focused on a particular software, project, or industry.
A common theme is the Linux operating system. That should be no surprise because Linux was the largest and the first open-source project.
Open-source actually began with the SHARE Operating System (SOS) in the late 1950s, but Linux family of open-source operating systems is credited with carrying the open-source banner further than any other project. Originally developed for PCs, Linux has been ported to more platforms than any other operating system, powering more Internet servers than any other OS, although it is used on less than three percent of desktop computers.
Because of its importance to the open-source community, Linux is the primary topic of several open-source conventions held throughout the world, although most of these include tracks and workshops for other open source and free software projects.
Each year, computer and technology professionals, editors and writers of technology publications, programmers, and other interested people attend conferences and events hosted around the world on topics related to this movement. Many of those with "Linux" in their names are actually general-purpose free software events, carrying the Linux name because they began as Linux-only events before widening their focus.
Regional, national, and international conferences, conventions, and other events whose topics are focused on free and open-source software are appropriate for this category.
Recommended Resources
The ELC is an offshoot of the Core Embedded Linux Project, whose membership is open to any member of the Linux Foundation. The Project is the organizer of the ELC. Previous conferences are posted to the site, with links to sites that report on the events, and upcoming Embedded Linux conferences are posted, with links to sites that advertise them, list program schedules, sponsorships, attendance information, and online registrations and signups. Training workshops and notices are also posted.
http://www.embeddedlinuxconference.com/
Free and Open Source Software Developers European Meeting
FOSDEM is a non-commercial, volunteer-organized event focused on the development of free and open-source software. Of special interest to developers, it gives them a chance to network, and to promote the interest and use of free and open-source applications. The conference is held annually, usually during the first weekend of February, in Belgium. Schedules, a list of stands from various organizations, sponsorships, and schedules are posted.
https://fosdem.org/
Free and Open Source Software for Geospatial
Generally known as FOSS4G, the event is an annual conference sponsored by OSGeo, which serves as the chief meeting place and educational outreach for OSGeo members, supporters, and other interested parties. The Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo) is a non-profit organization formed to promote and support the development of open geospatial technologies and is, in part, governed by the Apache Foundation. Schedules and past events are highlighted.
http://foss4g.org/
Free Software and Open Source Symposium
FSOSS is an annual event held at Seneca College in Toronto, Ontario. Maintained by Seneca College faculty, its focus is on free and open-source software, and it is attended by students, faculty, and IT professionals. Schedules for the next conference are given, including speakers, presentations, areas of focus, sponsorships, and registrations for attendees and speakers. Past conferences are featured, along with contact data.
https://fsoss.senecacollege.ca/
GNOME Users and Developers European Conference
GUADEC is a yearly conference in Europe that focuses on the development of the GNOME desktop environment and associated software, which includes GTK+ and GStreamer. This conference is one of only a few in which GNOME contributors can meet in person. Conference locations and schedules are published, sponsors are acknowledged and sponsorship opportunities defined. Travel information, policies, and identification materials are defined, and contacts are posted.
https://guadec.org/
International Conference on Open Source Systems
Colocated with the International Conference on Software Engineering (ICSE), the OSS conference is an international forum of professionals from computer industries, academia, the open-source community, and the public sector, as well as a forum to provide information and education to practitioners on free/libre open source software (FLOSS) and free/open source software (F/OSS), whose source codes are licensed free of charge, with the freedom to modify or improve them.
https://www.oss2019.org/
Hosted by the Linux Foundation, and sponsored by a number of organizations, the annual three-day meeting includes an all-day LPC refereed track, a networking summit track, a kernel summit track, and several other workshops. An overview of the upcoming conference is posted, including a preliminary schedule, a call for proposals, registration information and schedules, policy information, contacts, and an overview of last year’s conference. A blog is also included.
https://linuxplumbersconf.org/
Originally known as the Conference of Australian Linux Users (CALU), linux.conf.au is a conference focused on Linux and the community that has grown up around it. Held annually since 1999, the deeply technical conference covers topics varying from the inner workings of the Linux kernel to those dealing with communities. Put together by volunteers, the not-for-profit conference is sponsored by Linux Australia, made up of Australian users and developers of free software and open technologies.
https://linux.conf.au/
The yearly weekend technology conference and expo is held in Bellingham, Washington, with a focus on the discussion of the Linux operating system and other open-source projects. Held annually since 2000, the free event is held on the facilities of Bellingham Technical College, and produced by the IT department of ITC and the Bellingham Linux Users Group. A map, program highlights, schedules, sponsorship opportunities, and other resources are included.
https://www.linuxfestnorthwest.org/
OLF is an annual technology conference and expo that has been held in Columbus each year since 2003, its topics including the development of Linux kernel-based operating systems and other free and open source software and hardware projects. The three-day event is held in the fall, most often in September. Speaker, volunteer, and sponsorship opportunities are discussed, along with a call for presentations, training sessions, program schedules, and online registration.
https://ohiolinux.org/
The ODSC is a global conference that covers a wide variety of topics, including open-source languages used in data science, such as R, Python, and Julia, as well as machine learning, predictive analysis, deep learning and neural networks, social network and graph analysis, text analysis and natural language processing, data visualization, big data tools, and Hadoop-based languages. Schedules for conferences held throughout the world are highlighted, with other resources.
https://odsc.com/
The one-day conference covers the processes and tools that are foundational to open-source, open tech, and open web technologies, its target audience being open-source developers, technologists, and decision-makers, as well as professionals and students of all types. Featuring TED-style keynote talks as well as several track sessions from industry experts, an overview of the event is displayed, including a schedule, featured speakers, and sponsorships.
https://opensource101.com/
Offering a concentration on building open-source community and citizenship, the annual four-day conference includes technical talks, hacking sessions, and opportunities for networking and collaboration between developers, hardware hackers, community organizers, and others involved in open-source projects. Registration data, schedules, session details, and a list of confirmed speakers are published to the site, along with proposals and sponsorship opportunities.
http://www.opensourcebridge.org/
The international conference brings open solutions fans from Central and Eastern Europe together to introduce open-source software to the Polish public and business institutions, and to advocate for it as a secure, cost-saving alternative to proprietary software. Available in Polish and English, schedules, details of scheduled technical sessions, registration data, and contacts are posted. Partnerships and sponsorships are acknowledged, and online applications are available.
https://opensourceday.com/
Open Source Digital Forensics Conference
Organized by Basis Technology, OSDFCon is an annual event held in Virginia, in which attendees can learn about new open-source software, meet the developers, and network. The three-day event includes workshops and training breakout sessions, with a focus on digital forensics. Agendas, workshops, training sessions, and contests are announced, sponsors and speakers are acknowledged, and a registration schedule is announced. Archives of past events are included.
https://www.osdfcon.org/
OSN is a one-day tech conference held in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan region each May, featuring curated open-source experts from around the world. Its schedules, registration policies, dates, fees, and online registration are featured, along with a call for speakers, a list of topics for the next conference, and a list of scheduled speakers and their topics. Updates and other details are provided, sponsors are acknowledged, and sponsorship opportunities are presented.
https://opensourcenorth.com/
Sponsored by O’Reilly Media, OSCON is an annual convention for the discussion of free and open-source software. Held each year since 1999, OSCON was an offshoot of the Perl Conference, although the amount of Perl represented at the event declines each year. Schedules, 2-day training courses, speaker agendas, sponsors, and a calendar of events are published to the site. Attendees may register online, and an overview of the conference is given.
https://conferences.oreilly.com/oscon/
Hosted by the OSMOSIS Institute, the conference serves as a platform for investigators across the nation to gain insights into open-source intelligence, and to participate in training sessions from open-source and social media experts The venue is introduced, and rooms may be booked online, and a conference schedule is published to the site, speakers, exhibitors, and sponsors are acknowledged. Scheduled presentations and networking opportunities are announced.
https://www.osmosiscon.com/
SCALE is a Linux, open-source, and free software conference that has been held in Los Angeles County, California each year since 2002. The volunteer-run event is not restricted to Linux software, although that is in its name. The conference grew out of a series of LUGFests sponsored by the Simi Conejo Linux User Group in the late 19901. Previous SCALEs are highlighted, and upcoming event schedules, speaker lineups, presentations, and exhibitors are featured.
https://www.socallinuxexpo.org/
