There's nothing like #FOSDEM. Maybe if you're in a particular community that doesn't have a devroom so doesn't attract so many people it's not the same but finding people you know face to face and making new contacts is so valuable. But there's something for every open source developer.
Talk highlight? I've got to go with @edent's on the UK COVID tracing app. Even if you're not UK based it was a lesson in how government works and dealing with the abuse on Twitter. Superbly presented too.
The schedule for the Free Java devroom on Saturday at #FOSDEM #FOSDEM25 is now out! See https://fosdem.org/2025/schedule/track/free-java/
Will you be there (if you haven't been before it's free to attend if you can get to Brussels)?
I'm personally particularly looking forward to "(Almost) everything I knew about java performance was wrong"
Will you be there? #openjdk #java
The fact that #FOSDEM is free to attend is also crazy. It makes the overall vibe different from other conferences. Sure you have to pay for travel and accommodation but if you have the money spare it's absolutely worth it especially if you want to meet specific people.
I've been four times, although only twice paid for by my employer at the time (one of the self-funded ones I travelled on my motorbike: 120 miles in the UK then about the same on Europe mainland to Brussels. Loved the experience)
"Lessons Learned from open sourcing the UK COVID-19 app" from @Edent at #FOSDEM s now up for replaying.
Mostly not UK specific (But a warning: Contains Matt Hancock) and touched on topics such as trolls on social media, taking care when writing comments (with a great example at 29m07), and choice of licenses. A good watch for anyone involved in any high profile open source project. #NHS #openSource
https://video.fosdem.org/2025/janson/fosdem-2025-4411-lessons-learned-open-sourcing-the-uk-s-covid-tracing-app.av1.webm
Just occurred to me that, despite sticking a SIM card in my laptop in preparation for the trip, I haven't opened it at all this #FOSDEM weekend!
Also a bit too companies with stands at #FOSDEM ... Dinky shaped stickers area all well and good but if you make them smaller and "tilable" then people are more likely to include yours on their laptop. Also probably less wasteful in the production line ... Here's a talk on the subject I saw in 2015. For some reason there aren't many this shape any more #sticker #hexagon #hexagonal
Yosuke Furukawa: "Hexagonal Sticker as a Service"
https://youtube.com/watch?v=KKymGcL0PIk&si=ucvlZZ96kRkdSpe7
I'm not convinced that remote control would be in the list of things that people think of as a car upgrade, but it's interesting to hear this talk about converting a 2007 VW Polo to a remote control EV (using a Nissan Leaf motor) ... #FOSDEM
@sldrant @OpinionatedGeek @jtonline I was talking to the #Immich people today at #FOSDEM and was quite impressed with it (other than current lack of support for #RISCV but that's not an issue for many people!) It was on my radar to try anyway but playing with the UI it seems quick and definitely worth a try when I get back (It's been on the long list of things I want to do with my home LAN but will get bumped up!)
Until today I didn't realise it had video support too with transcoding via ffmpeg
#Framework laptop with the (swappable) RISC-V motherboard from #DeepComputing at #FOSDEM
Answer to how many #RISCV board at #FOSDEM @fosdem this year ... Not too many. Had hoped for more. #jenkins had two (pic 2 - including a MilkV Pioneer), and #DeepComputing had their @frameworkcomputer with a RISC-V board (pic 3 - currently JH7110 AIUI) and a standalone version which I believe ended up on the Ubuntu stand later on the second day (pic 1)!
The Linux Foundation stand also has some RiSE stickers
