FOSDEM : Community!
Philippe Coval <purl.org/rzr>
Who?
Philippe Coval:
https://purl.org/rzr
Professional "OpenSource" Engineer
Now: @
Vates
on
https://xcp-ng.org
Ex: Intel, Samsung, Huawei, SiliconLabs…
Volunteering (FLOSS: Debian, MozRep…)
Speaking at
RennesEmbedded meetup
Thanx
SavoirFaireLinux
<3 !
Fosdemer: since 2003 to 2026 (10+ times)
Why?
Offen, I am asked by students (or bosses)
How to do opensource ? (or make $)
Why loosing time to work for free on OSS ?
focus more what you will gain
Linux is too big for Embedeed system/MCU?
What made linux a success? community
FLOSS is not not only code (people matters)
But instead of starting your community (alone)
Take part of an established community
FOSDEM is THE project to learn from
join volunteers
(onsite or offline)
Where?
FOSDEM is a community driven FLOSS event
free like
beer
(of BXL.be at ULB)
free like
speech
: (~1K talks)
On 1st WEEKEND of Feb (winter) since Y2K
filters un-passionate people
spoiler: does not work: +8K attendees
If you care about OSS:
it's a lifetime experience
It changed my life! maybe yours (soon?)
Not an ego trip, just a testimonial
People matters !
How?
200? : Wanted to work on OSS/linux,
let's go fosdem with my printed CVs for
… the garbage, nobody would care
no companies, no reps, just geeks (like me)
Only a job table but nobody! stickers
2012: Came back to met Maemo communtiy
Transition from MeeGo to
Tizen
???
Coincidentally, I've been contacted to
join an Intel team to work on a "WIP" OS
Taking risks
2014
: 1st time speaking :
Tizen
I vonlontered to promote this "WIP" OS
no other kamikaze in team dared to
It went OK, made friends (Samsung-OSG)
2015
: Speak again, with OSWH friend
Rooms full, no problem, socialize outside
Had causal dinner with community (+pros)
Failures, pay off
2016 : Applied for job online at S-OSG
Inteview summary:
It didn't started as I hoped:
"We will NOT hire you for THIS role"
It didn't finish with anything tangile, but…
recruiter knew me from fosdem
Months later, I was called to join EU team
to work on OSS IoT (OCF/IoTivity)
to Yearly pilgrimage
2016
: Hosted
Tizen stand
, many demos + talks
2017
/
2018
: more IoT talks
2019
: Co-presented WebThings w/ Mozilla Rep
2020
:
I
backuped a
Mozillian
just before 2020 lockdowns :(
2021/2022: Was online on matrix chat
Let's adapt
2021, locked down
2022, home again
2021 : as Volunteer (online)
Wached OpenHarmony launch (Huawei)
A yocto derived project under eclipe
Tested it (I rebased a pet project on it)
Gave feedback, got hired, easy
2022
: Eclipse Oniro virtual
stand + 18 talks
2021
When ?
2025, headhunter contacted me (said OSS)
I hesitated to change job, until I found…
a FOSDEM video of company Co-Founder
XCP-ng story, relationship to Xen…
Recurent presence and consistency !!!
Values aligned for a FLOSS passionate !
2026: We,
Vates staff will host a stand
Check for Xen, XCP-ng (H building)
Summary
FOSDEM is huge can't be sumirized in 15min,
Content is online, community isn't
The pilgrimage for Software dev
World is small / Community is wide
lot of feedback, ideas, stimulating
Software is hard so better share and ruse
be open, listen to feedback, adjust
Community needs Software
Software needs Community, so FOSDEM !
No QA !
Now your turn!
Share us your past FOSDEM annectodes
What makes FOSDEM so special to you ?
How this event affected your projects ?
Going to FOSDEM26 (or OFFDEM?)
Take the
HackerTrain "Gnu" group
Let's meet again at:
XCP-ng stand
or Junior Room (7-17 Yo)
to inspire the next generations
Slides:
https://purl.org/rzr/presentations
droids @ xcp-ng
Extra?
#CommunityFirst,
que mon témoignage vous inspire !
Depuis 2000,
la conférence FOSDEM
est l'événement incontournable
du libre
et de l'open source
en Europe.
Pour ceux
qui ne pourront
pas assister à l'édition 2016
qui débute ce weekend
cette présentation a pour but de
vous plonger modestement
dans l'esprit communautaire
qui l'anime.
Au lieu de
théoriser sur le logiciel libre
ou d'expliquer le fonctionnement
des communautés open source,
je vous confierai
quelques anecdotes personnelles
sur la manière dont
FOSDEM a transformé ma vie
Et la votre ? ou bientot ?
Je vous invite tous
de RennesEmbedded
à participer en racontant comment
cet événement a influencé vos projets,
car il faut le reconnaître
sans FOSDEM,
le mouvement FLOSS en Europe
(et au-delà)
ne serait pas ce qu'il est aujourd'hui.
Car sans communauté,
un logiciel libre
(ou simplement
juste ses sources ouvertes),
n'est guerre mieux
qu'un banal logiciel :)
More or Q&A ?, Thx!
Ask me now or later
https://purl.org/rzr
Slides and more
https://purl.org/rzr/presentations
Resources:
https://www.images-et-reseaux.com/agenda/rennes-embedded/
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/billets-rennes-embedded-1977364705062
Context
Event: #RennesEmbedded
<2026-01-29 Thu>
Place: Rennes France
Inscriptions a:
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/billets-rennes-embedded-1977364705062
Slides to be published later at:
https://purl.org/rzr/presentations
Playlist
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