FOSDEM '25 Trip Report

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From CentOS Connect to FOSDEM 2025: An Open Source Odyssey

The start of 2025 kicked off with two major events for open source enthusiasts—CentOS Connect and FOSDEM—each bringing its own dose of excitement, collaboration, and insight into where our community is heading. Whether you were hacking on new projects, mingling at booths, or attending keynotes that lit up the stage, there was no shortage of inspiration. Here’s a look back at both events and how they tied together into one memorable journey.

CentOS Connect 2025 – Day One

A Fresh Look at CentOS

The opening day of CentOS Connect 2025 set the tone by putting the spotlight on the evolution of CentOS. The day began with a keynote that walked everyone through recent milestones and upcoming goals—highlighting changes in rolling releases, community-driven governance, and the CentOS Stream roadmap. Attendees seemed especially excited about the expansions in cloud and container support, which promise to make CentOS more robust in enterprise and personal computing environments.

Community Engagement & Lightning Talks

Lightning talks throughout the day showcased the varied ways contributors are shaping CentOS—from packaging improvements to brand-new SIG (Special Interest Group) proposals. It was energizing to see a packed room of contributors, including first-time attendees, all sharing insights on everything from kernel modules to system security. The best part? Everyone looked eager to collaborate and mentor newcomers, keeping the open source spirit very much alive.

CentOS Connect 2025 – Day Two

Workshops and Hands-On Labs

If Day One was all about conceptual overviews and introductions, Day Two brought the action with hands-on labs. Topics ranged from debugging containerized CentOS environments to automating release pipelines. Instructors gave attendees the chance to test-drive new tooling updates, complete mini challenges, and share feedback with maintainers on the spot.

New Partnerships & Roadmap Discussions

The day wrapped up with a panel of project leads discussing community partnerships, future project directions, and how CentOS fits into the broader landscape of enterprise Linux. This forward-looking approach gave everyone a sense of momentum, and it was clear that synergy with other major open source communities would be a top priority. As the conference ended, folks left with a clear sense that CentOS is not just a distribution—it’s an evolving ecosystem that’s ready to address modern computing needs.

Traveling Onward to FOSDEM 2025

A few days and a quick train ride later, the open source caravan landed in Brussels for FOSDEM 2025. Known for its diverse devrooms, bustling hallways, and a city-wide takeover by free software lovers, this year’s FOSDEM did not disappoint.

FOSDEM 2025 – Day One

A Global Gathering

FOSDEM is nothing if not inclusive, and you could tell the energy was through the roof the moment you stepped onto campus. Attendees from around the globe filled every corner, from the main auditoriums to quieter hack spaces. Everyone was eager to jump into discussions about the next generation of container tools, AI/ML in open source, and the complexities of software licensing in 2025 and beyond.

Devrooms Galore

One of FOSDEM’s hallmarks is its themed devrooms, and this year continued the tradition with dedicated spaces for containers, desktop environments, distributions, cloud technologies, and more. Each devroom offered a full day of talks. Notable sessions included exploring new kernel technologies for HPC, improving developer workflows with container orchestration, and a deep-dive into secure supply chains—an especially hot topic these days.

Community Socials

After a day packed with talks, many attendees converged on the local cafes and restaurants for informal meetups. The mix of social events proved invaluable for forging new relationships, brainstorming potential cross-project initiatives, and, of course, unwinding with a good Belgian beer.

FOSDEM 2025 – Day Two

Hands-On Demos & Innovation Showcases

Day Two kept the momentum going with more specialized sessions and a lineup of live demos. Attendees could try out new virtualization features, talk to project maintainers, or join mini coding sprints organized on the spot. The atmosphere of creative chaos made it easy to stumble upon interesting projects—from experimental Linux kernels with advanced real-time capabilities to newly minted open hardware prototypes.

Looking Ahead

The closing keynote centered on the future of community-driven software, urging everyone to embrace experimentation without losing the collective wisdom of established best practices. This final session brought a sense of unity across the entire open source ecosystem, echoing many themes from CentOS Connect: collaboration, transparency, and a willingness to push boundaries.

Farewell, FOSDEM

As the event wound down, participants lingered to debrief over coffee, share contact info, and reflect on all that had happened. People walked away invigorated by fresh ideas, new partnerships, and an even stronger belief in the power of open source to shape the future.

Wrapping Up the Journey

Attending CentOS Connect 2025 and then heading straight to FOSDEM 2025 was a whirlwind, but it also underscored the interdependence of open source communities. Each event had its unique culture—CentOS Connect with its tight-knit focus on distribution evolution, and FOSDEM with its broad tent of free software projects. What they shared was a collective drive toward innovation, inclusivity, and knowledge-sharing.

If you missed either conference, there are plenty of ways to catch up: slides and session recordings will be posted online, and community channels remain active for ongoing discussions. For those planning ahead, mark your calendars—next year promises even more growth, collaboration, and open source breakthroughs!

Stay Connected:

  • Follow the CentOS Stream mailing lists for distribution updates.
  • Join FOSDEM’s mailing lists or watch for calls for volunteers and speakers.
  • Keep an eye out for spin-off local meetups or smaller devrooms happening year-round.

Here’s to celebrating more milestones, forging new collaborations, and keeping the flame of open source burning bright. Until next time—keep experimenting and contributing!

Author’s Note: Many thanks to the teams behind CentOS Connect and FOSDEM for organizing these fantastic events. And a hearty shout-out to every attendee, speaker, and volunteer for making the open source community an inspiring place to be.


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