{"id":253,"date":"2025-02-21T14:54:34","date_gmt":"2025-02-21T12:54:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/upcloud.com\/global\/us\/2025\/02\/21\/reflections-on-fosdem-25\/"},"modified":"2025-02-21T14:54:34","modified_gmt":"2025-02-21T12:54:34","slug":"reflections-on-fosdem-25","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/upcloud.com\/global\/blog\/reflections-on-fosdem-25\/","title":{"rendered":"Reflections on FOSDEM \u201825"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>From the minds of Teppo Suominen, Lewis Torrington, Nate Ham, Toni Peltonen, and Werneri Aarnio<\/em> \ud83e\udde0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This year marked an incredible 25 years of FOSDEM \ud83e\udd2f. Host city Brussels even put on three days of winter sunlight in celebration. (Or maybe that was just luck\u2026) We headed down to Belgium to soak up the innovations, projects, and a beer or two. Here\u2019s our reflections on 48 hours of pure engineering joy:&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What\u2019s it all about?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/fosdem.org\/2025\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/fosdem.org\/2025\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FOSDEM<\/a> is a two-day event organised by volunteers to promote the widespread use of free and open source software, and, according to the organisers, is widely recognised as the best such conference in Europe. We fully agree. Attending FOSDEM is an absolute must for any engineer.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This year\u2019s event featured 1193 speakers, 1104 events, and 79 tracks, across 35 different rooms. Yep \u2013 it\u2019s huge.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u201cIt\u2019s chaos from top to bottom. Embrace it\u201d \u2013 Teppo Suominen<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/upcloud.com\/media\/image-1024x364.jpeg\" alt=\"Good Luck finding a seat in the popular Dev rooms!\" class=\"wp-image-47669\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2025 Themes &amp; Trends&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Learning directly from highly experienced and passionate practitioners is one of the things that makes FOSDEM so special. Among the many Dev rooms, we spotted some trends this year: how open source is faring in the EU legislative landscape, and why we all need to write better docs.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">OSS in EU Legislation&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was interesting to see how open source is evolving in the European legislative landscape, and there were multiple policy tracks and talks discussing topics like the Cybersecurity Resilience Act (CRA), AI Act, and Digital Services Act.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/fosdem.org\/2025\/schedule\/track\/legal-and-policy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Legal and Policy<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/fosdem.org\/2025\/schedule\/track\/sbom\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SBOMs<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/fosdem.org\/2025\/schedule\/track\/eu-policy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">EU Policy<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Docs, Docs, and more Docs<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Documentation was a core theme throughout multiple Dev rooms \u2013 from talks about how to improve quality, to breaking down how to write better docs and get people engaged with your projects through documentation.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/fosdem.org\/2025\/schedule\/event\/fosdem-2025-4641-the-state-of-ebpf-docs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The state of eBPF docs<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/fosdem.org\/2025\/schedule\/track\/docs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tool the Docs<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">UpCloud\u2019s FOSDEM survival guide<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This wasn\u2019t our first rodeo, but the sheer size of FOSDEM is still pretty overwhelming. Here\u2019s the tips and tricks we\u2019ll be leaning on in 2026!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Get there early<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Figure out what talks you want to attend in advance. One look at the schedule for FOSDEM and you\u2019ll quickly see that it\u2019s impossible to get to everything. Remember you can catch the talks online.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Also, make sure you get to the designated Dev room in plenty of time, because popular talks will fill up fast. You can wait and queue outside, or even just follow other devs\u2019 lead and watch the presentations online, in the queue!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/upcloud.com\/media\/image-91-1024x391.png\" alt=\"The schedule of presentations and discussions at FOSDEM 2025.\" class=\"wp-image-47670\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Invent a time machine or be content catching up on the schedule online!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">But also, get outside the venue!<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are a lot of people at FOSDEM. A lot. And the air quality is not great in the older campus buildings. Be warned!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Check out the <a href=\"https:\/\/fosdem.org\/2025\/fringe\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FOSDEM Fringe <\/a>site a few weeks before the event, to see what side quests are open \u2013 and make sure you sign up! Places fill up fast. We hosted a happy hour the night before FOSDEM and met folks from all across the world over some beers. Other communities even host mini conferences and hack days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-id=\"47677\" src=\"https:\/\/upcloud.com\/media\/IMG_9070-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"People sitting around a table and enjoying each others company.\" class=\"wp-image-47677\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-id=\"47675\" src=\"https:\/\/upcloud.com\/media\/IMG_9071-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"People sitting around a table and enjoying each others company.\" class=\"wp-image-47675\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-id=\"47678\" src=\"https:\/\/upcloud.com\/media\/IMG_9073-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"People sitting around a table and enjoying each others company.\" class=\"wp-image-47678\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Get the stickers<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">FOSDEM is a great opportunity to meet folks who are building and maintaining the projects you use everyday. We met the WireGuard team \u2764\ufe0f (among many others!) while hunting for stickers. So just bowl up and start chatting \u2013 everyone is welcoming and friendly.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Some of our favourite 2025 talks, tracks, and project finds&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u201cThe quality of the talk is inversely proportional to the amount of effort spent styling the slides.\u201d \u2013 Lewis Torrington<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Talks<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/fosdem.org\/2025\/schedule\/event\/fosdem-2025-5531-from-queries-to-pints-building-a-beer-recommendation-system-with-pgvector\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">From Queries to Pints: Building a Beer Recommendation System with pgvector<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Tracks<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/fosdem.org\/2025\/schedule\/track\/retrocomputing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Retro Computing<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/fosdem.org\/2025\/schedule\/track\/radio\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Radio<\/a>&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/fosdem.org\/2025\/schedule\/track\/ebpf\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">eBPF<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/fosdem.org\/2025\/schedule\/track\/design\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Design<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/fosdem.org\/2025\/schedule\/track\/community\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Community<\/a>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Project finds<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/github.com\/unitaryfund\/ucc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/github.com\/unitaryfund\/ucc<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/elv.sh\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/elv.sh\/<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/boxer.dev\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/boxer.dev\/<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Finally&#8230;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u201cBelgium has the best waffles in the EU. Confirmed.\u201d \u2013 Werneri Aarnio<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/upcloud.com\/media\/waffle-edited.jpg\" alt=\"Someone holding a waffle with some whipped cream on top.\" class=\"wp-image-47672\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From the minds of Teppo Suominen, Lewis Torrington, Nate Ham, Toni Peltonen, and Werneri Aarnio \ud83e\udde0 This year marked an incredible 25 years of FOSDEM [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":76,"featured_media":57315,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"589,646,538,583,160,310","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"Blocked by a filter function","footnotes":""},"categories":[103,19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-253","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-open-source","category-community-and-events"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/upcloud.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/253","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/upcloud.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/upcloud.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upcloud.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/76"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upcloud.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=253"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/upcloud.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/253\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/upcloud.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=253"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upcloud.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=253"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upcloud.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=253"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}