DevConf

DevConf
Name	DevConf
Status	Active
Genre	Technology conference
Frequency	Annual
Location	Varies
First	2009
Organizer	Red Hat (orig.)

DevConf DevConf is an annual technology conference focused on open source software, Linux kernel, cloud computing, DevOps practices and system administration. It gathers developers, engineers, contributors and community leaders from projects such as Fedora Project, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Kubernetes, OpenStack and Ansible. Attendees often include representatives from organizations like IBM, Intel Corporation, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon Web Services, as well as contributors from foundations such as the Linux Foundation, Apache Software Foundation and Cloud Native Computing Foundation.

Overview

DevConf serves as a collaborative forum where participants discuss technologies from GNOME Project desktop stacks to SELinux policy, and explore integrations with platforms like OpenShift and KubeVirt. Sessions typically cover tooling associated with projects such as GCC, LLVM, QEMU, libvirt and systemd, and communities around languages and runtimes like Python (programming language), Golang, Rust (programming language), Java (programming language) and Node.js. The event features hands-on labs, lightning talks, panel discussions and workshops organized by contributor groups including NetworkManager maintainers, Cockpit developers and GNOME Foundation members.

History

DevConf originated as a community-focused meeting for contributors to distributions and upstream projects, growing alongside initiatives such as Fedora Project and Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Early editions emphasized collaboration among participants from enterprises like Red Hat and academic institutions including Czech Technical University and Masaryk University, later expanding to include international delegations from United States, United Kingdom, Germany, India, Brazil and China. Over time the conference incorporated co-located events and satellite conferences similar in scope to FOSDEM, SCALE (conference), Open Source Summit and LinuxCon.

Organization and Format

The conference is organized by volunteer committees and corporate sponsors, with program committees coordinating tracks for topics aligned to projects such as Ansible, Podman, CRI-O, Buildah and rpm. Venues have included convention centers and university campuses comparable to sites used by SIGGRAPH, CES, SXSW and Google I/O. Typical formats include keynote addresses, technical deep dives, contributor summits patterned after ApacheCon and unconference sessions inspired by BarCamp.

Topics and Tracks

Tracks span operating system internals exemplified by Linux kernel development, container ecosystems including Docker and Kubernetes, continuous integration stacks like Jenkins and GitLab CI, and observability tooling such as Prometheus, Grafana and ELK Stack. Security-focused sessions address projects like OpenSSL, GnuPG and AppArmor alongside compliance discussions referencing Common Criteria and FIPS 140-2. Other tracks highlight desktop environments including KDE, accessibility efforts linked with GNOME Foundation, and networking topics tied to Open vSwitch and BGP implementations.

Notable Speakers and Keynotes

Keynote presenters have included influential figures from projects and companies such as contributors from Red Hat, executives from IBM and engineers from Google and Microsoft. Speakers have represented upstream communities like Kubernetes SIGs, Linux Kernel Mailing List veterans, maintainers for systemd and authors associated with GCC and LLVM. Panels have featured representatives from standards bodies including IEEE and IETF, and guest talks from academics affiliated with Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University and University of Cambridge.

Community and Sponsorship

Community involvement draws contributors from foundations and projects such as the Linux Foundation, GNOME Foundation, Apache Software Foundation and Cloud Native Computing Foundation. Corporate sponsors have included Red Hat, IBM, Intel Corporation, Amazon Web Services, Google and Microsoft. Local partner organizations often comprise regional user groups and universities like Czech Technical University, University of Ostrava and technical associations similar to ACM chapters. Outreach efforts mirror initiatives from Outreachy and Google Summer of Code to onboard new contributors.

Impact and Reception

DevConf has been credited with facilitating contributions to projects such as Fedora Project, Ansible, Kubernetes and OpenStack, and influencing collaboration models adopted by events like FOSDEM and Open Source Summit. Media coverage and community write-ups often compare its community-driven structure to longstanding gatherings including LCA (conference), SCALE (conference) and LinuxCon. The conference has been noted for producing technical outcomes, release blockers resolved onsite, and mentoring programs reminiscent of Google Summer of Code and Outreachy that increase diversity in open source participation.

Category:Technology conferences