Hi, Given the amount of reaction, let's continue that way and attempt to secure a couple talks in the distro room :)
- Sylvain On Wed, Sep 10, 2014 at 09:36:11PM +0200, Alex Sassmannshausen wrote: > Hi Sylvain, > > [email protected] writes: > > > Last year there was one devroom for all distros: > > https://archive.fosdem.org/2014/schedule/track/distributions/ > > (and there was a Guix talk already) > > > > Is the goal to get a full devroom? Debian or Fedora didn't get one, > > so I doubt we can get one through the distro axis. > > That's a good point, and well made :-) > > Yeah, the hope was to get a devroom for a day. But I guess that's quite > unlikely in light of this. > > I guess we can still give it a go unless someone has a better idea? If > not, we'll simply end up with a talk or two I guess? > > Best wishes, > > Alex > > > > > - Sylvain > > > > On Wed, Sep 10, 2014 at 08:32:05AM +0200, Alex Sassmannshausen wrote: > >> Hello, > >> > >> Like last year, we decided to apply for a devroom at FOSDEM in Brussels > >> in February. > >> > >> Last year we were not selected to organize a devroom in the end. The > >> original feedback we received from the organizers suggested they were > >> worried the format of the room might not be technical enough, as it was > >> built around GNU as an organization, philosophy and a practical project > >> around software. > >> > >> This year our application hence is built around a specific technical > >> project: a GNU distribution built around Guix and software components > >> that are parts of it. > >> > >> The deadline for the submission of devroom proposals is 15 September, so > >> I thought I'd share our current proposal on this list for the next few > >> days before submitting it. > >> > >> Feel free to comment if so inclined :-) > >> > >> Best wishes, > >> > >> Alex > >> > > > >> * Devroom name. > >> > >> GNU Guix — growing the GNU distribution. > >> > >> * Devroom description: > >> > >> GNU Guix is the foundation for the reference GNU distribution. > >> > >> Guix is a functional package manager based on Nix, written in GNU > >> Guile. Development started just 2 years ago, and it has now reached > >> a critical juncture: hitherto it was a symbiotic package manager > >> installed alongside other package managers within distributions. Now > >> it's also becoming a distribution in its own right. > >> > >> Goals of the distro (the niche in the "distro market"): > >> - transparent, transactional, per-user package-management > >> - declarative system configuration; > >> - extensibility from the ground up (where possible core distro > >> functionality is provided through Guile programs, a language > >> specifically designed to be hackable and extensible — for example, > >> at present the init system is provided by dmd, which is written in > >> Guile); > >> - secure: builds are performed in isolated environments to > >> facilitate reproducibility, and can be checked independently by > >> end-users; > >> - blurring of lines between developers, distribution maintainers and > >> end-users: > >> + high level DSL for describing packages makes packaging easy to > >> understand for developers and end-users alike, reducing barriers > >> to distro maintenance contribution; > >> + support for concurrent system configurations within different > >> 'profiles' allows for on-the-fly system reconfigurations to help > >> bug-tracking and development. > >> > >> The devroom will provide the following content: > >> > >> - high level overview of & tutorial on the distribution; > >> - hacking sessions for packaging software, enhancing the > >> distribution (installer, package-management tools, user > >> interfaces); > >> - discussions & presentations of specific components: > >> + Secure networking through gnunet: > >> * integration of the GNU Name Service (peer-to-peer, secure DNS > >> replacement); > >> * choice of defaults that help users remain in control (Linux > >> TCP stealth patch, GNUnet and Tor services, etc.) > >> + Extending the init system: use Guile (DMD) or established systems? > >> + Providing kernel hotswapping: supporting hurd development by > >> providing it as an alternative to linux-libre. > >> + Extensibility from the ground up: grafting Guile into the heart > >> of a distro (e.g. GNU Posh, Guix, DMD). > >> - open discussions on the further development of Guix and the > >> distro. > >> > >> The purpose of the room is to technically progress the distribution > >> through: > >> - demonstrations of its viability; > >> - debates around its technical composition; > >> - a space where hackers can contribute concrete chunks of code. > >> > >> * Related URLs > >> > >> - GNU Project: http://www.gnu.org > >> - GNU Guix: http://www.gnu.org/software/guix > >> > >> * Devroom organisers > >> > >> - Alex Sassmannshausen ([email protected]): > >> co-ordinator and occasional contributor to Guix. > >> - Ludovic Courtès ([email protected]): maintainer and core developer of > >> Guix.
