Blog | Linux Foundation

Linux Foundation Newsletter: June 2023

Written by The Linux Foundation | Jun 14, 2023 1:00:00 PM

The Linux Foundation celebrates our diverse and inclusive LGBTQIA+ community.

In this month's newsletter, we take a stand against patent trolls. Discover the RISE project hosted by LF Europe, and stay current with the latest research on open source microgrids and energy transformation readiness. Additionally, explore our new sustainability and digital trust initiatives for a more secure and trustworthy digital future. Be sure to check out our training and certification deals!

Contents

Stand up for open source against patent trolls

The Linux Foundation, alongside the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Eclipse Foundation, GNOME Foundation, Mozilla Foundation, Open Invention Network, Open Source Initiative, and Unified Patents, is leading a call to action. We are facing proposed USPTO rule changes that, if they come into effect, will empower "patent trolls" at the expense of open source projects. These proposals are contradictory to Congressional laws and carry a risk of misuse of invalid patents against open source software, potentially costing US companies and open source foundations hundreds of millions of dollars.

Now, more than ever, the unified voice of the open source community is critical. We call upon you to stand with us, raise your concerns, and make your voices heard.

The USPTO is in a feedback phase, and we must present a united, forceful response to prevent these unconstitutional rule changes from taking effect. Please contribute your written input to the Federal Register before the deadline: June 20, 2023, 11:59 PM EST. Every comment counts, and we need a surge of responses to make a real impact. We’ve also provided templates (.txt, for Individuals and Corporate Counsel) so that it’s easy to cut and paste your comments in.

Training & Certification deals

Fire up your continuing IT education, and save up to 40% on training courses and certifications through June 20. Shop now!

Interested in reading our Training newsletter? Click here to subscribe.

Announcing the RISE Project

Industry leaders have launched the RISC-V Software Ecosystem (RISE) Project to accelerate open source software development for RISC-V architecture. RISE aims to provide commercial-ready software for RISC-V cores in mobile, consumer electronics, data centers, and automotive sectors. Hosted by Linux Foundation Europe, the project’s governing board includes Andes, Google, Intel, Imagination Technologies, MediaTek, NVIDIA, Qualcomm Technologies, Red Hat, Rivos, Samsung, SiFive, T-Head, and Ventana. 

RISE will prioritize software deliverables, collaborate with open source communities, and foster RISC-V adoption. The goal is to create a robust software ecosystem for application processors.

Read more about RISE here.

New research on microgrids & energy transformation readiness

The Open Source Opportunity for Microgrids

Microgrids transform energy generation and distribution by connecting small, independent systems to traditional utility grids. They offer a solution for enhanced energy resiliency. However, this market faces high financial and technical barriers, fragmented standards and technologies, and resistance from policies and incumbents.

Greater open source adoption can promote innovation, modularity, interoperability, and access, potentially overcoming market barriers. To address these challenges, Linux Foundation Research collaborated with Futurewei, LF Energy, and Intentional Futures to study the role of open source in microgrids. We identified open source opportunities and gaps through interviews with energy sector experts.

READ REPORT

2023 Energy Transformation Readiness Study

LF Energy is dedicated to transforming the energy sector through open source investment and collaboration. The results of its energy transformation readiness study contribute to this mission by examining the adoption of essential open source technology stacks for achieving climate targets. The study also aims to provide actionable insights by assessing the digital transformation readiness of energy stakeholders and identifying gaps in educational tools.

The report reveals that energy stakeholders are progressing in their digital transformation journey and are strongly interested in adopting open source technology. While the sector has taken initial steps, industry-wide full adoption and significant contributions to open source are yet to be realized. The training and upskilling of the energy sector workforce will play a pivotal role in driving this effort.

READ REPORT

Participate in Linux Foundation Research surveys

2023 State of Open Source in Financial Services Survey

  • Now in its 3rd year, this study returns by popular demand. FINOS and Linux Foundation Research have again joined forces to examine open source adoption, contribution, and readiness in the financial services sector. This survey intends to delve into the role of open source within financial organizations, provide year-over-year insights, and ultimately support the open source in the financial services community to better address challenges. 

Hyperledger Brand Survey

  • In collaboration with Hyperledger, Linux Foundation Research is conducting a brand awareness study to measure familiarity and understanding of business blockchain technology, the Hyperledger tenets, and the individual frameworks and tools developed within it. This survey data will help guide Hyperledger and its surrounding ecosystem in its mission to advance enterprise-grade blockchain adoption through open source collaboration. 

World of Open Source: Global Spotlight 2023 Survey

  • Take the Linux Foundation’s World of Open Source: Global Spotlight 2023 Survey and share your perspective on the state of open source worldwide. The survey will explore regional open source trends and investigate using and adopting open source technologies and best practices. 

2023 Open Source Program Office (OSPO) Survey

  • The TODO Group and Linux Foundation Research are once again collaborating on an annual study exploring the prevalence, goals, and outcomes of open source programs and similar open source initiatives operating across the globe.

OpenSSF Software Security Awareness Survey

  • Participate in the OpenSSF Software Security Awareness Survey to share your views on initiatives like Sigstore, Alpha-Omega, Best Practices Badge, Scorecard, and SLSA.

Learn about our Sustainability and Digital Trust initiatives

Image: The Linux Foundation supports the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 

  • The Linux Foundation has launched the LF Sustainability initiative, which aims to align open source projects hosted by the Linux Foundation with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The initiative recognizes the crucial role of digital technology in sustainable development and seeks to understand how Linux Foundation projects contribute to the different dimensions of sustainability. READ MORE


  • The Linux Foundation has introduced the LF Digital Trust initiative, promoting digital trust and decentralized interoperability. LF Digital Trust discovers critical open source projects that advance digital trust, addressing content provenance, confidential computing, decentralized identity, and distributed ledgers in digital asset ecosystems. READ MORE

Read about our new leaders at LF Europe and FINOS

LFX Mentorship

Image: Attendees collaborating over coffee at Open Source Summit North America 2023 in Vancouver

  • Summer 2023 LFX Mentorships are underway. Projects include CNCF, GraphQL, Hyperledger, LF Networking, Linux Kernel, OpenHPC, Open Mainframe Project, and RISC-V.
    • The Alpha-Omega Project welcomed four mentees for their first Summer Mentorship Program on June 1st. Learn more about the program!
    • Linux kernel Bug Fixing Summer project is underway with 13 mentees and a Spring session graduate helping as a mentor. Spring part-time and full-time sessions wrapped up, and the part-time session continues with 14 mentees.
    • CNCF accepted 37 mentees for their 31 projects this summer.
    • Open Mainframe Project received a record-breaking 724 applicants for their mentorship programs, with 11 mentees accepted for the Summer term.

Upcoming events

WasmCon is the premier conference for technical developers and users interested in exploring the potential of WebAssembly. This two-day event will bring together leading experts, developers, and users across the Wasm community. Join us September 6-7 in Bellevue, Washington! 

Register Today | Submit to Speak | Learn More

Other upcoming events:

To register (for in-person attendance or virtual), please view our full calendar of events here, and be sure to subscribe to our events newsletter. Check out our Flickr stream for photos of past events!

Diversity, equity, and inclusion

Image: a rainbow behind a group of penguins of various species enjoying a day at the beach, wide shot, Bing Image Creator.

  • Open Mainframe Project celebrated AAPI Heritage Month. You can celebrate this all year round by donating to an organization that advances the AAPI community, asking your AAPI colleagues and team members to share their stories, and even ordering lunch from a local restaurant to highlight a part of the culture. 
  • Missed the Empowering LGBTQIA+ webinar? Don't worry; catch the replay! DEI consultant Jess Pettitt led a webinar with renowned panelists discussing creating safe spaces through community, self-expression, and relationship-building. Dan Brown from LF Energy shared insights on the impact of cultural polarization and the significance of inclusivity in the tech ecosystem and beyond.
  • Check out our new Diversity & Inclusivity resources page; Diversity Scholarships are offered for events. For more eligibility information and how to apply, please visit the individual event’s website (all listed here), click the “Attend” tab, and select the “Registration Scholarships” option. 
  • The Linux Foundation's Travel Fund provides open source developers and community members with financial support to attend events they may not have been able to otherwise and prioritizes those from underrepresented or lower socioeconomic groups. Learn more about the fund and how to apply.

Linux Foundation project news and updates

Image: an army of robotic safety inspectors examining a vast artificially intelligent building, digital art, Bing Image Creator

  • Is it safe to leverage open source software and communities to develop highly sensitive, powerful AI systems? That’s what Dr. Irving Wladawsky-Berger asks in his guest blog.
  • We’ve recently joined the Bluesky social network. Be sure to say hello!

LF AI & Data

Revised project lifecycle criteria ensure project success by guiding progress tracking, resource allocation, and improvement.

AI & Data Foundation is shaping the future of AI in a dynamic field with emerging trends, offering research, development, startups, and innovation opportunities.

Join the ML Security Committee meeting on June 15 at 5 pm CEST with Ibrahim Haddad, Ph.D., Executive Director of LF AI & Data Foundation, for the latest developments and discussions.

  • LF AI & Data Technical Advisory Council meeting, June 15th. Learn about our mission to promote collaboration among technical projects and our recommendations for resource priorities. 
  • ONNX Community Meetup.  Connect with the vibrant ONNX community, hear partner and user stories, and discover the latest innovations at the ONNX Community Meetup on June 28th at NVIDIA Campus in Santa Clara.
  • Join the LF AI & Data Trusted AI Committee as we discuss the role of transparency and open source for accountable AI systems.

Continuous Delivery Foundation

CNCF

Confidential Computing Consortium

Decentralized Identity Foundation (DIF)

  • The first did:hack hackathon was held from June 5-8, 2023, featuring innovative projects like mobile voting using DID Communication and Decentralized Web Nodes.
  • DIF presented at the Digital Identity unConference in Europe, which included government representatives from multiple countries.
  • DIF formed the DIF Korea SIG and invited group Chair Park Kyoung-Chul to share insights into decentralized identity in South Korea.

Delta Lake

  • We’re excited to announce that delta-rs python bindings v0.10.0 is here! It includes optimizing zorder, DataFusion storage catalog, concurrent file compaction, and more Check it out today!
  • This Delta Lake blog post explains how to Z ORDER Delta tables and how this design pattern can significantly speed up your queries. Read here.
  • Check out this special D3L2 vidcast/podcast with Andy Grove who has been specializing in query engines and distributed systems. Watch D3L2: Discussing Rust, Ballista, Ray SQL, and Data Fusion with Andy Grove.
  • Data+AI Summit, the premier event for the global data community to learn about LLMs, lakehouses, and all the latest innovations in data and AI, is almost here. Join us June 26-29 in San Francisco and use code ETLINUX400 to save $400 on your full conference pass. Register here!

Dronecode Foundation

LF Edge

  • What are the latest trends in Edge Computing architecture? Watch the latest webinar on how edge architectures are evolving, including the rise of WebAssembly to complement technologies such as Kubernetes, Docker, and Virtual Machines.
  • EdgeX Foundry has released its V3 with key new usability and security features.
  • Fledge, an open source framework for Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) applications, has moved from Stage 1: At Large to Stage 3: Impact in LF Edge. Read more on how Fledge revolutionizes Industrial IoT with open-source edge computing.
  • AccuKnox joins mimik Technologies, IBM as an Open Horizon project partner. 
  • The Akraino community has published a white paper recommending security requirements for Akraino platforms and blueprint execution environments.

ELISA

  • Paul Albertella, ELISA Project TSC member and Chair for Open Source Engineering Process Working Group, shares details about ELISA’s safety analysis approach.
  • Red Hat’s Gabriele Paoloni, Alessandro Carminati & Maurizio Papini offer insight from the Safety Architecture Working Group about ks-nav tool set for in-depth linux kernel analysis in this article.
  • Register for the Safety-Crticial Software Summit, which features presentations from several ELISA ambassadors and leaders. Check out the schedule here.  

LF Energy

  • Linux Foundation Energy has announced recent momentum, including the Power Grid Model Project launch and several new members.

  • LF Energy and LF Research have released two new reports at the recent LF Energy Summit. The “2023 Energy Transformation Readiness Study” found the energy sector is in the midst of a major transformation, with 76% of utilities implementing digitalization plans and 64% using open source to accelerate innovation. “The Open Source Opportunity for Microgrids: Five Ways to Drive Innovation and Overcome Market Barriers for Energy Resilience” highlights the current state of the microgrid market and explores the potential for open source technology to accelerate the adoption of microgrids worldwide.

  • LF Energy Summit took place June 1-2 in Paris, bringing together hundreds of LF Energy members, project contributors, energy sector stakeholders, vendors, researchers, and others. Slides are available on the event schedule website for most sessions by clicking the session name and downloading the attached PDF. Videos of each session will be available in the coming weeks.

  • theCUBE interviewed LF Energy’s Dan Brown and Savoir-faire Linux’s Christophe Villemer at Open Source Summit last month to discuss how open source is speeding the decarbonization of energy systems.

  • TechStrong.tv also interviewed LF Energy’s Dan Brown and Savoir-faire Linux’s Christophe Villemer, and Shell’s Aarthi Thyagarajan about open source solutions for digitally transforming and decarbonizing energy systems.

  • pv magazine reports on how “Open source data can unlock the power of microgrids.”

  • Smart Energy International explores the recent LF Energy research report to investigate how “76% of utilities are already implementing digitalisation plans”.

FinOps Foundation

  • Join 1,000+ practitioners across the globe at FinOps X on June 27-30. 100+ speakers showcasing content tailored for your FinOps success featuring executive keynotes, Cloud Billing Panel with VPs from Google Cloud, Microsoft, and Oracle, interactive chalk talks, and technical sessions.

FINOS

Hyperledger Foundation

Open 3D Engine (O3DE)

  • The new O3DE website has an improved user experience to ease onboarding, highlight great work within the community and showcase upcoming global news and events. Check it out.
  • Silicon Studio, a middleware and technology developer focused on entertainment, gaming, automotive, video, architecture, and other industries, has joined the Open 3D Foundation to provide commercial support to companies building applications using O3DE. Learn more. 
  • Digital Basil Leaves Founder Matteo Grasso shared a great example of creativity and innovation in building a game using O3DE, his submission to the O3DE Jam. Take a look.
  • The future-looking team at Imagination Technologies is using O3DE to support some of the world’s top mobile game studios. Get the details in this interview with Tyrran Ferguson, the company’s Director of Ecosystem and Gaming.
  • A panel of industry experts from AWS, Heroic Robots, Huawei, Open Robotics (at Intrinsic), and Robotec.ai shared their insights into how open source technologies are impacting the world of robotics in this first installment of a 3-part blog series, focused on trends and challenges. Learn more. 
  • O3DE is gaining considerable momentum in Asia Pacific with a significant presence at prominent events and engagements with diverse technology leaders. Get the details.

OpenJS Foundation

  • The latest Node.js Security Progress Report is out – focusing on automation. The Security Working Group focuses on implementing automation for the key dependencies in the build to ensure security releases are easier and less prone to error.
  • Node.js celebrated 14 years since its inception! We asked the community to share their favorite Node.js memories to put in our Node.js time capsule to look back on for years to come.
  • Node.js 19 is now end-of-life. Make sure to upgrade to Node.js 20 or downgrade to Node.js 18 (LTS), and check out the release schedule for future reference.

Open Metaverse Foundation (OMF)

  • From his earlier experiences in applying Google Glass to improve healthcare to his current role in strategic development for Adobe Creative Cloud, Chris Duffey shares his insights into the value of the emerging metaverse and the challenges we must overcome to realize its true potential in this interview.
  • The Open Metaverse Foundation is experiencing considerable momentum in Asia Pacific, attracting the attention of government officials, industry leaders, developers, and conference attendees. Discover more in this blog.

Open Mainframe Project

  • Open Mainframe Project announces plans for this year’s annual Open Mainframe Summit, which will be co-located with IBM’s TechXchange on September 11, 2023, in Las Vegas and FINOS’ Open Source in Finance Forum on November 1 in New York. Call for Papers for both events is currently open until June 30. 
  • Open Mainframe Project’s CBT Tape, an open library of free software distribution for the IBM mainframe MVS and z/OS operating system environments, achieves a legendary milestone with its 505 update. 
  • John Mertic, Executive Director of the Open Mainframe Project, shares his hope for the future of the mainframe industry and the AAPI community. 

LF Networking

Nephio

  • AcuKnox, a Nephio contributing organization, has published a white paper on 5G security-enhanced open radio access networks with Nephio.
  • Nephio Release 1 is scheduled to go out this month. The new release is set to reshape the cloud computing landscape and deliver unmatched performance, scalability, and security. Subscribe to the Nephio mailing lists to get updated on the R1 release progress.

OpenSSF

  • Meet Omkhar Arasaratnam, the new General Manager of OpenSSF. Omkhar Arasaratnam, the new General Manager of OpenSSF, has over 25 years of cybersecurity and technical risk management experience. He is an ideal fit for the organization's mission of securing the software supply chain, driven by his ethos to make the world more secure.
  • The call for proposals to speak at OpenSSF Day EU is open! Submit proposals for OpenSSF Day at Open Source Summit Europe in Bilbao, Spain, on September 18th, covering topics such as security best practices, vulnerability discovery, securing critical projects, developing tooling for OSS security, and the future of OSS security. Submit your speaking proposal today through July 7th.
  • We Want to Hear from You: Take the OpenSSF Software Security Awareness Survey.

Overture Maps Foundation

  • We're releasing the Overture Data Schema and Overture Global Entity Reference System, two critical components of our mission to power current and next-generation map products. These documents outline the structured data model and stable ID system that will make map data more reliable and interoperable. We invite you to provide your feedback to help shape the future of Overture Maps. Check out the data schema and reference system previews here.

PyTorch Foundation

  • Membership to join the PyTorch Foundation is now open! Companies can join to help build the future of end-to-end machine learning frameworks alongside industry peers.
  • Registration and call for proposals for PyTorch Conference 2023 are now open. The event is scheduled for October 16-17 in San Francisco, California.
  • The PyTorch New York Meetup for June focused on learning how to accelerate your deep learning workloads using Intel Optimization for PyTorch.
  • Check out Hugging Face Optimum Library and get out-of-the-box acceleration and memory saving for Hugging Face decoder models with PyTorch 2.0 and Accelerated Transformers with one line of code.

RISC-V

  • RISC-V Summit takes place from 7-8 November, bringing the community together to share the latest technologies and hear about the future of computing on RISC-V. Sponsorships are open now, and the Call for Proposals runs until the 14th of July. 
  • The RISC-V Interactive Landscape shows the rich ecosystem of technologies available today to enable development on RISC-V. The landscape is growing quickly; check back regularly for the latest updates and submit your technology for inclusion! 
  • The RISC-V Advocate program brings RISC-V enthusiasts together with RISC-V International to work together to ensure global momentum and adoption. Applications for the 2024 program are open now.
  • RISC-V Summit Europe took place from 5-9 June in Barcelona, bringing over 500 people together to hear the latest across automotive, HPC, security, tools, software development, and space. The sessions will be available soon on the RISC-V YouTube channel.  
  • RISC-V Learn Online provides beginner, intermediate, and advanced online learning to increase engineering expertise and career opportunities on RISC-V across the industry. 

SONiC

  • The SONiC Mini Summit was a huge success with 350+ in-person and virtual attendees from 300 organizations! Sessions videos are available here.
  • Are you attending the OCP Global Summit in October? Make sure to register for the SONiC co-located event. Subscribe to SONiC LinkedIn page to stay updated once we announce more details!
  • Check out SONiC’s new website with resources on the source code, wiki, and more.
  • eBay, the e-commerce powerhouse, has also taken a bold step to modernize its network infrastructure by embracing SONiC. Read how eBay has significantly improved stability and scalability while reducing cost running on SONiC.

Zephyr


LF in the media

  • Patent troll campaign covered in media — Link, Link

  • TLA+ Foundation launch covered in media  — Link

  • RISE program from RISC-V Foundation covered in media — Link, Link, Link

  • Biderman's OS Summit keynote covered. — Link

  • RISC-V startup demos silicon raises $50M — Link
  • Milk-V claims RISC-V is the new alternative to Raspberry Pi. — Link
  • CAS unveils a high-performance processor chip and OS based on RISC-V open-source standard.— Link

  • RISC-V welcomes its first analog subsystem. — Link

  • RISC-V brings funding opportunities for semi-startups to India. — Link

  • Startup unveils RISC-V vector unit for AI semiconductor — Link

  • Fairwinds released a Kubernetes Benchmark Report. — Link

  • Hyperledger’s Daniela published a column on NASDAQ — Link

  • FinOps FOCUS standardization work covered — Link
  • PyTorch is the center of gravity of OSS AI efforts — Link
  • Article on Red Hat supply chain efforts with a nice mention of Sigstore — Link
  • This post mentions the latest hiring trends report.— Link
  • Cosmonic integrates Cilium and Nomad — Link
  • OpenSSF Scorecard as a lens to view the security of OSS software — Link

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