We are happy to announce the CfP for the "Microkernel and Component-Based OS" devroom at the upcoming FOSDEM 2027.
Developers and users of various free and open-source microkernel-based and component-based operating systems will meet again at FOSDEM during the weekend of January 30 - 31st 2027 and will share a developer room.
The Microkernel and Component-Based OS devroom is currently looking for your participation in the form of proposals for talks, demos and other related activities. Possible topics for the devroom include, but are not limited to:
- Introduction of a specific OS or framework
- Design of subsystems and the general architecture of an OS
- Languages, tools and toolchains used
- Enabling support for hardware architectures, devices and programming languages
- Development processes, debugging
- Maintenance, testing and release engineering
- Safety, security and robustness
- Trends and challenges
- Research and open questions
- Community and governance
- Use cases, experiences and status updates
- Best practices and lessons learned
- Live demos
Important Dates
The deadline for submitting proposals is TBA, 2026 (23:55 CET).
Please use the FOSDEM website at https://fosdem.org/submit, select the track "Microkernel and Component-Based OS" and include at least the following information:
- Title of your proposal
- Short abstract (one or two paragraphs)
- Duration (20 - 30 minutes, including demos and Q&A)
- Your full name
- Your short bio
The devroom schedule (with accepted talks) will be announced on the devroom website at https://fosdem.org/2026/schedule/track/microkernel by December 7, 2026. The schedule will also be posted to the devroom mailing list and the speakers will be notified via email.
Like previous years, the devroom will take place as an in-person event at the ULB Campus Solbosch in Brussels, Belgium during the second half of TBA, 2027 (TBA).
Requirements
The communication language of the devroom is English. All content must relate to free and open-source software. By participating in the event, you agree to the publication of your talk recordings, slides and other content provided under the same CC-BY license as all other FOSDEM content. All participants are expected to adhere to the Code of Conduct:
https://fosdem.org/2026/practical/conduct/
Contact
For the 2027 edition, the organizers of the devroom are
- Eduard Drusa (eduard.drusa [at] cmrxrtos.org)
- Martin Decky (martin [at] decky.cz)
For any comments, questions and suggestions, please do not hesitate to
contact us directly or via microkernel-devroom-manager at fosdem.org.
Announcements and inquiries are additionally available through the devroom mailing list
https://lists.fosdem.org/listinfo/microkernel-devroom
About the Devroom
Since the first Microkernel OS Devroom at FOSDEM 2012, this devroom has been a part of each subsequent FOSDEM (with slight variations of the name). The focus gradually widened to include component-based and other operating systems. It has now become somewhat of a tradition for the open-source operating systems community, a kind of "extended family meeting" and it is one of the very few places where microkernel and operating-system enthusiasts meet regularly.
To date, over 40 projects have participated in one way or another. Many of the projects face similar challenges but come up with partially different solutions. Therefore, the goal of the devroom is to bring the various projects together, let them exchange ideas, cross-pollinate and socialize.
As in the past, the devroom will offer the stage both to established community members and to newcomers. Our goal is to select talks in an inclusive manner and to create a balanced and unbiased schedule, while keeping the quality of the devroom as high as in previous years.
About FOSDEM
FOSDEM is a two-day conference organized by volunteers to promote the widespread use of free and open-source software. FOSDEM is widely recognized as one of the largest and best such events worldwide. FOSDEM covers a wide spectrum of free and open-source software and hardware projects and offers a platform for people to collaborate.
To this end, FOSDEM has set up developer rooms (devrooms) where teams can meet and showcase their projects. Devrooms are a place for teams to discuss, hack and publicly present new ideas, latest results, lightning talks, news and proposals. Besides developer rooms, FOSDEM also offers main tracks, lightning talks, certification exams and project stands.
In recent years, FOSDEM has been hosting more than 5000 developers annually at the ULB Solbosch Campus in Brussels, Belgium. The participation in FOSDEM is totally free and requires no registration, although the organizers gratefully accept donations and sponsorship.
Devroom Dinner
Over the years, it has become a tradition that devroom speakers and enthusiasts meet for dinner somewhere in Brussels after the event to continue discussions, socialize and meet old and new friends. We plan to follow that tradition in some form as well in 2027 and will inform you about the exact arrangements later.
Hope to see all of you in Brussels!
Why does this proposal fit FOSDEM:Microkernel-based OS were part of open-source movement since the very beginning and continue to be a small but active part of the community to these days (see http://microkernel.info). Microkernels are an interesting subject that draws attention of both academia and industry and due to principles they are built on, they foster cooperation. Substantial part of this cooperation is done in public under open-source licenses.
Microkernel and component-based OS devroom has historically been not only the global community meeting but also a place to naturally grow these communities by attracting newcomers both into operating system development and open-source contribution.
Prefered slot:Full day (any)
Submitters affinity to the topic:Eduard Drusa is the original author and maintainer of CMRX RTOS, an open-source microkernel-based real-time OS for microcontrollers (https://cmrxrtos.org) since year 2021. He was working in hard-embedded industry since 2017, in recent years he is participating in academia and holding talks on cybersecurity in embedded industry. Previously, he was working in broader software development industry since year 2009. He held talks at FOSDEM Microkernel devroom in years 2025 and 2026.
Martin Decky has been one of the main co-authors of the HelenOS open-source microkernel-based OS since 2004 (http://www.helenos.org/) and he has been working in the domain of operating systems professionally, in academia and later in industry, since 2005. He had a talk at every Microkernel devroom at FOSDEM from 2012 to 2019 and in 2023. He organized the Microkernel devroom in 2021 and 2024. He is currently working for Kernkonzept which is also developing an open source microkernel-based OS called L4Re.
Relevant URLS:https://fosdem.microkernel.info/
https://helenos.org/
https://cmrxrtos.org/