The 2025 OLF Conference will be holding Birds of a Feather (BoF) sessions on Saturday, December 6. These will take place from 12:00 to 12:30 during the lunch break (the break will end and conference presentations will resume at 13:30).
A BoF session is typically more interactive than a regular presentation; it is an opportunity for a group of people with a common interest to get together. Past session topics have included text editors, game development, homebrew computing, Google Summer of Code projects, configuration management systems, and running Linux user groups.
The conference has only a one-day, one-room format this year. For this reason, BoFs will take place in the main presentation room using round tables with 10 chairs each. No projectors or AV will be available. Because all tables will be in the same room, please keep discussion at a conversational level so as not to disturb other BoF sessions.
We have 7 tables available, and therefore 7 BoF sessions. If there are any unclaimed tables remaining, we will take day-of signups at the registration table.
Planned Sessions
Vim – Steven Pritchard
Share your favorite tips & tricks about Vim, ask me anything about using Vim and the Neovim extension for VS Code, and whatever else we have time for.
Hypermedia, a possible frontend future – Jack Trusler
I will be talking a bit about the evolution of web frameworks and a new framework I have been working on for a few months, Data-star. I think it’s a game changer for making frontends and server interactivity.
Mastodon and the Fediverse – murph
We’ll chat about where the Fediverse is today, and how you might want to get involved!
Linux, Kubernetes, and Security Best Practices – Anthony Navarro
As SysAdmins move from managing isolated servers to architecting containerized cloud infrastructure, security complexity explodes. This BoF session, led by a certified Linux SysAdmin (LFCS) and Kubernetes Security Specialist (Security Engineer), is a practical, no-slides discussion focused on real-world hardening strategies. We’ll share war stories and best practices for securing the entire stack: from locking down the underlying Linux node (kernel, AppArmor/SELinux) to implementing effective Kubernetes admission controllers, Network Policies, and supply chain integrity measures. Bring your toughest security challenge and be ready to share the single most effective defense you’ve deployed this year.
Free and Open Collaboration Tools for Decentralized Organizations – Philena Farley
Many decentralized organizations face challenges migrating from legacy proprietary collaboration platforms to modern, free/libre open-source alternatives that better align with values like ecological responsibility, grassroots democracy, and data sovereignty. This session will focus on exploring practical, self-hosted, and cooperative-hosted digital tools that empower groups to collaborate without vendor lock-in, recurring fees, or centralized control.
Participants will have the opportunity to demo and discuss solutions such as Plane.so, Huly, Twake, OpenProject, and Discourse with workflow examples from real-world organizational contexts. Attendees are encouraged to bring laptops and technical know-how to help test-drive these tools, brainstorm alternatives, and collaborate on strategies for building sustainable, community-powered digital infrastructure.
The session is meant to foster collective problem-solving and share knowledge about migrating away from proprietary, closed-source platforms toward fully free, renewable-energy-powered software that respects user autonomy and long-term sustainability.
Tiny Core Linux – Eric Kudzin
Need to create an appliance, embedded system, kiosk or just a small box to do something? Something lightweight, runs on cheap minimal hardware (x86 thin clients, PI Zero), boots fast, and won’t be corrupted by a power failure?
Tiny Core Linux can help.
I’m not an expert, but have used it for a few projects, and can answer questions you might have about this minimal distro.
If you have any questions, please contact BoF organizer Vance Kochenderfer at vance@ohiolinux.org.