RMLL 2018 program

July 7-12, 2018

Six days of free software, innovation and collaboration

RMLL 2018 offers a rich and diverse program featuring conferences, workshops, and round tables that cover all aspects of the free software ecosystem, from technical development to social and economic impact. The program is designed to provide value for participants at all experience levels while fostering meaningful connections and collaborative opportunities.

Program structure

Thematic tracks

The program is organized into specialized tracks, allowing participants to follow coherent learning paths tailored to their interests and expertise levels. The technical track focuses on software development and open architectures, covering emerging technologies, development tools and methodologies, security and privacy considerations, and infrastructure and DevOps practices.

The educational track explores free software in education settings, open educational resources and their impact, training and certification opportunities, and digital literacy initiatives that expand access to technology education. Presentations in this track demonstrate how free software principles enhance learning outcomes and create more inclusive educational environments.

The social and economic track examines the broader impact of free software on society, sustainable economic models that support free software development, public policies and advocacy strategies, and the intersection of ethics and technology in the digital age. These sessions provide context for understanding how technical decisions affect social outcomes.

The community track addresses governance and collaboration practices within free software projects, diversity and inclusion efforts that strengthen communities, project sustainability strategies, and effective approaches to building and maintaining vibrant contributor communities.

Presentation formats

Keynote presentations Major presentations lasting 45-60 minutes from prominent figures in the free software movement provide inspiring overviews of important topics and trends. These sessions set the tone for each day and offer broad perspectives that connect technical details to larger social and economic themes.

Technical presentations Focused 30-minute sessions cover specific aspects, solutions, and case studies that provide practical insights and actionable information. These presentations balance technical depth with accessibility, ensuring that attendees gain concrete knowledge they can apply in their own work.

Round table discussions Moderated discussions on current topics bring together experts from different backgrounds to explore complex issues from multiple perspectives. These interactive sessions encourage audience participation and create opportunities for deeper exploration of controversial or emerging topics.

Lightning talks Brief 5-10 minute presentations showcase innovative ideas and emerging projects, providing a platform for new voices and fresh perspectives. These rapid-fire sessions energize the audience and introduce concepts that might not warrant full presentations but offer valuable insights or inspiration.

Special presentations

Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE)

Dedicated FSFE track

FSFE presents its own track focusing on advocacy and public policy development for free software, user digital rights protection and promotion, awareness campaigns that educate the public about digital freedom issues, and collaboration strategies with European institutions and government bodies.

FSFE’s themes include free software adoption in public administration, demonstrating cost savings and improved service delivery; open education initiatives that benefit all citizens regardless of economic status; open standards implementation in the digital era, ensuring interoperability and user choice; and user freedom considerations in cloud computing and emerging technologies.

These presentations provide essential context for understanding how technical choices become policy decisions and how individual developers and users can influence larger systemic changes that benefit society.

Godot Engine workshop

Game development with free tools

The Godot Engine community offers technical presentations about engine architecture and development practices, practical workshops covering the complete development process, live demonstrations of games and interactive projects created with open source tools, and Q&A sessions with core developers sharing insights about project management and community building.

Godot topics span the journey from initial concept to finished game using Godot’s comprehensive toolset, 2D and 3D graphics techniques that rival proprietary alternatives, scripting and gameplay programming approaches that encourage experimentation and learning, and strategies for publishing and distributing games created with free software tools.

These sessions demonstrate how free software enables creativity and innovation in industries traditionally dominated by expensive proprietary tools, opening game development to broader communities of creators.

Interactive workshops

Practical workshops

Hands-on sessions develop concrete skills through guided activities covering system installation and configuration, collaborative development practices using Git and other tools, containerization and orchestration technologies that streamline deployment, and automation techniques using free software tools that improve efficiency and reliability.

Collaborative sessions

Group activities focus on community building through hackathons targeting specific projects that need immediate attention, mentoring sessions that connect experienced contributors with newcomers, thematic working groups that address ongoing challenges in the free software ecosystem, and future project planning sessions that coordinate community efforts and resource allocation.

Special characteristics

Non-commercial atmosphere

All presentations maintain an educational and community focus without aggressive commercial promotion, creating an environment where participants can focus on learning and collaboration rather than sales pitches. This approach fosters honest discussions about both successes and challenges in free software development and adoption.

Linguistic diversity

Presentations are conducted in French and English, with translation available for major sessions, ensuring that language barriers don’t prevent participation. This multilingual approach reflects the international character of the free software community and makes RMLL accessible to a broader European audience.

Open materials

All presented materials are available under free licenses for subsequent use, enabling participants to continue learning after the event and share knowledge with their home communities. This commitment to openness extends the impact of RMLL far beyond the physical event boundaries.

Video recordings

Main sessions are recorded and published for the global community, allowing remote participation and creating permanent educational resources. These recordings become part of the lasting legacy of each RMLL event, building a comprehensive library of free software knowledge.

Networking and collaboration

Social breaks

Dedicated networking moments facilitate informal exchange of ideas and personal connections that often prove as valuable as formal presentations. These breaks are strategically scheduled to allow participants to process information and form connections around shared interests.

Community meals

Organized lunches and dinners facilitate interpersonal connections and extended conversations that build lasting professional and personal relationships. These shared meals reflect the community spirit that drives successful free software projects.

Mobile application

A dedicated platform enables participant connections and meeting scheduling, helping attendees find others with complementary interests or expertise. This technology-enhanced networking amplifies the natural community-building aspects of RMLL.

Expected outcomes

Measurable impact

The event aims to deliver high-quality presentations on current topics that advance community knowledge, foster new collaborations between participants and organizations that extend beyond the event, initiate concrete projects during the event that address real community needs, and generate contributions to existing projects that strengthen the overall ecosystem.

Continuity

RMLL 2018 establishes post-event collaboration plans that maintain momentum, creates long-term working groups that address ongoing challenges, organizes regional follow-up events that extend RMLL’s reach, and develops contributions to future RMLL editions that improve the overall program quality and community engagement.

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A program designed to inspire, educate, and connect the global free software community.

Note: The detailed program with exact times and conference rooms will be published as the event approaches.