Linux foundation A false name has become through years. It has moved ahead of its roots as the Steward of Linux Karnel, which is emerging as a huge umbrella outfit for a thousand open source projects Cloud infrastructure, Security, Digital wallet, Enterprise search, Fintech, MAPSMore.
Last month, Openinfra Foundation – is best known for open stack – became In addition to this Cement the position of the Linux Foundation further, stable, as the “foundation of the foundation”.
Linux foundation Emerged in 2007 Two Linux-focused not-for-profitables from: Open Source Development Labs (OSDL) And free standard group (StuckAlong with founding members such as IBM, Intel, and Oracle, the Rysen D’tray of the Foundation was challenging the “closed” platforms of the time – which was originally doubled on Linux in response to Windows’s domination.
Executive Director of Linux Foundation, “Computing two platforms: Linux and Windows are entering the world dominated.” Gym zemlin (Painted above), said Those days“While Windows has given some stability, being managed under a roof, Linux provides customers the freedom of choice, adaptation and flexibility without forcing sellers in lock-in.”
A “portfolio approach”
Zamlin has led the charge in the Linux Foundation for a few decades, such as its infection through technical waves mobile, CloudAnd – recently – artificial intelligenceLinux-focusedness is reflected to cover about every technological nook, how technology is still not standing-it develops and, even more importantly it is that it is interested.
“Technology goes up and down – we are no longer using ipods or floppy discs,” Zemlin explained during techcrunch in an interview. Kubecon Last week in London. “I quickly realized that if the Linux Foundation was to become a permanent body for collective software development, we needed to be able to bet on many different forms of technology.”
This is what Zemlin refers to as a “portfolio approach”, similarly how a company varies, so it is not dependent on the success of single product. The combination of several important projects under a single organization enables the foundation to benefit from vertical-specific expertise in networking or automotive-grade linux, for example, copyright, patent, data secrecy, cyber security, marketing and exploitation in the event organization.
To be able to pool such resources in projects is more important than ever, because they struggle with the growing array of rules like business EU AI Act And Cyber ​​flexibility actTo fight a good fight alone instead of each individual project, they have a corporate-like foundation support that is supported Some of the world’s largest companies,
“In the Linux Foundation, we have experts who work in vertical industry efforts, but they are not a lawyer or copyright specialist or patent expert. They are not even experts in running a massive program or in developer training,” Zamlin said. “And that’s why collective investment is important. We can create technology in a tight way through technical leadership at the project level, but then all projects have a set of devices that create collectively long -term stability for all of them.”
This point was underlined by the Linux Foundation and Opennfra Foundation coming together last month. Openstack, for bin call, is an open source, open standards-based cloud computing platform that came out of a joint project between rackspace and NASA in 2010. This in 2010. A nominated foundation infection In 2012, first Rebranding After focusing your initial attention on Openstack, as the Openinfra Foundation.
Zamlin knew Jonathan BryasFor years, one of the CEO of Openinfra Foundation and one of the original OpenStack Creators. Both foundations had already collaborated on a shared initiative, such as Open infrastructure blueprint white paper.
“We realized that together we can deal with some challenges that we are now looking around regulatory compliance, cyber security risk, legal challenges around the open source – because this (open source) has become so widespread,” Zemlin said.
For the Linux Foundation, the merger also brought an experienced technical lead to the fold, which worked in the industry and produced a product Some of the world’s largest organizations,
“It is very difficult to hire people to lead technical cooperation efforts, who have technical knowledge and understanding, who understand how to develop an ecosystem, who knows to run a business, and hold a level of humility that allows them to manage a super broad base without a super broad base without incorporating their own ego,” Zamlin said. “It is the ability to lead through the effect – there are not many people who have skills.”
This portfolio approach extends to individual projects and foundations, and the growing array of stand-alone regional institutions. The most recent offshoot was LF IndiaWhich launched A few months agoBut Linux Foundation introduced Japanese unit A few years ago, while in 2022 it Started a European branch To support the growing Regulator And Digital sovereignty agenda Across the block.
Linux Foundation EuropeWhich is in homes Handful of projects Such as Open wallet foundationAll allows European members to collaborate with each other in isolation, while the broad Linux Foundation also receives mutual membership for global outfits.
“Many times, in the name of digital sovereignty, people want to cooperate with other European Union organizations, or a government wants to sponsor or fulfill a particular effort, and you only need to participate in European Union’s organizations,” Zemlin said. “This (Linux Foundation Europe) allows us to thread the needle on two things – they can work locally and perform digital sovereignty, but they are not throwing out global participation that makes the open source so good.”
Open Source AI Factor
While the AI ​​is a major step-change for both technology sector and society, it has also pushed the concept of “open source” in the mainstream fields that are not in traditional software-with controversy in the discovery.
For example, Mata has deployed its Lama brand of AI model as an open source, even if They are definitely not By most estimates. It has also highlighted some challenges of making one Definition of open source AI Everyone is happy, and now we are looking at the AI ​​model with a spectrum of “openness” in terms of codes, datasets and access to commercial sanctions.
Linux Foundation, already home for home LF AI and Data FoundationWhatever is 75 projectsPublished Model Openness Framework (MOF) last year, Designed A more fine approach to the definition of Open Source AI. Steves of Open Source Initiative (OSI), “Open Source Definition” used this framework in their open source AI Definition.
“Most models have a shortage of components required for full understanding, auditing and fertility, and some models manufacturers use a restrictive license that their models are ‘open sources’,” MOF paper writer Was written at that time,
And so MOF serves a three-level classification system that rates the model on their “perfection and openness” in relation to code, data, model parameters and documentation.
It is basically an easy way to install how a model is actually “open”, assessing which components are public, and under which license. Just because a model is not strictly “open source”, it does not mean that it is not enough to help develop safety devices that reduce hallucinations, for example – and Zemlin says it is important to address these distinctions.
“I talk to many people in the AI ​​community, and this is a broad set of technology physicians (compared to traditional software engineering),” Zemlin said. “What do they tell me that they consider the importance of the open source to the meaning of ‘something’ and the importance of an open source as a definition. Where they are disappointed, it is a little more erudition on every layer. What they want is predictions and transparency and understanding and understanding what they are really doing and using.”
Chinese Ae darling deepsek Open Source AI has also played a big role in AI conversation, emerging with protesters, skilled open source models How Holiday owners like openi Plan to release your own models In the future.
But all this, according to Zamlin, is just another “moment” for the open source.
“I think it is good that people recognize how valuable the source is open in developing any modern technology,” he said. “But these are the moments in the open source – the Linux was a moment for the open source, where the open source community can produce a better operating system for cloud computing and enterprise computing and telecommunications, compared to the world’s largest proprietary software company.
VC in reverse
A quick peeping across the array of the Linux Foundation projects reveals two broad categories: those people have achieved it, as is with the Openinfra Foundation, and it is created from within, as is done with the choice of the Open Source Security Foundation (Openssf,
It can be easy to get an existing project or foundation, it is certainly more important to start a new project with scratches, as it is trying to meet a need that is at least partially unmatched. And this is where Zamlin says that there is a “art and science” to succeed.
“Science is that you will have to create value for developers in these communities that are making deformation evidence, the open source code that everyone wants – that’s the place where all values ​​come,” Zemlin said. “Art is trying to find out where is a new opportunity for an open source to make a big impact on an industry.”
This is why Zemlin states what the Linux Foundation is doing as something for a “reverse venture capitalist” approach. A VC looks for the product-market fit, and they want to work with entrepreneurs-in the name of making money.
“Instead, we look for the ‘project-market’ fit-is this technique a big impact on a specific industry? Can we bring the right team of developers and leaders to do so? Is this market quite big? Is the technology influential?” Zamlin said. “But instead of making a ton of money like VC, we give it away.”
But although the huge array of its projects came, the room is not ignoring the elephant in the room: Linux Foundation is no longer about Linux, and it’s not long. So should we ever expect a rebrand, but like the Open Technology Foundation – it should be included in some more prosecution, but it should be included?
Do not hold your breath.
“When I wear a Linux Foundation Swag at a coffee shop, someone would often say, ‘I love Linux’ or ‘I used Linux in college,” Zamlin said. “It is a powerful domestic brand, and is very difficult to get away from it. Linux itself is a positive idea, it is really a symbol of impressive and successful ‘open source’.”
