[FOSDEM] Call for Participation: Package Managers Devroom at FOSDEM 2026

[Andrew Nesbitt]

We are excited to announce the Call for Participation for the Package 
Managers devroom at FOSDEM 2026, taking place on Saturday, 31st January 
2026 at the Université libre de Bruxelles, Belgium.

Submission deadline: 1st December 2025


ABOUT THE DEVROOM

Package managers are critical infrastructure for developers and end users 
alike, handling dependency resolution, licensing, reproducibility, 
provenance, software supply chain security, and long-term maintainability. 
As ecosystems proliferate, package managers face recurring challenges: 
dependency solving, namespace collisions, reproducibility, metadata 
standards, binary vs. source builds, supply chain security, and 
cryptographic signing of artifacts.

The Free and Open Source community has built dozens of package managers 
across operating systems (Debian's APT, Fedora's DNF, Arch's pacman, Nix, 
Guix), programming language ecosystems (PyPI/pip/uv, npm, Cargo, RubyGems, 
Conda, Pixi), domain-specific tools (Spack, EasyBuild for HPC), and 
universal formats (Flatpak, Snap, AppImage). Each has made unique 
trade-offs and innovations.

This devroom provides a gathering place for maintainers, researchers, and 
users of package managers to discuss lessons learned, new developments, 
and common infrastructure challenges. It's a neutral forum where different 
communities can meet, exchange ideas, and foster collaboration on 
universal issues.


SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Submit your proposal through the FOSDEM pretalx system:
https://pretalx.fosdem.org/fosdem-2026/cfp 

Important: Select "Package Managers devroom" as the track in the dropdown 
menu.

Please include:

  * Title and subtitle of your talk
  * Short abstract (one paragraph)
  * Longer description (optional)
  * Desired talk length (10/25 minutes)
  * Links to related work, projects, or previous talks
  * Brief bio


CODE OF CONDUCT

All speakers and attendees are expected to follow the FOSDEM Code of 
Conduct. By submitting a proposal, you agree to abide by these guidelines.
https://fosdem.org/2026/practical/conduct/ 


QUESTIONS?

If you have any questions about the devroom or your submission, please 
reach out to w.vollprecht at gmail.com.

We especially encourage submissions from individuals and communities 
underrepresented in free and open-source software.

Looking forward to your proposals!

Devroom Organizers: Wolf Vollprecht, Andrew Nesbitt
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