The Linux Foundation Announces LinuxCon Japan Keynotes, Support for Tsunami Relief

News Highlights

• Linux creator Linus Torvalds tops LinuxCon Japan agenda, will share his thoughts on the 20th Anniversary of Linux

• A dedicated day titled, “Open Forum: Power of Collaboration in Crisis,” will facilitate collaboration among open source project leaders working on technology to address crisis

• The Linux Foundation to donate program funds to tsunami relief efforts

SAN FRANCISCO, May 4, 2011 – The Linux Foundation, the nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating the growth of Linux, today announced its keynote speakers for LinuxCon Japan, taking place in Yokohama, Japan June 1-3, 2011, including special sessions and programs aimed at aiding the country’s relief effort following the recent earthquake and tsunami.

“We believe that one of the best ways to support the Japanese people in this time of crisis is to continue our programs there. We are excited to bring the world’s best developers to Japan to collaborate with their peers in the country,” said Amanda McPherson, vice president of marketing and developer programs at The Linux Foundation. “We’re also very happy to be able to donate funds to relief efforts in Japan.”

The LinuxCon Japan keynote lineup includes a who’s who of Linux kernel developers, including Linux Creator Linus Torvalds, and leadership from a variety of open source projects and companies from both the enterprise and embedded computing communities. The following keynote speakers have been confirmed:

* Linux creator Linus Torvalds and Linux Foundation Executive Director Jim Zemlin will share their thoughts on the first 20 years for Linux and what the future holds.

* Open Forum: Power of Collaboration in Crisis: On Tuesday, May 31, 2011, the day prior to the opening of LinuxCon Japan, The Linux Foundation will host this special forum to facilitate collaboration among open source projects that are helping in a time of crisis. Confirmed speakers include Patrick Meier of the Project Ushahidi, which provides open source software for information collection, visualization and interactive mapping; Open Street Map’s Hiroshi Miura; and Hack for Japan’s Fumi Yamazaki.

* James Bottomley, Linux SCSI subsystem maintainer and Distinguished Engineer at Novell, will discuss what Linux can learn from the Android development model and the lessons that can be learned for other open source projects.

* Mark Charlebois, Director of Open Source Strategy at Qualcomm Innovation Center (QuIC), will discuss the role of Linux in mobile development and innovation.

* Alan Clark, Senior Manager and Strategic Advisor for Strategic Initiatives at Novell, will share plans for SUSE post-merger.

* Jon Corbet, Editor of Linux Weekly News and Linux kernel developer, will share the latest happenings in the kernel community with the Kernel Weather Report.

* Dirk Hohndel, the Chief Open Source and Linux Techologist at Intel, will share his latest insights on the Yocto Project.

* David Rusling, Chief Technology Officer at Linaro, will discuss the reasons for creating Linaro, what has been achieved and what the future holds.

“The Linux community understands the power of collaboration to accelerate technology that impacts both business and society. LinuxCon Japan can bring together community leadership to help address technology gaps left by the recent tragedy in Japan while advancing Linux,” said Jim Zemlin, executive director at The Linux Foundation. “We’re also looking forward to celebrating 20 years of Linux and hearing directly from Linus Torvalds about what this milestone means to him.”

The Linux Foundation to Donate Program Funds to Japan Relief Effort
The Linux Foundation today is also announcing a set of activities aimed at supporting the relief efforts in and around the area affected by the recent earthquake and resulting tsunami in Japan. Beginning today and running through May 31, 2011, (the day prior to opening day of LinuxCon Japan), revenue received from new Linux Foundation individual membership dues will be donated to the relief effort. To join the Linux Foundation, please visit: http://www.linuxfoundation.org/join.

In addition, The Linux Foundation is creating a special edition T-shirt to honor the Japanese people. This exclusive T-shirt will be available in the Linux.com Store (http://store.linux.com) soon, and all revenue received from sales of this T-shirt during 2011 will be donated to the relief effort.

Funds from both programs will be donated to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF Children of Japan: http://www.unicefusa.org/news/releases/unicef-humanitarian-aid-japan-earthquake-tsunami.html

To register for LinuxCon Japan, please visit: http://events.linuxfoundation.org/events/linuxcon-japan/register.

The LinuxCon conferences, which have sold out every year since their debut, are the world’s leading conferences addressing all matters Linux for the global business and technical communities. The LinuxCon schedules include in-depth technical content for developers and operations personnel, as well as business and legal insight from the industry’s leaders. The networking, problem-solving and deal-making opportunities at LinuxCon are unmatched for those involved in enterprise, desktop or mobile Linux.

About The Linux Foundation
The Linux Foundation is a nonprofit consortium dedicated to fostering the growth of Linux. Founded in 2000, the organization sponsors the work of Linux creator Linus Torvalds and promotes, protects and advances the Linux operating system by marshaling the resources of its members and the open source development community. The Linux Foundation provides a neutral forum for collaboration and education by hosting Linux conferences, including LinuxCon, and generating original Linux research and content that advances the understanding of the Linux platform. Its web properties, including Linux.com, reach approximately two million people per month and include important Linux video resources. The organization also provides extensive Linux training opportunities that feature the Linux kernel community’s leading experts as instructors. Follow The Linux Foundation on Twitter.

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Trademarks: The Linux Foundation, Linux Standard Base , MeeGo and the Yocto Project are trademarks of The Linux Foundation. Linux is a trademark of Linus Torvalds.