What an awesome Ubuntu Summit 2022!!!

Once upon a time, I started using Ubuntu (I think it was version 6.10). Time passed and I changed distribution. From Fedora to openSUSE, some Arch Linux, and finally openSUSE again. In my search for this, I ended up using GNOME.

In October I participated in the KDE Akademy conference. What was the reason? The university and the University's Open Software Community will organize the next KDE Akademy 2023. I met my friend Mauro, whom I asked for help in the project we have as an Open Software Community, to build a distribution ISO with the programs that a university student will need. That was the time when Mauro invited me to join the Ubuntu Summit in November. Although I follow distro news, I was not aware that this was the first Ubuntu Summit.

I'm used to conferences, but I didn't know anyone at this one. Not exactly, I definitely knew Mauro and some guys I met at KDE Akademy. What I have come to understand is not who you know but who you will meet at the conference and they will become your friends. Although I didn't know anyone, the Canonical employees and community members made me feel like I had known them for a long time.

Ubuntu Summit 2022 Swag

This is my third time visiting Prague. All 3 times were for participation in open software conferences. To tell the truth, I didn't need to visit the sights because I had already visited them the previous times. So I came purely to watch speeches. With five talk tracks and two workshop tracks — all in parallel — Ι wished Ι could be in multiple places at one time!

The talks I had aimed to attend were those about building a distro but also several that had to do with community and marketing. Let's see some of them:

0. Opening Plenary: Mark's saying says it all "Open source is 30 years old, and just getting started".
1. Every programmer needs a donkey cart by Ngazetungue Muheue: I didn't know what to expect but it was so an inspiring presentation.
2.Non-code contributions welcome! How non-coders can contribute to open source projects by Michelangelo Guarise: Ιt is something that is needed in our community. We get the motto "I don't know how to code".
3. Why every project should build a community, yours included by Michelangelo Guarise: Well same presenter, same subject. Build community.
4. These 4 questions will transform the way you think about the Ubuntu Community by Philipp Kewisch: I will get a line from the description of his presentation "Once in a while though, it is time to take a step back and ask ourselves some of the existential questions — Why do we exist? What do we want to be? How do we get there? What do we need to do? It shows us how every piece of the puzzle fits into the broader picture".
5. Finding happiness and success through documentation - workshop by Daniele Procida: It was a pretty solid workshop for how to write documentation and what is right for the exact situation.
6. Flavors and Release Team Panel Session: The presentation I went to the conference for.
7. Make the most of Open Source by Paolo Melchiorre: In his slides I also saw familiar faces from the world of open software

Enough with the presentations. In this type of conference, what counts the most is having fun with our old and new friends. So Canonical had us a bigger than a big football table.

There was a knitting workshop and what I liked the most was the game night.
Did I mention a river cruise? Yes! It was great fun.



I would like to send a big Thank you! to Mauro for inviting me! I would like to thank Canonical for sponsoring my trip to Prague for the Ubuntu Summit! It was a great success.

The presentions of Ubuntu Summit are on Youtube.