Public launch of the OpenMRTD.org project

Readers of this blog will already know it since quite some time: I've been working on a RFID stack, a library for accessing electronic (biometric) passports, as well as a matching frontend application.

anyway, since librfid now has stable support for ISO14443A and B (both used for ePassports), and libmrtd now successfully parses EF.COM, EF.DG1 and EF.DG2, I think it was about time to do a public announcement and a homepage for OpenMRTD.org.

FOSS.in/2005: Linux Bangalore outgrowing itself!

Today, FOSS.in (the event formerly known as Linux Bangalore) has released their first list of confirmed international speakers.

I could hardly believe my eyes, it is truly amazing. Is this the event that I've been to in 2003, as one of the only two non-Indian (and non-Indian origin) speakers?

Now they have a line-up including Jonathan Corbet, Brian Behlendorf, Jeremy Zawodny - and last but not least Alan Cox!

Please don't misunderstand me, there is no 'quality ranking' of conferences based on their number of foreign speakers. But this at least proves that FOSS.in has become an equal event in the line of Linux Kongress, UKUUG or even OLS.

As of now, the number of Indian Free Software developers, maintainers or even project leaders is still very small. This especially holds true when you consider the size of the Indian IT industry today...

So getting together the FOSS enthusiasts in India, and the international "FOSS veterans" should create a very creative environment and provide an excellent opportunity for lots of people to get motivated, to get involved, to write code, to join the Free Software community.