Linux.conf.au 2012: host cities wanted

The organisation behind Australia's flagship annual Linux conference has requested formal proposals from parties interested in hosting the event in their city in 2012.

"So far, we've had one expression of interest via Josh Stewart from the Ballarat team," wrote Linux Australia president John Ferlito in an email announcing the formal opening of the bid process to the group's membership. "I've heard the odd rumour of other teams with possible bids in the works, but nothing concrete yet."

Linux.conf.au is held at the beginning of each year and is regarded as one of the globe's major free and open source software (FOSS) events, with numerous industry luminaries attending each year. Past attendees have, for example, included Linux founder Linus Torvalds, UK coder Alan Cox and more.

The 2011 conference is slated to be held in Brisbane from 24 to 29 January. So far few details about the 2011 event are known, but the conference organisers have set up a website and preparations are underway. The 2010 conference was held in Wellington in New Zealand.

In an email to a Linux Australia mailing list on 1 June, Stewart wrote that his group was still in the process of finalising its core team, but was hoping to build upon and improve its unsuccessful bid last year.

"We firmly believe it is time for the conference to be held in an Australian regional venue and look forward to comments and discussion on this in the near future," he wrote. Organisers have six weeks to submit their bids, with the winning team to be decided on in October and announced at Linux.conf.au 2011.

The news comes as there is still ongoing debate about the unusual domain name that the conference takes its name from. The domain name Linux.conf.au does not currently function, and Australia's domain name regulator, .au Domain Administration (auDA), has recommended the .conf.au domain continue to lie dormant, despite ongoing interest from the Linux community in reactivating the name.

auDA released draft recommendations from its public consultation on the matter in June 2010.

(Front page image credit: Larry Ewing)