Our goal is simple, to promote and foster an open source culture at our university.
From regular meetups, to info sessions, to Linux install parties, we got it all. We will conduct several interesting events throughout the year to keep students engaged.
Become a member of our dynamic network committed to open source innovation, collaboration, and shared progress. Get ready to elevate your technical skills and immerse yourself in a community that emphasizes not just coding, but also building a culture of growth and collaboration.
We got around 75 submissions from students who were interested to join FOSS Club team.
After careful consideration and multiple rounds of interviews, we have now finally finalised the core team.
The Final team of FOSS Club Bennett University for 2024-2025:
On October 18, 2024, FOSS Club BU conducted its first offline event, “Git Going!” in collaboration with the DevOps Club of Bennett University. This event offered students a comprehensive and engaging introduction to Git Version Control System (VCS). The session guided participants through the installation and setup of Git, along with industry-standard practices for commonly used Git commands.
What We Covered:
Core Git Concepts: Students explored topics like commits, stashes, and reverts through relatable examples, diagrams, and illustrations, making complex ideas accessible and memorable.
Platform Overview: We introduced GitHub and GitLab, explaining how these platforms work with Git to host repositories. We also highlighted GitHub features like Issues and Pull Requests, showing how they facilitate collaboration.
Open Source Contributions: We provided a step-by-step guide on finding open-source projects, selecting issues of interest, and contributing to them. For beginners, we even set up a basic project repository, giving attendees hands-on experience.
The event saw active participation from over 40 attendees, who engaged enthusiastically throughout. To wrap up, we handed out laptop stickers and refreshments to everyone.
Minutes of Meeting (MoM) Date: 28/10/2024 Objective: Discuss the tenure of the FOSS Club and plan future events Attendees: Madhav Gupta, Rachit Khurana, Abhigya Krishna, Abhishek, Ajay Kumar Dewangan , Isha Katiyar , Ryan Singh, Kiran Satya Raj, Rahul Shadija , Sahil Nihalani, Shivansh, Shrijan , Vansh, Yash Pratap Singh
Tentative events planned for this tenure
November
Open Source Fest (11-14th Nov Tentative)
Linux Install Party
LibreOffice/OpenOffice Installation/Info Session
Exploring FOSS Alternatives to major SaaS
Best Practices for Contributing to Open Source
December
Organising any event won’t be possible in November end and December since our university has exams and we won’t get permission to host.
January
CTF (We may organise a 2 day online CTF)
Basics of CLI (online session during Winter Break)
Session on Self Hosting (Offline after winter break)
GSoC + LFX Info Session
February
Mini Hackathon (6 hours)
Watch Party
Things Discussed in the meeting:
Encouraging more Women Participation:
To encourage more female participation and diversity, we have assigned Isha and Abhishek to focus more on this.
Open Source Fest:
A 4-day Open Source Fest was planned as a flagship event for the FOSS Club. The schedule
is as follows:
Day 1: Linux Install Fest
Day 2: LibreOffice/OpenOffice Fest
Day 3: FOSS Alternatives
Day 4: Best Practices for Contributing to Open Source
Proposed dates: 11th to 14th November 2024.
Hackathon
A major idea discussed was to organize a 36-hour hackathon. However, due to sponsorship challenges and management issues, this will not be feasible at this time.
It was decided to hold a mini hackathon with a watch party instead, scheduled for February 2025.
The team will launch a form for volunteers. Observations of volunteers will be conducted, and promising candidates may be invited to join the management team.
Sponsorship Challenges:
Sponsorship remains a key concern.
It was agreed to create a Google Sheet listing potential sponsors.
A sponsorship brochure will be developed, and outreach to sponsors will commence.
Action Items:
We will be using Google Sheets for easy collaboration currently . Our team has a lot of beginners who are not comfortable with LibreOffice/OnlyOffice/Cryptpad currently.
We might switch to cryptpad in the future for online collaborative work.
Moving out of any system (proprietary or FOSS) is a slow process. And it’s not just limited to software. It also applies to thought process, decision making processes etc.
Any of our program doesn’t aim to get away from proprietary tools right away. It a slow process.
For example, you and I still use Telegram even after we work/worked for FUF.
I did not mean to say that the use of Free Software should be enforced. I do know that not many have the capability to adopt to uncomfortable piece of software faster (and neither some want to learn). I just pointed because that sounded ironic :p.
Us using Telegram is a personal choice and not the choice of “FOSS Club X University”. During my little time at foundation, I majorly used nextcloud from the day foundations nextcloud instance was up and working. I don’t know how appropriate it is to lay the initial bricks of a Club with Non-Free Software or Product of I don’t want to name Company.
I agree, NextCloud is a great choice, It’s really beginner friendly.
However,
We don’t get access to the Foundation’s NextCloud Instance
I don’t have the resource to host my own NextCloud instance.
And our team has a lot of freshers who may not be comfortable with other services. So we are currently working on the Non-Free Product.
And we are already moving to more FOSS products gradually, for eg. our team’s internal communication channel is on Matrix.
So ya, will eventually teach the juniors and migrate to more FOSS offerings, but for now, gradual migration is the best way to keep everyone on the same page.
We regret to inform you that due to unforeseen circumstances, we’re unable to hold the Open Source Days event on November 13-15 as initially planned. The event has been postponed, and we’ll announce the new dates soon.
In the meantime, we’re excited to host Mr. Rahul Poruri (@rahulporuri ), CEO of FOSS United, for an insightful talk on “FOSS in Engineering Education” !
On November 11, we had the pleasure of hosting Mr. Rahul Poruri (@rahulporuri), CEO of FOSS United, at Bennett University. The event began with an insightful meeting between Mr. Poruri, the core team of the FOSS Club BU, and the Dean of the School of Computer Science and Technology. This introductory session allowed the club and university leadership to discuss future collaborations, the significance of FOSS in academia, and the transformative potential of open-source contributions in education.
Main Event: “FOSS in Engineering Education”
Following the meeting, we moved to the main event, where Mr. Poruri delivered a thought-provoking talk on “FOSS in Engineering Education.” With an audience of 60-70 eager participants, he shared valuable insights on how open-source principles are shaping the future of engineering and the critical role that FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) plays in developing technical and collaborative skills for students.
Throughout the session, attendees gained a deeper understanding of FOSS principles, its impact on the tech ecosystem, and practical advice on how students can contribute to open-source projects, enhancing both their learning experience and professional development.
The audience was fully engaged, asking questions and sharing their perspectives on FOSS in education. Attendees found the session informative and inspiring, appreciating the practical takeaways Mr. Poruri provided for those interested in joining or advancing in the open-source community.
Wrapping Up
To close the event, we distributed FOSS-themed laptop stickers and provided refreshments for all attendees, giving everyone a chance to connect and reflect on the session.
This memorable event left participants motivated to explore FOSS further, marking an inspiring milestone for the FOSS Club at Bennett University.
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. Our team has a lot of beginners who are not comfortable with LibreOffice/OnlyOffice/Cryptpad currently.
