FOSS GCEE — Post Event Report
Git and Version Control Systems (VCS) Workshop
This report summarizes the Git & Version Control Systems (VCS) Workshop organized by FOSS GCEE for second-year students at Government College of Engineering, Erode. The event was one of our first large-scale hands-on workshops focused on introducing students to modern open-source development workflows.
What is your name?
Bharath Kumar P
What’s your Club’s name?
FOSS GCEE
Free and Open Source Software Club, Government College of Engineering, Erode
Event Type
Hands-on Workshop
Explain the event briefly
The Git and VCS Workshop was organized to introduce second-year students to Version Control Systems, Git, GitHub, and Codeberg. Since most participants had never used version control before, the workshop focused on building a strong foundation through hands-on exercises.
Students learned how to initialize repositories, create commits, work with branches, and push code to remote repositories.
Beyond Git, we also introduced students to OpenStreetMap (OSM), mapping parties, and beginner-friendly open-source projects built on open data, encouraging them to explore multiple ways of contributing to the FOSS ecosystem.
Speaker Details
The workshop was conducted by members of FOSS GCEE.
- Bharath Kumar P — President, FOSS GCEE, Open Source Contributor
- Premkumar P — Technical Team Lead, FOSS GCEE, Full Stack AI Engineer
- Vikash V — Vice President, FOSS GCEE, ML Engineer
Together, we introduced students to Version Control Systems, Git, GitHub, Codeberg, collaborative development workflows, and opportunities to contribute to open-source communities.
Presentation Slides
Open Source Flourished. So Did Its Dependence on Proprietary Infrastructure — Governance, Git Hosting, and the Future of FOSS Infrastructure
Git & GitHub Bootcamp
Was the speaker provided by FOSS United?
No
Mode of the event
In-person
Recording
Not Applicable.
Event Photos
Attendance
RSVP List: View RSVP Submissions (CSV)
- RSVPs: 89
- Actual Attendance: 100+
- Departments: B.Tech Information Technology & B.E. Computer Science & Design
- On-Duty (OD): Provided
What went well?
The workshop received an excellent response, with 100+ participants attending.
Since this was the first exposure to Git and Version Control Systems for many students, the session was highly interactive and engaging.
Around 10 FOSS GCEE volunteers actively assisted participants throughout the hands-on exercises, helping troubleshoot issues and ensuring that everyone completed the workshop successfully.
Students also showed genuine interest in OpenStreetMap (OSM), mapping parties, and community-driven open-data projects, realizing that contributing to open source isn’t limited to writing code.
What could be improved?
Since most attendees were complete beginners, future workshops should dedicate more time to Git fundamentals before introducing advanced concepts.
Topics such as Docker, containers, and self-hosting were unfamiliar to many students and would be better suited as dedicated follow-up workshops.
The presentation also felt slightly rushed, so future sessions will include additional hands-on practice and longer Q&A sessions.
Another challenge was the audio setup. We had to borrow equipment from another department, and the microphone quality was inconsistent. Purchasing a dedicated microphone for the club would significantly improve future events.
Open Source tools used
- Git
- Codeberg
- Linux
- LibreOffice Impress
Challenges while using the tools
There were no major technical issues with the tools themselves.
The primary challenge was that many participants were using Git and Git hosting platforms for the first time, requiring additional one-on-one guidance throughout the workshop.
Thanks to the support of our volunteers, every participant was able to complete the exercises successfully.
Crowd Favorite
Codeberg was the crowd favorite.
Many students were surprised to learn that community-governed Git hosting platforms exist and were interested in exploring alternatives to GitHub. This also sparked discussions around FOSS governance, decentralization, and digital sovereignty.
Contributions made during the event
No direct upstream open-source contributions were made during the workshop.
The objective was to onboard students to Git, Version Control Systems, GitHub, and Codeberg, preparing them to contribute to open-source projects in future workshops and community events.
Future mentors or speakers
Yes.
Sree Balaji and Afridh Kareem showed genuine enthusiasm for Linux and open-source software.
They actively participated in discussions after the workshop, asked thoughtful questions, and expressed interest in installing Linux and becoming involved in future FOSS activities.
We believe they have the potential to become active contributors and future community leaders.
Expenses
| Item |
Amount |
| Battery replacement for borrowed microphone (ECE Department Audio System) |
₹45 |
| Total |
₹45 |
Looking Ahead
This workshop reinforced the importance of conducting beginner-friendly onboarding sessions before introducing advanced FOSS technologies.
Having around 10 volunteers made a significant difference in managing a hands-on workshop with 100+ participants.
Future events will focus on:
Docker & Containers
Linux Installation Fest
Self-hosting with Forgejo
OpenStreetMap Mapping Parties
Beginner-friendly Open Source Contributions
We also plan to purchase a dedicated microphone and basic event equipment to improve the overall experience and make future events completely self-sufficient.
Thank you to everyone who attended, volunteered, and helped make this workshop a success!
Hello from FOSS GCEE!
GitHub: fossgcee (fossgcee) · GitHub
WhatsApp: WhatsApp Group Invite
Discord: Discord
