I am sad that I cannot be in Panama with everyone right now, but I do have some news which I would love share with the community.
I am working with a new foundation is in the process of being set up called the Open Toolchain Foundation. The foundation will support a totally open source software toolchain for engineering. I know we have lots of tool discussions in GOSH, and many of us in the GOSH community want to stick to using open software when possible.
An ideal open toolchain would be used by people creating both open and proprietary hardware. Many of the issues we have with proprietary software (immense licence costs, lack of interoperability, can’t share work with collaborators) are shared by those creating proprietary hardware. It will be much easier to pull people into open hardware if our tools are industry standard tools, and if it is easier to collaborate openly.
A graphical overview of the foundation can be seen here:
We thought hard about getting a community section on the GOSH forum as it is so active and full of open hardware people. However, we want the Open Toolchain Foundation to focus on open source software for engineering, this might be open hardware, this might be proprietary hardware, it might be science hardware, it might be furniture design. Some of this conversation might feel out of place within the GOSH forum.
Am I going to miss big announcements if I don’t join your forum?
The number of communication channels within the open hardware community is quite disconcerting, especially for people just joining the community. The Open Toolchain Foundation, GOSH, Internet of Production Alliance, and OSHWA are trying to increase the visibility of major announcement within different community forums by using RSS polling to post the biggest announcements on all forums. More information on this thread.