23 Jun Buildroot LTS crowdfunding intiative
Mind is proud to support the Buildroot crowdfunding project –
“Buildroot Long-Term Support” initiative
For a long time, Buildroot has relied on the dedication of a small group of volunteers, who had to ensure reliability for countless users. However, this approach limits “long-term” releases to only one year, while many organizations need more extended support. Arnout one of our senior Mind software architects is a Buildroot maintainer since a long time…
Now is the time for the Buildroot association to go beyond volunteering and to organise future support !
- What has changed recently? Why level up your experience with the “Buildroot Long-Term Support” crowdfunding initiative?
Regulations like the upcoming European Cyber Resilience Act (CRA – see also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyber_Resilience_Act) or the U.S. Cyber Trust Mark require companies to keep the software in their products up-to-date. Something one could do by its own, but that SW maintenance work requires a lot of engineering effort from any firm. It is much more efficient if everybody’s resources are pooled to build a common foundation that everybody also benefits from.
That is what the Buildroot LTS Sponsoring initiative is about. It’s an initiative from the Buildroot maintainers, understand the critical need for extended support, and going beyond volunteering. That’s why we are calling all Buildroot users and enthusiasts to come together and join this crowdfunding initiative that’s shaping the future of Buildroot !
- How will this crowdfunding project work in day-to-day context?
For practical reasons, the Buildroot LTS Sponsoring is handled by Mind, a division of Essensium nv. We have been a long time contributor to Buildroot and Arnout,one of Buildroot’s maintainers, is a sr software engineer with us. By having Mind handle all of the LTS Sponsoring, the Buildroot community and the Buildroot Association avoid having to handle the administration and bookkeeping, and in particular VAT.
That said, the Buildroot maintainers still review the plans and priorities. They check that the money is spent properly, they review the plans and priorities. They will also check that the money is spent properly, they review the plans of the LTS developers, and they assign priorities for feature development.
-> Interested and ready to sponsor? Then check our our sponsoring page on the website: https://mind.be/buildroot-lts/
-> More info on the Buildroot ecosystem can be consulted on their Buildroot website !
- The ultimate goal for the Buildroot open-source community?
To provide three or more years of stable support for your Buildroot deployments. Lots of leading organisations are deploying this simple, efficient and easy-to-use tool to generate embedded Linux systems through cross-compilation. The success of this venture depends on the generosity of contributors like you, willing to make a change and ensuring the longevity of Buildroot’s reliability.
Sponsor now by filling in the sponsoring form on this website and your logo will be featured on the official Buildroot website: https://mind.be/buildroot-lts/
Or subscribe to our Mind newsletter to stay informed on the evolution of the Buildroot LTS initiative in the coming months: https://mind.be/newsletter-mind-subscription/