Hardware Podcasts

Shootout at the CNCF Corral

Oxide and Friends · 1 May 2025 · 1h 23m · Episode 15

What this episode covers

Bryan Cantrill, Adam Leventhal, Rachel Stephens, and Adam Jacob discuss the public dispute between Synadia and the CNCF regarding the NATS project, focusing on the failed attempt to withdraw the project and the resulting trademark conflict. The guests analyze the ambiguous language in Synadia's blog posts, the significance of the uncashed $10,000 check, and the CNCF's refusal to allow the project to leave with its trademark. They critique the CNCF's structure as an industry consortium rather than a true foundation, contrasting it with the Apache Software Foundation, and debate whether the CNCF should facilitate a graceful fork or litigate to retain the brand.

Most relevant to

large enterprises

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Synadia, Major League Baseball, Intel
Products
NATS, Linkerd, Kubernetes
Also
CNCF, Apache Software Foundation

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 10m

    Kickstarter, Open Source RC & Modelsource - Facinorous Financial Foulness

    Chris Gammell and Dave Jones discuss the financial risks of crowdfunding, citing the failure of an open-source RC project due to insufficient funding and feature creep. They analyze the collapse of battery manufacturer A123 Systems and the recent ousting of Altium founder Nick Martin, debating the conflict between technical founders and shareholder-focused boards. The conversation extends to industry trends, including rumors of Amazon acquiring Texas Instruments' OMAP division and the viability of third-party footprint libraries like Modelsource.

    Crowdfunding & preordersGrowth, exits & acquisitions
    7 chapters

  • Making It · 1h 09m

    Episode 250: It makes you look like a wet diaper

    Jimmy Diresta, Bob Clagett, and David Picciuto discuss their experiences at Workbench Con, highlighting the supportive maker community and the nuances of securing sponsorships. They share specific pain points regarding unpaid invoices from acquired companies, the ethical implications of 'spec work' platforms like DesignCrowd, and the reputational risks of partnering with brands involved in data breaches. The hosts also cover practical advice for creators, such as negotiating creative control, handling contract disputes, and navigating the complexities of influencer marketing with major brands like NordVPN and Blue Apron.

    Crowdfunding & preordersMarketing & brand
    8 chapters

  • The Amp Hour · 59m

    Tesla, Checklists and Bullies - Emerging External Eupsychics

    Dave Jones and Chris Gammell discuss Tesla's decision to open-source its patents, analyzing it as a strategic business move to force industry standards and drive competition rather than pure altruism. They then critique Zucan (Zuken) for issuing a cease-and-desist to the developer of FreeRouting.net, highlighting the dangers of corporate bullying against open-source projects. The conversation shifts to the challenges of online electronics education, the utility of Udacity's Nanodegrees, and the importance of checklists in engineering to prevent simple errors like misconfigured reset pins.

    Intellectual propertyCareers & education
    6 chapters

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 16m

    Can't We All Just Get Arduino? - Tardiloquent Trademark Tirade

    Hosts Dave Jones and Chris Gammell discuss the legal battle between Arduino LLC and co-founder Gianluca Martino over the Arduino trademark, analyzing the implications for open source hardware. They also explore the challenges of portable test equipment design, the rise of browser-based mechanical CAD tools like Onshape, and the importance of educational software licensing.

    Intellectual propertyEDA & CAD tools
    6 chapters

  • Embedded.fm · 1h 05m

    479: Make Your Voice Heard

    Carles Cufí, an open source software engineer at Nordic Semiconductor, discusses the company's strategic shift to Zephyr and the development of the nRF Connect SDK. He explains the architectural decisions behind maintaining a downstream SDK, including the use of binary blobs and proprietary licensing, to balance open-source collaboration with commercial control. Cufí also provides guidance for developers on navigating Zephyr's steep learning curve, highlighting resources like the Memfault 'Practical Zephyr' series, Nordic's DevAcademy, and the community Discord server.

    Embedded firmwareStarting a product company
    9 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by Oxide and Friends. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.