fidzu : fedora

22 May 2025 9:00pm GMT

This is a part of the Mindshare Elections Interviews series. Voting is open to all Fedora contributors. The voting period starts today, Tuesday 20th May and closes promptly at 23:59:59 UTC on Monday, 2 June 2025.

Interview with Samyak Jain

• FAS ID: jnsamyak
• Matrix Rooms: releng, admin, release-day, noc, fedora-social, devel

Questions

What is your background in Fedora? What have you worked on and what are you doing now?

I currently work as the lead for Release Engineering on the Community Linux Engineering team. I've held this position for several releases now, including most recently Fedora Linux 42. My involvement spans across the full release process-from branching, signing, and mass rebuilds to finalizing deliverables. Over time, I've taken up mentoring new contributors, writing documentation, and automating parts of the releng workflow.

Beyond release engineering, I've actively contributed to Fedora's community outreach. I co-organized Fedora Hatch Pune 2022, which was part of the post-pandemic reintroduction of local Fedora events. Most recently, I served as one of the lead organizers for GNOME Asia 2024 in Bangalore, which was proudly sponsored by Fedora. I've also represented Fedora as a speaker at various conferences to promote open source collaboration and awareness.

My journey into Fedora began after contributing to Debian, where I worked on packaging Kotlin and some Ruby libraries. The welcoming nature of Fedora-especially through Fedora India meetups-really pulled me in and motivated me to give back even more.

Please elaborate on the personal "Why" which motivates you to be a candidate for Mindshare.

My motivation stems from the grassroots experiences I've had within the Fedora community-both as a contributor and as an organizer. Being part of event planning, release operations, and community discussions has shown me the immense value of unified outreach and communication.

Mindshare is the glue that binds the community side of Fedora-mentorship, events, DEI, and marketing. I want to bring a fresh and on-the-ground perspective to the committee. Especially now, with the new structure, refined responsibilities, and renewed focus on contributor support coming to Mindshare, I believe it's the right time (after sharing a fair bit of organising events, talking to contributors, etc) to step up and help evolve how Fedora engages with its global community.

I've seen how transformative local events and inclusive spaces can be. My "why" is simple: to help Fedora be more visible, more welcoming, and more accessible to every potential contributor, no matter where they come from.

How would you improve Mindshare Committee visibility and awareness in the Fedora community?

To improve Mindshare's visibility, we need to bridge the gap between what the committee can offer and what contributors experience/expect day to day.
One of the first areas I'd focus on is regional engagement, especially in APAC, which often gets overlooked in larger Fedora activities. Despite having a growing and enthusiastic contributor base, many APAC contributors struggle with visibility, support, or even awareness of what Mindshare or Fedora can provide them. I'd work to:

• Promote more locally driven events with easier access to support and funding.
• Help connect regional leaders with the global community to increase representation and inclusion.
• Encourage cross-community collaboration between Fedora and other open-source groups in APAC.
• Engage with 3rd level educational institutes to do events such as Assisted Install Days where we could go and directly help interested students install Fedora and get them using the OS immediately, this is something I learned as a part of being a debian community contributor, heck that is how I started back in days.

Secondly, I want to highlight a very thoughtful idea from my manager and mentor, Ant, who proposed a smoother and smarter onboarding process for new contributors. Too often, we lose interested people simply because there's no follow-up or structured path after their first interaction. His roadmap for contributor onboarding outlines:

• A friendly follow-up system to retain engagement
• Defined goals and contribution checkpoints

During my term, I'd love to collaborate with Mindshare and community teams to pilot and scale this approach, making Fedora more welcoming, especially for those unsure of where to begin. How? Let's implement the proposal for a month to assess its KPIs, followed by a retrospective

Lastly, visibility also means storytelling, showcasing success stories, contributions, and event highlights through Fedora Magazine, social media, and meetups, so contributors feel part of a living, breathing community. We have talented designers and visually proficient members of both CLE and the Fedora community who we could involve in this. Again, bridging that Red Hat - Fedora divide to increase engagement. Let's begin with a small initiative, like a "Fedora Voice of the Month" feature. Perhaps we can share these narratives through an introductory article.

What part of Fedora do you think needs the most attention from the Mindshare Committee during your term?

The APAC region needs focused attention, both in terms of visibility and contributor recognition. While we have a strong and growing contributor base here, there are consistent barriers that limit participation in Fedora's global landscape: time zone differences, limited access to funding, visa struggles, or simply a lack of regular local engagement.
Instead of large-scale funding pushes, I want to explore low-cost, high-impact ways (this is the new proposed scheme,e which I think will be very helpful) to:

• Promote Fedora visibility in local and regional FOSS events through community collaborations.
• Share regular community spotlights that recognize APAC contributors' efforts.
• Encourage regional storytelling and contributor recognition aligned with Mindshare's contributor advocacy role.

Another area I care deeply about is onboarding and retention. Many contributors join Fedora with enthusiasm but quietly step back due to unclear guidance or a lack of follow-up. I've been inspired to help implement a more structured and friendly contributor experience. During my term, I'd like to support:

• Clearly defined contributor tracks with simple, achievable milestones.
• Lightweight mentorship and feedback loops to keep contributors engaged.
• Outreach and onboarding material tailored to different skill levels (this is something on top my head, and need more brainstorming with community folks to see wha's the feasible idea behind this to work it out, it can be a part of SOPs, videos, FAQs etc), interests, and even local languages for better accessibility-especially in APAC.

Finally, DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) is a value I deeply care about. I've been inspired by the amazing work led by Jona, Justin, and many others, whether it's a welcoming social space or a campaign that uplifts stories from around the world. A small effort, like a video or social highlight, goes a long way. From my gathered knowledge from my new Mindshare hat on, I would like to bridge the gap between all the moving parts so the information remains centralised and easier for everyone to navigate!

For example, at GNOME Asia 2023 in Nepal, I attended my first Fedora DEI session. It was inspiring, but it also made me think: what's next? How do we ensure that DEI isn't just a message, but a movement? I'd like to help:

• Encourage regionally created DEI content-like stories, videos, or campaigns that reflect local cultures.
• Enable more interactive engagement, such as community-led DEI sprints or storytelling circles.
• Ensure new contributors, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds, feel a sense of belonging from day one.

Fedora thrives because of its people. And through better recognition, smarter onboarding, and deeper inclusion, I believe Mindshare can help bring the heart of Fedora closer to everyone.

The post Mindshare Elections: Interview with Samyak Jain (jnsamyak) appeared first on Fedora Community Blog.

20 May 2025 6:56pm GMT

This is a part of the Mindshare Elections Interviews series. Voting is open to all Fedora contributors. The voting period starts today, Tuesday 20th May and closes promptly at 23:59:59 UTC on Monday, 2 June 2025.

Interview with Sumantro Muckherjee

• FAS ID: sumantrom
• Matrix Rooms: fedora-kde, mindshare, fedora-social, fedora-social-hour, fedora-arm, workstation, devel, fedora-qa, badges, fedora-test-devs, docs, I18n, ambassadors

Questions

What is your background in Fedora? What have you worked on and what are you doing now?

I've been an active contributor to the Fedora Project for over a decade, primarily as a key member of the Fedora QA team. Throughout this journey, I have participated in and signed off on numerous Fedora releases, ensuring quality through structured test planning, organizing test days, and coordinating Rawhide test efforts. My role has evolved over time to include not just testing, but also community engagement and advocacy. I have been a visible and vocal ambassador for Fedora, regularly promoting it at conferences, university events, and through online platforms.

In addition to QA, I've taken on mentorship responsibilities - helping new contributors onboard, guiding Google Summer of Code interns as an Org Admin, and actively contributing to Fedora's mentorship and onboarding initiatives. I've also helped shape test planning and communication processes for Fedora's diverse SIGs, including accessibility (a11y), power management, and container technologies like Podman. More recently, I've helped integrate AI/ML use cases with Fedora tooling, organized Fedora x PyTorch sessions at events like DevConf.IN, and contributed to Fedora Magazine and community documentation.

Please elaborate on the personal "Why" which motivates you to be a candidate for Mindshare.

Over the last 10+ years in the Fedora Project, I've come to realize that contribution is only part of the story - the rest is recognition, representation, and reach. My motivation to be a candidate for Fedora Mindshare comes from these values, built through years of engagement as a QA contributor, release sign-off lead, mentor, and passionate advocate.

I believe recognition is not just a pat on the back; it's a vital tool for sustainability. I've seen firsthand how a single word of encouragement or a spotlight on someone's work can inspire long-term engagement. This is why I've taken on roles that go beyond testing - helping onboard new contributors, organizing Fedora Magazine articles to highlight community voices, and shaping mentorship initiatives that offer visible pathways for growth.

I've also worked to expand Fedora's adoption in local and underrepresented regions. Whether it's representing Fedora at DevConf.IN, mentoring GSoC contributors from across India, or leading Fedora x PyTorch meetups, I've tried to meet people where they are - in language, in accessibility, in culture. I want to bring this local-global balance to Mindshare: empowering Fedora contributors from diverse geographies to feel that this project belongs to them.

Most recently, I've been deeply involved with the Fedora a11y initiative - not just to improve accessibility for users, but to rethink how we include testers, contributors, and advocates who rely on accessible tools to participate. Fedora's strength lies in being inclusive, and Mindshare plays a critical role in amplifying that.

With my background in QA, mentoring, event organizing, accessibility, and digital advocacy, I hope to strengthen the bridges between Fedora's technical excellence and its human stories. I want to ensure that contributors feel seen, new users feel welcomed, and Fedora continues to thrive in both global and local communities.

How would you improve Mindshare Committee visibility and awareness in the Fedora community?

To improve the visibility and awareness of the Mindshare Committee, I would focus on recognition, digital ambassadorship, and local engagement. We need to consistently highlight the people behind Fedora - not just through global events but by showcasing contributors' work in everyday channels like Fedora Magazine, social media, and newsletters. Recognition builds momentum.

I'd also strengthen Fedora's presence through digital ambassadors - contributors who share Fedora stories, updates, and achievements online in their regions and languages. This helps us reach new audiences authentically. Finally, I'd support local events and regional meetups by providing templates, promotion kits, and spotlighting them globally - making sure community-led efforts aren't just heard locally, but celebrated across Fedora.

Mindshare can be the bridge that connects contribution with visibility.Mindshare needs to be seen not as a separate silo, but as a support structure that's actively invested in the success of contributors. With better visibility, we strengthen Fedora's contributor experience and make it easier for people to join, stay, and thrive.

What part of Fedora do you think needs the most attention from the Mindshare Committee during your term?

The part of Fedora that I believe needs the most attention from the Mindshare Committee right now is localized engagement and contributor recognition. While Fedora has a global contributor base, much of our outreach, documentation, and event focus remains centralized. We need to empower local communities - not just with translations, but with resources to run events, share success stories, and advocate for Fedora in their own voice.In parallel, recognition remains an underutilized tool. We have contributors doing impactful work in QA, accessibility, mentoring, and packaging, but they often go unseen. Mindshare can help build a more visible and sustained culture of appreciation through shout-outs, badges, contributor spotlights, and structured pathways for digital ambassadorship.

The post Mindshare Elections: Interview with Sumantro Muckherjee (sumantrom) appeared first on Fedora Community Blog.

20 May 2025 6:51pm GMT