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GNOME Asia Summit 2025
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Asia/Tokyo
Internet Initiative Japan Inc.
Internet Initiative Japan Inc.
Iidabashi Grand Bloom, 2-10-2 Fujimi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0071
Kristi Progri,
Muhd Syazwan Md Khusaini
Description
GNOME.Asia Summit is the featured annual GNOME conference in Asia. It focuses primarily on the GNOME desktop but also covers applications and platform development tools. The summit brings together the GNOME community in Asia to provide a forum for users, developers, foundation leaders, governments, and businesses to discuss the present technology and future developments.
Timetable:
December 13-14: Talks, BoFs and Workshops Day
December 15: Day Trip
About GNOME
GNOME is a free and open-source software environment project supported by a non-profit foundation. Together, the community of contributors and the Foundation create a computing platform and software ecosystem, composed entirely of free software, that is designed to be elegant, efficient, and easy to use.
Contact
Surveys
GNOME Asia Summit 2026 Location Proposal
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Registration / Check-in
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Opening Remarks
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1
Keynote - Post-quantum cryptography: what it means to the desktop
Public key cryptography is used in many desktop interactions, from web browsing to encrypted password storage. However, quantum computers pose a threat to current public key cryptographic algorithms. This talk will explain how public key cryptography is used on the desktop. We will then introduce post-quantum cryptography (PQC) and its importance in protecting against quantum attacks, especially as cryptographically-relevant quantum computers (CRQC) become real and the "harvest now, decrypt later" threat exists. Furthermore, we will present crypto-auditing, our tool for identifying and analyzing cryptographic usage on the system. The talk will conclude with a live demonstration of the tool, showing its capabilities in helping users and developers understand and prepare for the transition to a post-quantum world.
Speaker: Daiki Ueno -
2
openKylin Meets GNOME on RISC-V: Progress and Challenges
openKylin is a community-driven desktop operating system from China. Built on the Linux kernel and open-source software, it delivers a user-friendly desktop experience and supports multiple architectures including x86, ARM, and RISC-V. The community’s latest release, openKylin 2.0 SP2, introduces AI-driven interaction features such as intelligent Q&A, image restoration, and meeting transcription, powered by both cloud-based and local large language models.
RISC-V, a new instruction set architecture, has seen rapid growth in recent years. openKylin already supports more than 20 RISC-V hardware platforms, making significant contributions to the software ecosystem and drawing recognition from RISC-V International Foundation. To expand desktop environment choices for users, openKylin has adopted GNOME as one of the supported environments on RISC-V. GNOME has been successfully adapted to multiple hardware platforms within openKylin, providing users with a smooth desktop and application experience on RISC-V.
Looking ahead, the openKylin RISC-V edition will further explore the development of AI-driven desktop interaction environments. Challenges remain—such as model management, agent integration, and AI application development—but the community is committed to contributing to open-source innovation and advancing the future of desktop technology.
Speaker: Dr Wenzhu Wang -
Group Photo Session
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12:00
Lunch Break
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3
Concept to Code: Building Modern Linux GNOME Apps with Python and GTK4
Abstract:
Building apps for the Linux desktop doesn’t have to be intimidating. This beginner-friendly session introduces how to create modern GNOME applications step by step using Python and GTK4. We’ll start from the basics-setting up a simple application window-then gradually add buttons, menus, vertical and horizontal boxes, and more. By combining these elements, you’ll see how to turn small components into a functional Linux desktop application.Along the way, we’ll explore how to run your app directly, through wrapper scripts, or with Meson for building and packaging. To wrap up, we’ll take a quick look at contributing back to the GNOME ecosystem, including GitLab workflows, creating or extending APIs, and submitting pull requests.
By the end of this session, you’ll have the knowledge and confidence to begin building your own Linux GNOME apps and even share improvements with the wider open source community.
Speaker: Sudip Shil -
4
Sugar Toolkit on GTK4: A case-study in modernizing for today's GNOME
Sugar has been central to education-focused free software for almost two decades, powering OLPC laptops and classrooms worldwide. The Sugar Toolkit, which every activity depends on, was stuck on GTK3 and slowly drifting away from the modern GNOME stack. Over the last year I worked on porting it to GTK4, updating the foundations while keeping the learning-first philosophy intact. This talk looks at the practical challenges of the migration, from bridging API gaps and redesigning UI models to balancing backwards compatibility with the need to future-proof the platform. I will share what worked, what broke, and why this effort matters not only for Sugar but for anyone trying to keep old but still useful open source projects alive for new generations of users and contributors.
Speaker: Krish Pandya -
5
Making a career out of FOSS Internships GSoC/Outreachy
It is many times believed that FOSS can't pay, that it is purely volunteer work or that it doesn't help us.
Well... This isn't entirely true, FOSS has helped people get jobs (including myself) and upskill themselves.
During this talk, we'll discover together the possibilities with FOSS.
We'll learn about GNOME's participation in GSoC and Outreachy, and how GNOME laid the foundation of the Outreachy project.
We'll also learn why you should consider contributing and applying to these programs and what good you can do to the project and the community.
But wait, this is not only about the mentee aspect of the internship. GNOME can always use some help in the mentorship side as well and hence we'll also discuss how being a mentor helps, how you can become one and be an important part of the intern's and GNOME's journey to a more open computing experience.
Speaker: Mr Aryan Kaushik (GNOME Internship Committee) -
14:30
Coffee Break
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6
The Quirky Adventures of Typing and Displaying Japanese on Ubuntu & GNOME
Installing Ubuntu with Japanese language support just like that, Japanese text and input just work right out of the box.
Well... almost.
It doesn't mean everyone, in every application, typing any kind of Japanese will have a smooth ride. If you're using an English keyboard, there's a small ritual dance before Japanese input actually starts working. And sometimes, depending on the app, you get characters that look more like modern art than proper Japanese.
In this talk, I'll showcase common pitfalls that users encounter when trying to type or display Japanese on Ubuntu, by presenting real-life cases that demonstrate both everyday difficulties and unusual quirks.
Speaker: Mitsuya Shibata (Ubuntu Japanese Team) -
7
The state of i18n for Fedora Workstation
Let's look at Fedora Workstation together (as an example GNOME Desktop) and see what is working well and what pain points we can identify. In the last decades Linux Internationalization has come a long way: we have pretty good fonts for many scripts and also working input methods generally. Still there is always room for improvement, and some areas are clearly more lacking or weak.
This talk will try to identify the good and the bad, and potential lower hanging fruit and priorities to consider giving attention to. The audience should bring up problems they have too, including using their own languages.
Speaker: Jens Petersen (Red Hat) -
8
Rocky Linux Factory Tour
An introduction to the Rocky Linux project, the challenges we've faced, and our plans for the future.
Speaker: Mr Brian Clemens (Rocky Enterprise Software Foundation) -
16:30
Networking Session
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Lightning Talk: Click to view session details
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9
Breaking Myths and Building Bridges: Exploring GNOME, Linux, and promotion of Open Source ecosystem
In this talk, we aim to raise awareness about Linux, GNOME and Free and Open Source Software (FOSS). We will introduce attendees to GUI toolkits and provide a comprehensive overview of the open-source development lifecycle, covering key aspects such as issues, pull requests, and contributions.
Through practical examples, we will illustrate the power and versatility of FOSS, encouraging participants to explore its potential. This session is designed to inspire and promote the adoption of open-source solutions while fostering a culture of contribution to the open-source community.
Speaker: Sailesh Singh -
10
How to Manage a Translation Team
I will explain my idea for managing a translation team. This presentation is for translators and person who want to start translating the GNOME project to their languages. I have to translated the GNOME project and some other free software into Japanese for about 4 years. I will become the new coordinator for the Japanese translation team.
Speaker: Jun Oyamada -
11
Opening the Gate: How Volunteering at GNOME.Asia Summit 2015 Shaped My Career
Ten years ago, a simple invitation to help at the GNOME.Asia Summit 2015, held near my university in Depok, marked a pivotal moment that altered my career path.
At first, it was just an easy option, but it soon became my entry point into the exciting world of FLOSS (Free/Libre Open Source Software). The summit introduced me to a culture of teamwork and enthusiasm, which pushed me to stop just watching and start taking part. This new energy led me to join the Indonesian open source community.
My first significant contribution was joining the documentation team for BlankOn, a local Linux distribution. My ongoing work and contributions gradually built a solid reputation in the community. This recognition was invaluable when I graduated, as my own lecturer noticed my skills and commitment, and offered me a teaching job on Open Source at the university. That job later turned into a full-time position, helping me build a solid career.
This story illustrates how a single act of volunteering can lead to significant changes, demonstrating that getting involved in a community can open unexpected doors to a meaningful and rewarding career.
Speaker: Umul Sidikoh -
12
From Code to Community: Developing and Promoting Open Source Projects
Open source projects succeed not only because of great code, but because of thriving communities that promote, support, and grow them. In this session, I will share insights on moving from “just contributing code” to actively developing and promoting open source projects.
Drawing from my recent contribution to the 2025.ubucon.asia repo, where I worked on improving accessibility for participants, and my role as part of the Sponsorship Team for Ubuntu Nepal and UbuCon Asia 2025, I will highlight how technical contributions and community efforts come together to strengthen open source ecosystems.
This talk will provide practical takeaways for students, contributors, and organizers on how to scale projects from code to community impact.
Speaker: Shraddha Tiwari (Gnome Nepal)
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9
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Closing Remarks: End of Day 1
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Registration / Check-in
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Opening Remarks
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13
IBus pre-edit hints for Wayland
IBus is an input-method framework which has historically managed pre-edit colors using RGB values, a logic that has worked well in Xorg desktop environments. Moving forward, IBus will manage pre-edit colors using hint values for Wayland desktop environments, allowing each Wayland compositor(gnome-shell/mutter) to manage the actual RGB values.
Speaker: Takao Fujiwara (Red Hat) -
14
Workshop on Sustaining & Growing Open Source Communities
GNOME and open-source communities are not just about coding; they are about building a vibrant community and ecosystem. This involves engaging with developers who are not yet involved in open source, as well as the broader society, which may not be familiar with open-source principles.
This interactive workshop is designed for open-source developers and contributors, community and event organizers, and general participants exploring how open source can change the game. You will share insights about the community you are involved in, discuss its pain points—such as low contributor retention, lack of clear governance, fragmented communication channels, or challenges balancing community and commercial interests—and explore potential solutions through group conversations guided by a facilitator.
The workshop consists of the following three parts:
- A round of brief introductions where participants share information about themselves and the communities they are actively involved in.
- A group discussion focused on a specific community as a case study, guided by a set of questions and answers.
- Group presentations about the discussed communities, followed by a short Q&A session with all participants.
We will cover topics including, but not limited to, code contribution, community organization, internal and external communication, codes of conduct, marketing, and the balance between community and commercial interests.
Join us to gain actionable strategies and collaborate with others to sustain and expand open-source communities. Take the first step: share your insights, develop practical solutions, and commit to driving positive change in your open-source community!
Speaker: Sammy Fung -
12:10
Lunch Break
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15
Bridging HCI and GNOME HIG
This talk explores the connection between Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) principles and GNOME’s Human Interface Guidelines (HIG) from the dual perspective of an app developer and an HCI researcher. I’ll discuss how HCI insights can inform GNOME app design and provide practical ideas for applying these principles to future projects, using my ongoing app development experience as context.
Speaker: Mr Sepehr Rasouli -
16
Code Alone Isn’t Enough: Why Marketing Matters – A GNOME Nepal Story
GNOME Nepal started with fewer than 5 people at the beginning. In just over 1 year, GNOME Nepal now has more than 370 members in its community platform. Open source thrives on contributions, but contributions don’t come without awareness, motivation, and a strong community culture. In this talk, I will share how GNOME Nepal leveraged marketing and community engagement to grow from zero to hundreds of members, revive dormant projects, and lead continental-scale open source conferences. GNOME Nepal successfully attracted over 450 participants to UbuCon Asia 2025 through effective and genuine outreach and marketing efforts.
Marketing is often undervalued in open source, seen as secondary to code, but our experience shows it is just as critical. By combining social media storytelling, offline outreach, corporate connection leverages, student involvement, and consistent branding, GNOME Nepal successfully engaged thousands in a country where open source was often overlooked.
Speaker: Aaditya Singh (GNOME) -
17
Newelle – A GNOME‑centric Virtual Assistant for the Modern Linux Desktop with Local LLM
At the GNOME Asia Summit 2025, I will present Newelle, an open‑source, AI‑powered virtual assistant that runs locally on Linux and seamlessly integrates into the GNOME desktop ecosystem. Built on a modular architecture, Newelle offers voice and text interaction, context‑aware replies, and an extensible plugin system that can hook into native GNOME components such as the calendar, mail, and GNOME Shell gestures.
This talk will cover:
- Why a GNOME‑first assistant matters – privacy‑first design, low‑resource footprint, and tight integration with GNOME’s accessibility and theming layers.
- Core architecture – the NL‑pipeline, plugin manager, and sandboxed data layer that keep the assistant secure and responsive.
- Extensibility – a developer‑friendly SDK for creating GNOME‑friendly plugins (Python, Rust, JavaScript) and integrating with existing Gnome‑tools (e.g., gnome‑calendar, Seahorse).
- Use‑case scenarios – from developer assistance in GNOME IDEs to personal productivity via voice‑activated commands.
- Getting started – installing with apt or flatpak, running on GNOME, and quick‑start demo of a calendar reminder plugin.
Participants will learn how Newelle brings state‑of‑the‑art NLP to a lightweight, desktop‑centric assistant, and will leave with concrete examples of extending the assistant to fit the unique needs of their GNOME users.
Speaker: Khairul Aizat Kamarudzzaman -
18
Engaging students in Free and Open Source Software and Free-Knowledge Projects Through Informal Study Group
Several years ago, I formed a study group for students in a rural area that later named RGB. The group's initial goal was to teach them graphic design and drawing. However, over time, it became clear that these students needed something more fundamental, such as basic computer use and everyday applications. Therefore, I introduced them to free and open source software (FOSS), both office suites and drawing. In addition to FOSS, I also introduced them to free-knowledge projects, such as those hosted by Wikimedia, to demonstrate the diversity of the free movement.
In this talk, I will share our experiences, challenges, and future plans for this study group, and hopefully, it will inspire attendees to engage with FOSS with students and anyone else.
Speaker: Bayu Aji -
15:10
Coffee Break
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19
GNOME Beyond the Desktop: Adapting to Embedded Systems and Open Hardware.
Session Overview:
The GNOME project is best known for its role as a leading desktop environment, but its technologies are increasingly being used in spaces far beyond traditional PCs. From mobile phones and single board computers to automotive dashboards and experimental open hardware. GNOME is proving to be a flexible and adaptable platform for the next generation of devices.
This talk will present an overview of how GNOME technologies such as GTK, libadwaita, and GNOME Shell derivatives are being applied in embedded and open hardware contexts. Examples include Phosh, the GNOME based mobile shell powering devices like the PinePhone, GNOME running on Raspberry Pi and low cost desktops and early efforts to bring GNOME to emerging architectures such as RISC-V.
We will discuss the technical challenges of running GNOME on devices with limited resources like improving performance, adapting interfaces for small screens, and supporting new hardware and show how these challenges provide opportunities for contributors to get involved and make a real impact.
By expanding GNOME “outside the desktop” we not only reach new platforms and users but also open up possibilities for innovation and accessibility.Speaker: Rajesh Khadka -
20
Jollpi: A Lightweight, Simple, and Reliable Text Editor with Python 3, GTK4, and GtkSourceView 5
Jollpi is a lightweight text editor that I first developed in 2010 using Python 2, GTK 2, and GtkSourceView 2. After more than a decade away from programming, in 2025 I rewrote the project from scratch with Python 3, GTK 4, and GtkSourceView 5.
The new version follows the same minimal-dependency approach (only three core libraries) but is fully functional as a modern text editor. Its focus is to remain lightweight and responsive, even when working with text files of up to ±1 million lines (~150 MB).
Technical aspects covered in this session include:
- Async file handling with GtkSourceView.FileLoader and cancellable support, keeping the UI responsive during text loading.
- Async search & replace with GtkSourceView.SearchContext, ensuring interactive search.
- Real-time file monitoring using Gio.FileMonitor to detect external changes.
- Modern GTK 4 widgets, such as Gtk.HeaderBar for a cleaner interface and Gtk.Overlay as a replacement for the traditional status bar.
- GtkSourceView extension via a built-in scheme (jollpi.xml) as an example of editor customization.
This session is aimed at developers interested in how GTK 4 can be used to build Python desktop applications that are lightweight, responsive, and easy to maintain, with techniques that can be adapted to other small-scale, high-performance projects.
Speaker: Zulfian Zulfian -
21
Document Collaboration in Linux: Tools, Workflows, and Autonomy
Collaboration today often means being locked into proprietary platforms, where your documents live in someone else’s cloud and your workflow depends on their roadmap. In the Linux world, however, many proprietary tools don’t exist, and the sheer number of choices can be overwhelming.
This talk will explore how to build powerful, privacy-respecting document collaboration workflows entirely on Linux, using open source technologies. We’ll look at what’s possible today, where the gaps remain, and how GNOME and the wider Linux community can make collaboration smoother, more inclusive, and fully under your control.
Speaker: Eeshaan Sawant -
Lightning Talk: Click to view session details
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22
Empowering Local Communities through TealinuxOS: Building an Inclusive Open Source Ecosystem from Indonesia
TealinuxOS is a Linux distribution created by Indonesia’s student-led community Doscom, designed to make learning Linux easier for beginners. This talk will cover the technical process of building a custom distribution, how the community manages contributors, and how open source collaboration can strengthen the FOSS ecosystem across Asia.
Speaker: Harry LBI (Universitas Dian Nuswantoro) -
23
Edge Intelligence Computing: A RISC-V Based Ubuntu SBC System with Hardware Acceleration Capabilities
Abstract-The exponential rise of edge computing necessitates robust, power-efficient, and open hardware platforms capable of supporting AI inference, 3D & Video processing, and general-purpose computing within constrained environments. Whereas x86 and ARM architectures dominate this space, they introduce licensing, cost, and security barriers. In contrast, the RISC-V64 architecture promises a truly open and modular alternative, but its adoption in real-world, application-ready edge systems remains limited due to several critical challenges: lack of mature software stacks, inadequate hardware acceleration support, and minimal integration with mainstream desktop environments.
This paper introduces a RISC-V based Single Board Computer (SBC) running a fully operational Ubuntu 22.04 Linux distribution, architected specifically for edge intelligence workloads. A key innovation is the support for the GNOME-Wayland Window Manager, fully optimized for RISC-V with hardware acceleration via Mesa and OpenGL-ES & Vulkan-compatible drivers and GPU offloading. We demonstrate seamless execution of complex open-source desktop applications such as Mozilla Firefox, LibreOffice, MPV Media Player (4K playback with real-time hardware Video decoding), and Geney & Jupyter Web IDE, all running natively on the RISC-V64 Ubuntu 22.04 SBC. This paper demonstrates the feasibility of RISC-V as a high-performance edge computing architecture. The proposed system effectively bridges the usability gap in RISC-V-based environments but also demonstrates a scalable path for mass adoption in open-source driven, hardware-accelerated edge intelligence platforms.
Speaker: Ravi Kiran -
24
Scaling Small Contributions: How Minor Patches Strengthen GNOME’s Ecosystem
When we think about open source, we often picture massive features or architectural rewrites. But the data tells another story: in GNOME, most progress happens in small steps. In GNOME Control Center alone, over 3,200 merge requests have been processed, with nearly 78% changing 10 lines or fewer. This mirrors the broader reality across open source, where half of all commits are under 16 lines. Small contributions aren’t side notes they’re the backbone.
These incremental patches appear everywhere:
- Accessibility: A 2-line keyword addition improved search for users with hearing impairments.
- Internationalization: A 4-line UTF-8 fix opened GNOME to users with non-ASCII names.
- UI polish: Adding CSS classes or repositioning buttons improved usability without major rewrites.
- Bug fixes: One to eight line changes (like missing include guards or corrected conditionals) eliminated regressions and reduced technical debt.
GNOME’s Gitlab merge request system, with automated CI/CD checks and squash-and-merge workflows, is optimized for small patches. Maintainers and mentors encourage focused contributions, and even a quick emoji reaction signals to newcomers that their work is seen and valued. These workflows make it possible for both seasoned contributors and first-timers to confidently ship improvements.
The impact is outsized. Small contributions cascade across the ecosystem: accessibility tweaks reach millions of users, translations unlock GNOME for entire communities, and code cleanups make the project more approachable for the next generation of developers. Together, these “minor” patches keep GNOME sustainable, inclusive, and global.
This session will highlight the numbers, share real GNOME examples, and offer practical practices for both contributors and maintainers. The message is simple but powerful: small contributions scale and they are what keep GNOME moving forward.
Speaker: Utsav Bhattarai (GNOME Nepal) -
25
Digital Outreach for Open Source: Social Media, Content, and Community Building
This talk addresses a critical challenge for GNOME and the broader Asian open source ecosystem: bridging the gap between excellent technology and the users who need it across Asia's diverse markets. The presentation introduces a proven three-pillar framework specifically adapted for Asia's unique digital landscape, combining culturally-aware content creation, region-appropriate platform selection, and community-driven engagement strategies. Using successful GNOME campaigns and other Asian open source projects as examples, we demonstrate quick content strategies that work across languages and cultures, smart platform choices for different Asian markets, and sustainable engagement tactics that respect local communication preferences. The talk concludes with three immediately actionable takeaways any maintainer can implement to expand their reach across Asia.
Speaker: Ms Rabina Karki (Nepbrain Lab Pvt ltd.)
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22
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Closing Remarks: End of Day 2 & Group Photo
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Social Event: Kawagoe Day Trip
https://events.gnome.org/event/303/page/617-social-event
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