The Linux Userspace API (UAPI) Group #

The userspace API (“uapi”) group is a community for people with an interest in innovating how we build, deploy, run, and securely update modern Linux operating systems. It serves as a central gathering place for specs, documentation, and ideas.

The group is in the process of constituting itself and is exploring the problem space. In the general scope of the group are trusted boot mechanisms, kernel / disk image formats, TPM usage, safe and secure updates, and related topics. The group also cares about interop of image-based and/or immutable Linux distributions. The group is in its inception, so the list of topics is by no means complete. Other relevant topics related to the above might be added in the future.

The UAPI group aims to establish specifications for common concepts shared among relevant parties. We are open to anyone who has an interest in constructive collaboration to join the discussions, and to represent the directions and interests of their projects and distributions.

Contributing members include people from Ubuntu Core, Debian, GNOME OS, Fedora CoreOS, Endless OS, Arch Linux, SUSE, Flatcar, systemd, image-builder/osbuild, mkosi, tpm2-software, System Transparency, buildstream, BTRFS, bootc, composefs, (rpm-)ostree, Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta.

News #

• 2024-10-25: “FOSDEM 2025” - CFP for the Image-Based Linux and Boot Integrity Devroom is now open

• 2024-09-26: “All Systems Go! 2024” - Video recordings released.
  All Systems Go, the foundational user-space Linux conference, has published recordings of all talks. Head over to https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWYdJViL9EipIImmvuoGFAeS-lKeHH2DD to check them out!

• 2024-09-10: LPC 2024 Microconference videos released.
  Head over to https://lpc.events/event/18/sessions/206/ for more information on talks given, and for the recordings.

Engage with the Group #

Our main means of engagement is Github. Please check out the group’s Github discussions for general ongoing conversations. Don’t hesitate to tune in and share your thoughts! Feel free to start a new discussion if none exists for whatever brings you here. Please keep the group’s focus in mind and do not stray off-topic.

Check out the group’s repos at the uapi group github org to get an overview of existing work. To engage with specific content please file issues and / or PRs directly to the specifications, docs, and kernel feature ideas repositories, respectively.

To stay up to date on the group’s activities there’s also a Twitter account you can follow: uapi-group.

UAPI Group Specifications #

Submitted specifications are available at https://uapi-group.org/specifications. The Specifications landing page includes a glossary of terms used in documents across the UAPI organisation.

See open PRs on github for work-in-progress specifications.

Please use the specifications issue tracker to engage with the project.

Generic Documents, Minutes, and Glossary #

Please find generic documents like meeting / summit minutes at https://uapi-group.org/docs.

Kernel Feature Ideas #

A collection of ideas for kernel features to improve low-level user space.