You are viewing an old version of this page. View the current version.

Compare with Current View Page History

« Previous Version 16 Next »

Hello and welcome! If you're reading this, you're probably interested in the evolving world of Open Networking technologies. Whether you're a developer, project lead, or simply an enthusiast looking to contribute, you've come to the right place. The Linux Foundation Networking (LFN) is the nexus for collaboration and innovation in this space, and this documentation aims to be your ultimate guide to understanding and participating in the LFN ecosystem.

Intro to the LFN

Our software & projects provide platforms and building blocks for Network Infrastructure & Services across Service Providers, Cloud Providers, Enterprises, Vendors, System Integrators that enable rapid interoperability, deployment & adoption.

At LF Networking, we firmly believe open source technology is the only viable path to truly scale software so that businesses, government agencies, education institutions, service providers—and the OEMs, ISVs and system integrators that support them—can achieve operational and revenue value in a timely and cost-effective manner. Open source software also motivates leading edge development with vulnerability detection and code design best practices with security built in from the ground up.

LFN Charter

Getting Started

Just getting your feet wet? This section will give you a comprehensive roadmap to jumpstart your journey, from understanding the basic terminologies to setting up your development environment and creating your Linux Foundation ID & Set Up Your Individual Dashboard.

Create Your Linux Foundation ID & Set Up Your Individual Dashboard

A Linux Foundation ID is your unique identifier across all Linux Foundation communities. If you don't already have one, set up your LF ID here. Once you have your LF ID, you can set up your profile at https://openprofile.dev. Designed as a self-service dashboard for each and every member (individuals) of our community. Individual Dashboard is the one place where you can:

  • Set Up your Linux Foundation ID / SSO

  • Edit your contact information

  • Change your password

  • View community badges (speaker, program committee, certifications, etc) that you have earned

  • Link your social accounts and email accounts used to login into SSO

  • Add/Manage alternative email accounts

  • View upcoming Community Meetings that you are registered for

  • View your participation in past or upcoming Linux Foundation Events

  • View your community and membership roles

  • View trainings and certification exams you have enrolled in or completed with success status

  • View financial Transactions with the LF - Tickets bought for events, training or exam courses purchased, Linux.com email purchases, Linux Individual Supporter program purchases.

  • Purchase an Linux.com email alias as part of the Linux Foundation Individual Supporter program (optional)

The LF Toolchain

Most LFN Projects are using a selection of infrastructure tools and services managed by the Linux Foundation’s IT department. This includes applications such as Confluence, JIRA, Gerrit and other tools commonly used in software development. Learn more about the typical LF tool chain here.

Each Project has its own set of tools that have been chosen by that particular community and while there are ongoing efforts to standardize where possible across the LFN, one size does not fit all. Visit the Getting Started section on the wiki or website of the Project that interests you to learn the specific tool sets used by that particular Project.

Learn More about your Individual Dashboard here.

Single Sign On (SSO)

The Linux Foundation provides Single Sign-On service (SSO) to offer secure access and protect the identities of all its communities. Linux Foundation managed systems and services like Events Registration, Zoom, Training and Certification, Jenkins, JIRA, Gerrit, Confluence, CommunityBridge (Funding, Mentorship, EasyCLA, LFX, Security) are already protected by this SSO service. Additional services to be covered in near future will include Slack, Groups.io, among others. 

For the LFN, most of the information on the wikis is viewable as an anonymous user; however, a universal ID is needed to access some content areas and is ultimately required if you will contribute to the project in any way. Please get an LFID first, even if you only plan to browse content passively as it will save you (and potentially our IT team) headaches in the future.

Learn more about SSO here.


  • Community Meetings
    • Community is at the heart of everything we do. Learn about our regular community meetings, how to join them, and what you can expect in these interactive sessions.
  • Developer Recruitment Initiative
    • LFN thrives on community contributions. If you're looking to contribute your skills and make an impact, discover our Developer Recruitment Initiative to see how you can get involved.
  • Upstream First Best Practices Guide
    • Quality and consistency are key for any open-source project. This guide provides insights into the best practices for contributing upstream to ensure the highest level of quality and collaboration.
  • LFX for LFN
    • Discover LFX, the suite of tools designed to improve your project's sustainability, security, and insight metrics. Find out how you can leverage LFX to better manage and track your contributions.

Getting Help

Please use support.linuxfoundation.org for help requests.


“Upstream-First” Contribution Ethic - Getting the Most From Your Engagement

Upstream First is one of the tenets of open source. The first part of that idea is “upstream”, meaning making contributions to the open source project vs focusing exclusively on the product or service your organization is building with the LF Networking Member Guide 30 upstream code. In other words, organizations that get value from upstream projects should give back to those upstream projects. Organizations that simply consume upstream code, without contributing, put the long-term sustainability of both their project and the one they are consuming at risk.

Upstream First means engaging the broader community before doing something. Diverse stakeholders in upstream communities typically bring viewpoints that result in approaches that are generically applicable for a broad range of environments. Think of the upstream developer community as a worldwide focus group for determining the most successful way of doing something. This collaborative development process—with real-time user input—is where organizations maximize the benefits from their participation in an open source project.

In addition, most open source projects leverage work done by other open source projects. Within LFN there are numerous examples of cross-project utilization. Using those upstream discussion channels to build consensus and iterate on proposals ensures that contributions make use of work already completed. Learn more in the Upstream First Best Practices Guide.

LFX Insights Dashboard

The Linux Foundation has now launched a powerful new tool to Monitor the health of your projects and communities, maintain operations, and grow your ecosystem with tools built for contributors. LFX is a toolkit built to facilitate every aspect of open source development. Learn more about LFX here. View and bookmark the LF Networking dashboard here.

LFN New Member Onboarding Guide

Gain insights into how the LF Networking umbrella project works and how to participate in the LFN New Member Onboarding Guide. 



  • No labels