Linux Distributions Working Group

The purpose of this working group is to oversee the health and maintenance of the s390x port of various Linux distributions to ensure that the s390x port remains a supported architecture for them all. To this end, the group will collaborate on shared challenges and successes, work together to nurture new contributors, and make sure they also have the infrastructure they need.

Project proposal (status: approved): https://github.com/openmainframeproject/tac/issues/277

Mailing list: https://lists.openmainframeproject.org/g/wg-linux-distros

Slack channel: #linux-distros-wg

Goals of the working group
- Create a place to collaborate across Linux Distributions via an OMP mailing list, wiki, and chat.
- Provide a space for distributions to request for help on their port.
- Ensure any and all infrastructure required is available for supporting the ports.
- Better support from IBM to fix s390x specific bugs
Non-goals of the working group
- Be directly responsible for the s390x port contents.
- Creating a fork or duplicating any of the existing infrastructure or processes maintained by the distributions.
- Make statements suggesting that any distribution is preferred over any other supporting the s390x architecture.
Deliverables
- Wiki page that links to all resources for participating distributions.
- A living document for sharing s390x porting tips that are shared across distributions.
- Identification and nurturing of new contributors for distributions needing them.

The TAC member sponsor of this working group is Mark Post.

Distribution-specific resources

Debian

The Debian s390x team has a mailing list at: https://lists.debian.org/debian-s390/ and their own port page at https://www.debian.org/ports/s390/

Elizabeth K. Joseph has been rallying contributors to continue support for Debian on s390x.

Fedora

Historical s390x SIG page: https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Architectures/s390x
s390x mailing list: https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/s390x@lists.fedoraproject.org/
Fedora s390 members: https://accounts.fedoraproject.org/group/fedora-s390/

Fedora 390x is built alongside all the other architectures in the main Koji build system. It is shipped as a secondary architecture to mirrors, rather than a primary architecture.

Dan Horák is the primary contact for s390x in Fedora.

openSUSE

The ZSystems team for openSUSE has a wiki page here: https://en.opensuse.org/ZSystems and a mailing list at https://lists.opensuse.org/archives/list/zsystems@lists.opensuse.org/

Sarah Julia Kriesch has been leading the efforts for s390x in openSUSE.