After losing several long-running sponsors, Gentoo is seeking hosting, hardware, rack space, and cash to support its infrastructure.
The Linux distribution Gentoo announced last week that it’s looking for some infrastructure sponsors. Like a large number of open source projects — and probably a majority of distros — Gentoo relies not only on volunteer developers to write and maintain code, it’s also dependent on community donations and sponsors to help cover expenses and meet infrastructure needs.
The project, which announced in February that it was leaving Microsoft-owned GitHub for open source Codeberg, posted on Wednesday that this year several long-running sponsors were compelled to drop their support, so it’s looking for replacements. It appears the primary need is for infrastructure stuff such as rack space, servers in a data center, and server hardware, although cash donations are needed too.
For potential sponsors, the project has set up an Infrastructure/Sponsorship wiki that includes a wish list of its needs:
- VM hosting
- We’re moving to use more cloud-based hosting, where possible, but many of our services are monolithic [e.g. not a good fit for Kubernetes]
- Minimal spec: 2+ vCPU / 4+ GiB RAM / 25+ GB storage
- Full-package hosted physical servers
- Example #1: “Root Servers” like those offered by Hetzner
- Example #2: You have unused/older servers in your own racks, and can give us full remote access to them
- The sponsor continues to own and manage the hardware. Gentoo manages the full OS (and IPMI), we just ask for notice to migrate services.
- Colocation/Physical Hosting
- You give us space in a rack, power, and connectivity; we find hardware
- Mostly, non-US capacity is needed at the moment (but we won’t object to US offers).
- Machines
- E.g., ship good-enough servers to a Gentoo hosting location
- Only possible in the US at present.
- Money
- We’ll use the funds to buy/pay for co-location & hosting
- Foundation:Cash_Sponsors_Policy
The Wiki also explains the ins-and-outs of becoming a donor, and also explains the perks, which include online recognition and advertising on the project’s website.
“Partnerships with organizations aligning with Gentoo’s goals are strongly preferred,” the project said. “We can be reached at infra@gentoo.org.”
Christine Hall has been a journalist since 1971. In 2001, she began writing a weekly consumer computer column and started covering Linux and FOSS in 2002 after making the switch to GNU/Linux. Follow her on Twitter: @BrideOfLinux
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