[Portugal] OpenCert e FLOSS-FM 2008: workshops satélites do 4th International Conference on OSS

[Jorge Gustavo Rocha]

Boa gente,

A 4a conferência OSS vai ser em Milão, no próximo Setembro, antes da 
"nossa" FOSS4G, na Cidade do Cabo.

Para quem não mandou nada para a FOSS4G, recomendo vivamente que prepare 
algo para a OSS 2008, ou para uma das workshops satélites.

Tomo a liberdade de vos recomendar uma submissão a uma realização 
conjunta da FLOSS-FM e OpenCert, cujos links são:
1) OpenCert 2008, 2nd International Workshop on Foundations and 
Techniques for Open Source Software Certification, 
http://opencert.iist.unu.edu
e
2) FLOSS-FM 2008, International Workshop on Foundations and Techniques
bringing together Free/Libre/Open Source Software and Formal Methods, 
http://floss-fm.it.uc3m.es

Faço copy e paste da motivação destas workshops, que juntam a boa 
vontade do software livre com a NECESSIDADE de podermos dar garantias de 
qualidade aos nossos projectos baseados em FOSS. Pessoalmente, estou 
muito interessado que as aplicações SIG comecem a aparecer nestas 
discussões, pois muitas das nossas aplicações são verdadeiros sistemas 
de suporte à decisão, que CARECEM de garantias de qualidade.

Tenho todo o gosto e disponibilidade a ajudar alguém que queira submeter 
um artigo a estas workshops. A data limite é já o próximo dia 7 de Junho.

BACKGROUND

Over the last decade, the importance of open source software has
increased dramatically, some of the reasons behind the increase being:
- the outstanding success of flagship open source projects, notably
the Linux operating system, the Apache web server and the Mozilla Web
browser;
- the movement by local, regional and national governments
throughout the world toward the use of open source software in their
administrative processes in order to reduce reliance on proprietary
formats and software and thereby achieve greater control over
security;
- the fact that the use of open source software often leads to
substantial cost savings;
- the fact that in resource-poor environments, open source development
generally constitutes a more appropriate technology than similar or
equivalent proprietary offerings.

Moreover, open source development brings novel sociological and
economic advances, notably collaborative context and worth based on
availability rather than exclusivity. Formal Methods developers have
as much to gain as anyone from this changing socio-economic landscape.

Yet other characteristics of open source software - its pervasiveness,
an unconventional development model, the permanent public availability
of legacy code, rapid evolution, mean that
- it is hard to objectively assess the quality of an open source
project at any particular moment;
- open source projects are hard to control or predict
and thus open source software is not only an opportunity but also a
challenge for Formal Methods practitioners. It can appear a risk in
the security-sensitive domains that traditionally have been the
preserve of Formal Methods.

A standard approach to reducing such a risk is to establish an
independent certification process. However, today we lack standards
and methods by which to certify the quality of open source software.

The FLOSS-FM part of the joint workshop will treat themes which deal
with the conjunction of open source software and Formal Methods in any
way, such as the development of formal methods tools via or
incorporating open source software, or formal methods aimed at open
source, or models and techniques that treat of the two areas in
synergy with each other.

The OpenCert part of the joint workshop will focus in particular on
model-based techniques and formal methods that appear promising for
the facilitation of open source certification, as well as on empirical
studies, case studies.

We will accept both foundational papers and practical reports,
including case studies and tool presentations. Areas to address
include:
- Formal Methods tools constructed using open source tools or
incorporating open source components or development techniques;
- open source projects using formal methods in their development, or
whose processes or products have been verified, evaluated or modeled
using formal methods
- new and/or existing formal methods and/or tools which are
particularly
suited to open source contexts, and/or experience with them;
- new and/or existing certification processes and tools suitable for
open source contexts, and/or experience with them;
- foundational and methodological contributions in these areas;
- position papers relative to the above;
- tools and case studies that integrate techniques from
different areas, such as
. product and process certification
. formal modelling
. formal verification: model checking & theorem proving
. reverse engineering
. static analysis, testing and inspection
. safety and security
. language design and evolving systems
. empirical software engineering

which aim to overcome the challenges to assessment and certification
for open source software or the secure application of open source
techniques to Formal Methods.

The one-day workshop will feature keynote speakers and contributed
paper presentations. All submitted papers will undergo a peer-review
process. Accepted papers will be electronically published with ISBN
number. Detailed information on the submission procedure will be
available on the conference website. Publication of a selection of
the papers in a special issue of a journal is also under consideration.

Saudações,

Jorge
-- 
jorge gustavo rocha
departamento de informática
universidade do minho
4710-057 braga
portugal
N 41º33'44,5" W 8º23'40,5"
tel +351 253604470 fax +351 253604471 cel +351 919690914