Southern California Linux Expo


The Southern California Linux Expo is an annual Linux, open source and free software conference held in Los Angeles, California, since 2002. Despite having Linux in its name, SCALE covers all open source operating systems and software. It is a volunteer-run event.
The event features an expo floor with both commercial and non-profit exhibitors, as well as 4 days of seminars on the topic of Linux and Open Source software. Sessions and presentations cover a broad spectrum of topics and technical levels.
SCALE grew out of a series of LUGFests put on by the Simi Conejo Linux Users Group in the late 90s. There were four of them, held every 6 months at the Nortel development facility in Simi Valley, California. They ended when Nortel closed that facility in 2001. Subsequently, members from SCLUG, USCLUG and UCLALUG organized to create a more regional event, which they named the Southern California Linux Expo.
Companies, organizations and projects represented at SCALE include Linux-based projects such as Debian, Gentoo Linux, the Fedora Project, KDE and GNOME, other open-source operating systems including NetBSD and FreeBSD, software projects such as Django, open-source database systems such as MySQL and PostgreSQL, other open-source applications such as Drupal, Inkscape, MythTV and The Document Foundation, activist organizations such as the Software Freedom Law Center and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, major technology companies such as IBM, HP and Sharp, web companies including Google, Facebook and eHarmony, and internet projects including CAcert.org and OpenStreetMap.

Locations and dates

EventYearDateVenueKeynote Speakers
2002December 2University of Southern California Davidson Conference Center
2003November 22Los Angeles Convention Center
2005February 12–13Los Angeles Convention Center
2006February 10–12Radisson Hotel Los Angeles Airport Janinne Brunyee, Dan Kegel
2007February 9–11Westin Los Angeles Airport -
2008February 8–10Westin Los Angeles Airport Jono Bacon, Stormy Peters
2009February 20–22Westin Los Angeles Airport Bradley Kuhn, Joe 'Zonker' Brockmeier
2010February 19–21Westin Los Angeles Airport Karsten Wade, Tarus Balog
2011February 25–27Hilton Los Angeles AirportLeigh Honeywell, Jane Silber
2012January 20–22Hilton Los Angeles AirportGreg DeKoenigsberg, Selena Deckelmann
2013February 22–24Hilton Los Angeles Airport Kyle Rankin, Matthew Garrett
2014February 21–23Hilton Los Angeles AirportLawrence Lessig, Leslie Hawthorne, Brendan Gregg
2015February 19–22Hilton Los Angeles AirportRuth Suehle, Monty Taylor
2016January 21–24Pasadena Convention CenterSage Sharp, Mark Shuttleworth, Cory Doctorow
2017March 2-4Pasadena Convention CenterChristine Corbett Moran, Karen Sandler
2018March 8-11Pasadena Convention CenterJohn Gossman, Zaheda Bhorat
2019March 7-10Pasadena Convention CenterMitchell Hashimoto, Colin Charles
2020March 5-8Pasadena Convention CenterPaul Vixie, Sha Stepter, Jessica McKellar