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PlusOne: Apache BuildStream

September 15, 2026
rbowen

PlusOne: Apache BuildStream — with Sam Thursfield

Apache BuildStream is a software integration tool that orchestrates the building of entire Linux operating systems from source — assembling hundreds of components, each with its own build system and programming language, into reproducible outputs. Sam Thursfield from Codethink joins the show to explain how BuildStream differs from tools like Bazel, Nix, and traditional distro package managers, how it grew out of an R&D project to become the build engine behind GNOME OS and the Freedesktop SDK Flatpak runtime, and why the project chose the Apache Software Foundation as its long-term home. We also talk about the relationship with BuildGrid, the Bloomberg connection, the plugin architecture that keeps the core stable, and where new contributors can get involved.

Learn more: https://buildstream.apache.org
Freedesktop SDK: https://freedesktop-sdk.io
BuildStream on GitHub: https://github.com/apache/buildstream
BuildStream Matrix chat: https://matrix.to/#/#buildstream:gnome.org
Freedesktop SDK Matrix chat: https://matrix.to/#/#freedesktop-sdk:gnome.org
BuildStream mailing list: https://lists.apache.org/list.html?dev@buildstream.apache.org

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