Open source software is changing the world—often quietly, behind the scenes. The first command line heroes created Linux, an open operating system that anyone could use and customize for themselves. Now, much of the infrastructure running the internet is developed in the open. Open source development lets people choose how they make software, what they want to build, and opens the doors to new participants—and new ideas.
Command Line Heroes is an original podcast by Red Hat that shines a light on the open source heroes transforming the world of tech from the command line up. The podcast raises awareness of open source tools, techniques, and technologies, and also explains why open source matters beyond the tech industry.
Our goals for the podcast were to:
We wanted to create a program about open source technologies and trends that would interest developers and sysadmins. It couldn't sound like a commercial, and had to go beyond the nuts and bolts of the technology itself. To create a show covering open source that would interest our target audience, we listened to them first.
We went (and continue to go) to tech conferences, and interviewed hundreds of attendees about what interests them, who they find inspiring, and more. We took that information and built a show with a seasonal structure. Seasons have an overarching theme that individual episodes contribute to—but don't rely on listening order. In each episode, our host Saron Yitbarek dives into a familiar topic with the help of our guests—people who studied, witnessed, or even influenced significant events in tech history. Season 1 tackled the history of open source, and how the tech industry got to where it is today. Season 2 was about what developers and operations work with every day, and the role open source technologies have in helping make their lives easier.
Episodes don't stand alone—we develop a whole ecosystem of content to support them, with more information for those who wish to learn more than what the episodes cover. These include blogs, newsletters, links to our guests' information, videos, and other related web pages. The podcasts promotes open source, without overtly pushing or selling Red Hat's products.
After two seasons and 15 episodes, Command Line Heroes has:
