Davis is an embedded Linux engineer with more than 15 years of experience designing and delivering consumer electronics, including home security systems, in vehicle electronics, and electric vehicle charging infrastructure. He has worked across the entire product lifecycle, transforming early ideas into dependable, production ready systems built to last. A dedicated advocate for Linux and open source software, Davis values engineering that is transparent, resilient, and purpose driven. Based in Fremont, California and originally from New York City, he enjoys pineapple pizza and finding opportunities to explore the world whenever the road, or trail, allows.

Presentations

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Putting Linux Where It Doesn’t Belong (Yet): A Beginner’s Guide to Embedded Linux Systems

Embedded Linux has quietly moved from desktops and servers into devices that were never meant to run an operating system, let alone a full Linux stack. If you're curious how to put Linux “where it doesn’t belong” (yet), this talk will guide you through the practical first steps. We’ll break down the fundamentals of board bring-up, bootloaders, kernels, and root filesystems in a way that’s friendly to newcomers. You’ll learn how Linux fits into embedded hardware, what tools you actually need, and how to avoid the early pitfalls that derail many first projects. Whether you’re building your first custom device or just wondering how that smart toaster works, you’ll leave with the knowledge and confidence to start putting Linux on your own hardware.

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