The OpenSource World conference — previously known as LinuxWorld — is fast approaching — it convenes in San Francisco from August 12 - 13, showcasing everything Open Source and more. Conference organizers this week drew back the curtain on one of the conference's main attractions, its keynote speakers, and the lineup promises to be an interesting listen.

This year marks the tenth anniversary of the conference, which was re-branded by conference organizers after last year's expo in order to include and highlight the important role of the greater Open Source community in the event. The conference is co-located with the Next Generation Data Center and CloudWorld events, and promises tracks on Open Source in Business, Security, Desktops & Netbooks, Deployment & Management, Mobile Open Source, and Systems Troubleshooting. Included among the presenters is Linux Journal's own Kyle "Hack and /" Rankin, author of Knoppix Hacks and Knoppix Pocket Reference, who will present "System Rescue with Knoppix."

Keynote speakers are always a highlight of any conference, and OpenSource World is no exception. The expo's main speaker will be California Secretary of State Debra Bowen, who is known to the Open Source community for understanding and advocating Open Source software. Additionally, there will be a keynote panel, "Assessing the Real Market Opportunities and Obstacles for Making Cloud Computing Mainstream," lead by CloudWorld conference chairman Jeffrey Kaplan and including discussion and debate by panelists Joe Weinman of AT&T Business Solutions, Sam Charrington of Appistry, and James Urquhart of Cisco.

Mary Dolaher, IDG World Expo CEO, commented: "We are pleased to announce these two keynote sessions that will give attendees a comprehensive look into the important technology trends that are changing the way organizations develop, deploy and manage their computing resources and business applications."

As always, the conference will include a wide variety of exhibitors, and will host a "Community Day" the day before the conference convenes (August 11), offering system administrators, IT managers, and Open Source developers the opportunity to attend both FOSSDevCamp ("Bring your toughest real-world problems.") and Linux/Microsoft Interoperability Day.

The OpenSource World conference, like its predecessor, does not offer general admission — interested parties must register to attend and answer an attendee questionnaire, after which registrations are vetted by conference organizers against a set of qualifying criteria. Though all registrations are not accepted, there is no admission charge to those who do qualify.