Open Source Summit India 2026

Bare-metal developers pride themselves on simplicity, control, and understanding every line of code. Then along comes Zephyr—with device trees, Kconfig, west, and layers of abstraction—and suddenly, even blinking an LED feels complicated. So… is Zephyr actually scary?

In this talk, we take a practical and honest look at why Zephyr often feels overwhelming to bare-metal developers, what’s really going on under the hood, and whether that complexity is justified. Through side-by-side comparisons and live examples, we map familiar bare-metal concepts to their Zephyr equivalents and uncover where the fear comes from—and where it disappears.

This isn’t a “Zephyr is better” talk. It’s about understanding trade-offs, choosing the right tool, and making the transition without losing your mental model.

By the end, you’ll see that Zephyr isn’t replacing bare metal—it’s structuring the complexity you were already managing.