Free and open-source network labs with Containerlab: an intro, an update, a workshop

**Containerlab**, a free and open-source, vendor-neutral containerized network labbing tool, is turning 5 this year. This talk introduces the tool and also presents newly-added features, making it accessible to both those new to the tool and seasoned veteran users alike.

We present what Containerlab is, the basic concepts behind its operation, and a selection of network OSes and software that it can run in arbitrary topologies. Following this, we show off the initial steps required to deploy your first Containerlab topology.

The talk also shows off the growing Containerlab ecosystem, including a successful thesis project built on top of it, and present some use-cases that take Containerlab beyond learning & "labbing", enabled by other free and open-source community projects.

Finally, we present some of the work of the Containerlab community, and end off with a few notes on what the future of Containerlab looks like with a call to action, before we head off into a 60 minute workshop session.

As part of the workshop, participants will get acquainted with Containerlab, deploy their first lab featuring FRR, expand the topology, configure a network, and collaborate to build a working Internet as the last step.

**For the workshop, you will need access to a Linux host, running on kernel 5.4 or newer. This can be a physical or VM host, it can be a fresh install, even. The host should have access to the Internet.**
Hosted VMs can be arranged for those who might have more restrictive setups, but participants are encouraged to work on their own equipment, to preserve the labs and results after the workshop ends.

For those who prefer a more GUI-oriented workflow, please also install VS Code on your laptops.