Contributed by Deb Chatterjee, Intel

We are excited to usher in the dawn of a new era for the P4 programming language. For many years, the Tofino family of programmable Ethernet switches, powered by P4, has represented the cutting edge of network innovation. Tofino’s unprecedented levels of programmability have enabled organizations to shape their networks like never before. But there was always one limitation: the software driving this groundbreaking hardware remained closed source. Today, that changes. The Tofino P4 software is being open-sourced, and it’s about to revolutionize how we think about programmable networks.

This bold move from Intel to open-source the Tofino P4 software is more than just a licensing decision; it’s a call to action for the global developer community. It invites everyone—from seasoned network engineers to aspiring students—to participate, innovate, and contribute to shaping the future of networking. The open-sourcing of Tofino P4 code democratizes access to some of the most powerful tools in networking. Developers can now dive deep into the workings of Tofino switches, experiment with custom data plane designs without restrictions, and share and build