Welcome to the Free Software Supporter, the Free Software Foundation's (FSF) monthly news digest and action update -- being read by you and 183,710 other activists. That's 691 more than last month!

Nominate your heroes for the Free Software Foundation Awards!

Time is running out to nominate an individual or group who has made a great contribution to the progress and development of free software! Nominations will be accepted through Sunday, November 5th, 2017 at 23:59 UTC, so submit yours today.

• https://my.fsf.org/advancement-of-free-software-award-nomination

Submit your session proposals for LibrePlanet 2018

The Call for Sessions for LibrePlanet 2018 closes on Wednesday, November 9th, 2017 at 10:00 EST (14:00 UTC). LibrePlanet is defined by its combination of technical talks with non-technical sessions on free software activism, culture, and current events, and we want to feature sessions for everyone from newcomers to seasoned hackers. We're committed to increasing the participation of speakers belonging to traditionally underrepresented groups, and we welcome sessions aimed for kids or teens. If you need help putting your proposal together, join us for Office Hours on IRC!

• https://my.fsf.org/lp-call-for-sessions


• https://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/we-want-you-to-submit-a-libreplanet-talk-heres-how-to-get-help

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• "Intelligent tracking prevention": New Safari privacy measure still doesn't measure up to GNU IceCat


• RMS article: "Why the devil's advocate doesn't help reach the truth"


• Federal employees can now support the FSF through the Combined Federal Campaign


• Eclipse Public License version 2.0 added to license list


• Update on Artifex v. Hancom GNU GPL compliance case


• October 2017: RMS photos from Romania


• Aleph Objects, Inc. is searching for a full time Lead Software Engineer


• An interview with Neil McGovern, GNOME Foundation executive director


• ActivityPub and MediaGoblin at TPAC 2016 (or: ActivityPub needs your review!)


• Software Freedom Conservancy applauds Linux community's promotion of principled copyleft enforcement


• Open Bar contract between Microsoft and the French Ministry of Defense: April calls on senators to support a motion for the creation of an investigation committee


• Join the FSF and friends in updating the Free Software Directory


• LibrePlanet featured resource: Hardware/Replicant


• GNU Spotlight with Brandon Invergo: 17 new GNU releases!


• GNU Toolchain update: Support GNU Toolchain


• Richard Stallman's speaking schedule and other FSF events


• Thank GNUs!


• GNU copyright contributions


• Take action with the FSF!

View this issue online here: https://www.fsf.org/free-software-supporter/2017/november

Encourage your friends to subscribe and help us build an audience by adding our subscriber widget to your Web site.

• Subscribe: https://www.fsf.org/free-software-supporter


• Widget: https://www.fsf.org/associate/widget

Miss an issue? You can catch up on back issues at https://www.fsf.org/free-software-supporter.

#

El Free Software Supporter está disponible en español. Para ver la versión en español haz click aqui: https://www.fsf.org/free-software-supporter/2017/noviembre

Para cambiar las preferencias de usuario y recibir los próximos números del Supporter en español, haz click aquí: https://my.fsf.org/civicrm/profile/edit?reset=1&gid=34&id=59606&cs=90a26bf672b440a6fc54f289c2a2e46d_1509577894_168

Le Free Software Supporter est disponible en français. Pour voir la version française cliquez ici: https://www.fsf.org/free-software-supporter/2017/novembre

Pour modifier vos préférences et recevoir les prochaines publications du Supporter en français, cliquez ici: https://my.fsf.org/civicrm/profile/edit?reset=1&gid=34&id=59606&cs=90a26bf672b440a6fc54f289c2a2e46d_1509577894_168

#

"Intelligent tracking prevention": New Safari privacy measure still doesn't measure up to GNU IceCat

From October 24

While Apple has taken a step in the right direction by trying to help computer users avoid being tracked by advertisers, it's not enough (and it doesn't negate the fact that there are many other reasons to avoid Apple). Fortunately, there is a better option for privacy-respecting Web browsing: GNU IceCat.

• https://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/intelligent-tracking-prevention-new-safari-privacy-measure-still-doesnt-measure-up-to-gnu-icecat

RMS article: "Why the devil's advocate doesn't help reach the truth"

From October 19

In this article, FSF president Richard Stallman (RMS) defines and unpacks what playing the devil's advocate really means and what the consequences of doing so really are as far as getting at the truth is concerned. He explains that, regardless of whether it is malicious or well-intended, the practice is misleading, confusing, and distracting; it does not help clarify the matter at hand.

• https://www.fsf.org/blogs/rms/devils-advocate

Federal employees can now support the FSF through the Combined Federal Campaign

From October 31

The Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) is the world's largest annual workplace giving campaign, allowing US federal civilian, postal, and military employees to pledge donations to nonprofit charities such as the Free Software Foundation (FSF). Last year, federal employees voluntarily participating in the CFC contributed more than $167 million to charitable causes.

• https://www.fsf.org/news/federal-employees-can-now-support-the-fsf-through-the-combined-federal-campaign

Eclipse Public License version 2.0 added to license list

From October 17

We recently updated our list of various licenses and comments about them to include the Eclipse Public License version 2.0 (EPL). In terms of GNU General Public License (GPL) compatibility, the Eclipse Public License version 2.0 is essentially equivalent to version 1.0. The only change is that it explicitly offers the option of designating the GNU GPL version 2 or later as a "secondary license" for a certain piece of code.

• https://www.fsf.org/blogs/licensing/eclipse-public-license-version-2-0-added-to-license-list-1

Update on Artifex v. Hancom GNU GPL compliance case

From October 11

A new ruling was issued on September 25th in the ongoing GPL compliance case of Artifex v. Hancom. The case involves a piece of software licensed under the GPL version 3 or later, called Ghostscript.

• https://www.fsf.org/blogs/licensing/update-on-artifex-v-hancom-gnu-gpl-compliance-case-1

October 2017: RMS photos from Romania

From October 31

Free Software Foundation president Richard Stallman (RMS) was in Romania this month, to deliver the keynote speech at the Funda?ia Ceata-organized Coliberator 2017 conference, at the Biblioteca Central? a Universit??ii Politehnica din Bucure?ti, in Bucharest, on October 7th, to about 140 people. While there, he also spoke to students at a GNU/Linux Install Fest.

• https://www.fsf.org/blogs/rms/photo-blog-2017-october-romania

Aleph Objects, Inc. is searching for a full time Lead Software Engineer

From October 13

Aleph Objects, Inc., maker of the LulzBot 3D printer, is searching for a full time Lead Software Engineer to direct priorities and manage and execute the design, implementation, and maintenance of free software for 3D printers and other products.

• https://www.fsf.org/resources/jobs/lead-software-engineer-at-aleph-objects-inc

An interview with Neil McGovern, GNOME Foundation executive director

From October 8th, by Adarsh Verma

Earlier this year in February, the GNOME Foundation announced the appointment of Neil McGovern as its new executive director. He is a well-known figure in the free software community, and he served as Debian Project Leader from 2014-15. The GNOME Project, apart from developing the GNOME desktop, also takes care of multiple other emerging projects.

• https://fossbytes.com/neil-mcgovern-gnome-foundation-director-interview/

ActivityPub and MediaGoblin at TPAC 2016 (or: ActivityPub needs your review!)

From October 5, by Christopher Allan Webber

We have a lot of news to cover, but I’m going to jump right into the thick of it: we’ve been working hard on a new federation (as well as client to server) standard called ActivityPub (formerly ActivityPump). We’ve made tremendous progress, and I was just recently at a face-to-face meeting at the Technical Plenary / Advisory Committee Meetings Week (TPAC), the World Wide Web Consortium's big technical conference.

• https://mediagoblin.org/news/tpac-2016-and-review-activitypub.html

Software Freedom Conservancy applauds Linux community's promotion of principled copyleft enforcement

From October 16, by the Software Freedom Conservancy

The Software Freedom Conservancy congratulated the Linux community for taking steps to promote principled, community-minded copyleft enforcement by publishing the Linux Kernel Enforcement Statement. The statement includes an additional permission under Linux's license, the GNU General Public License (GPL) version 2 (GPLv2). The additional permission, to which copyright holders may voluntarily opt-in, changes the license of their copyrights to allow reliance on the copyright license termination provisions from the GNU General Public License version 3 (GPLv3) for some cases.

• https://sfconservancy.org/news/2017/oct/16/linux-kernel-enforcement-statement/

Open Bar contract between Microsoft and the French Ministry of Defense: April calls on senators to support a motion for the creation of an investigation committee

From October 23, from April

On October 16, a few days after renewal of the Microsoft/Defense “Open Bar” agreement had been confirmed for yet another four years, Senator Joëlle Garriaud-Maylam, the Secretary for the Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Armed Forces Committee, submitted a “motion for a resolution to create an investigation committee on the framework agreements between the Ministry of Defense and Microsoft.” April, a French organization devoted to promoting free software, commends the Senator's salutary motion, and calls on all her colleagues to support it.

• https://april.org/en/open-bar-contract-between-microsoft-and-french-ministry-defense-april-calls-senators-support-motion

Join the FSF and friends in updating the Free Software Directory

Tens of thousands of people visit directory.fsf.org each month to discover free software. Each entry in the Directory contains a wealth of useful information, from basic category and descriptions to version control, IRC channels, documentation, and licensing. The Free Software Directory has been a great resource to software users over the past decade, but it needs your help staying up-to-date with new and exciting free software projects.

To help, join our weekly IRC meetings on Fridays. Meetings take place in the #fsf channel on irc.freenode.org, and usually include a handful of regulars as well as newcomers. Freenode is accessible from any IRC client -- Everyone's welcome!

The next meeting is Friday, November 3, from 12pm to 3pm EDT (16:00 to 19:00 UTC). Details here:

• https://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Free_Software_Directory:Meetings

LibrePlanet featured resource: Hardware/Replicant

Every month on LibrePlanet, we highlight one resource that is interesting and useful -- often one that could use your help.

For this month, we are highlighting Hardware/Replicant, which provides information about Replicant, the only distribution of Android that is 100% free software. You are invited to adopt, spread and improve this important resource.

• https://libreplanet.org/wiki/Group:Hardware/Replicant

Do you have a suggestion for next month's featured resource? Let us know at campaigns-at-fsf.org.

GNU Spotlight with Brandon Invergo: 17 new GNU releases!

• autoconf-archive-2017.09.28


• bash-4.4.12


• dejagnu-1.6.1


• gawk-4.2.0


• gcc-5.5.0


• gnuhealth-3.2.5


• gnutls-3.6.1


• guile-cv-0.1.7


• kawa-3.0


• libextractor-1.6


• linux-libre-4.13.9-gnu


• mailutils-3.3


• parallel-20171022


• screen-4.6.2


• taler-0.4.0


• units-2.15


• zile-2.4.14

For announcements of most new GNU releases, subscribe to the info-gnu mailing list: https://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/info-gnu.

To download: nearly all GNU software is available from https://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/, or preferably one of its mirrors from https://www.gnu.org/prep/ftp.html. You can use the URL https://ftpmirror.gnu.org/ to be automatically redirected to a (hopefully) nearby and up-to-date mirror.

A number of GNU packages, as well as the GNU operating system as a whole, are looking for maintainers and other assistance: please see https://www.gnu.org/server/takeaction.html#unmaint if you'd like to help. The general page on how to help GNU is at https://www.gnu.org/help/help.html.

If you have a working or partly working program that you'd like to offer to the GNU Project as a GNU package, see https://www.gnu.org/help/evaluation.html.

As always, please feel free to write to us at maintainers-at-gnu.org with any GNUish questions or suggestions for future installments.

GNU Toolchain update: Support GNU Toolchain

Donate to support the GNU Toolchain, a collection of foundational freely licensed software development tools including the GNU C Compiler collection (GCC), the GNU C Library (glibc), and the GNU Debugger (GDB).

• https://my.fsf.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=57

Richard Stallman's speaking schedule

For event details, as well as to sign-up to be notified for future events in your area, please visit https://www.fsf.org/events.

So far, Richard Stallman has the following events this month:

• November 3rd, 2017, Puebla, Mexico, "El software libre y tu libertad"

Other FSF and free software events

• November 24th-26th, 2017, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain, "GNU Health Con 2017"

Thank GNUs!

We appreciate everyone who donates to the Free Software Foundation, and we'd like to give special recognition to the folks who have donated $500 or more in the last month.

• https://www.gnu.org/thankgnus/2017supporters.html

This month, a big Thank GNU to:

• Adam Ymeren


• Alexey Eromenko


• Christopher Samuel


• Colin Carr


• Daniel Hoodin


• Daniel Riek


• Peter Rock


• René Genz


• Rich Haase


• Tom Gedra


• Trevor Spiteri

You can add your name to this list by donating at https://donate.fsf.org/.

GNU copyright contributions

Assigning your copyright to the Free Software Foundation helps us defend the GPL and keep software free. The following individuals have assigned their copyright to the FSF in the past month:

• Bartolus Jacobus Peterus Bakker (Magit) (Emacs)


• Basil L. Contovounesios (Emacs)


• Casey Carter (GCC)


• Jörg Behrmann (Emacs)


• Liu Hao (GCC)


• Rajesh Vaidheeswarra (C Manual)


• Stig Brautaset (Emacs)


• Zuogong Yue (Emacs)

Want to see your name on this list? Contribute to GNU and assign your copyright to the FSF.

• https://www.gnu.org/server/takeaction.html#dev

Take action with the FSF!

Contributions from thousands of individual members enable the FSF's work. You can contribute by joining at https://my.fsf.org/join. If you're already a member, you can help refer new members (and earn some rewards) by adding a line with your member number to your email signature like:

I'm an FSF member -- Help us support software freedom! https://my.fsf.org/join

The FSF is always looking for volunteers (https://www.fsf.org/volunteer). From rabble-rousing to hacking, from issue coordination to envelope stuffing -- there's something here for everybody to do. Also, head over to our campaigns section (https://www.fsf.org/campaigns) and take action on software patents, Digital Restrictions Management (DRM), free software adoption, OpenDocument, Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and more.

#

Copyright © 2017 Free Software Foundation, Inc.

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.