Welcome to the Free Software Supporter, the Free Software Foundation's
(FSF) monthly news digest and action update -- being read by you and
204,182 other activists. That's 654 more than last month!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• OpenStreetMap and Deborah Nicholson win 2018 FSF Awards


• Activists and experts gather in Cambridge for ethical tech conference to celebrate software freedom on March 23-24


• LibrePlanet Day 1: Trailblazing free software together


• LibrePlanet Day 2: Welcoming everyone to the world of free software


• Resources for preventing the digital world of Nineteen Eighty-Four


• Seven new devices from ThinkPenguin, Inc. now FSF-certified to Respect Your Freedom


• FSF job opportunity: Campaigns manager


• RMS article: "Install fests: What to do about the deal with the devil"


• Spotify files EU complaint against Apple's App Store rules


• A critical flaw in Switzerland's e-voting system is a microcosm of everything wrong with e-voting, security practice, and auditing firms


• GNU Linux-Libre kernel officially released for those who seek 100% freedom


• About Musix's removal from our list of endorsed distributions


• GNOME 3.32 released


• Statement from GNU C Library about EU-sponsored FOSSA2 initiative


• Introducing Valessio Brito, intern with the FSF tech team


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


• LibrePlanet featured resource: LibrePlanet: Teams


• GNU Spotlight with Mike Gerwitz: 13 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/2019/april

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/subscribe


• 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/2019/abril-spanish

Para cambiar las preferencias de usuario y recibir los próximos
números del Supporter en español, haz click aquí:
https://my.fsf.org/civicrm/profile/create?reset=1&gid=34&id=59606&cs=12e16110eca67013341075e6f0886489_1554159607_168

Le Free Software Supporter est disponible en français. Pour voir la
version française cliquez ici:
https://www.fsf.org/free-software-supporter/2019/avril

Pour modifier vos préférences et recevoir les prochaines
publications du Supporter en français, cliquez ici:
https://my.fsf.org/civicrm/profile/create?reset=1&gid=34&id=59606&cs=12e16110eca67013341075e6f0886489_1554159607_168

O Free Software Supporter está disponível em Português. Para ver a
versão em Português, clique aqui:
https://www.fsf.org/free-software-supporter/2019/abril-portuguese

Para alterar as preferências do usuário e receber as próximas
edições do Supporter em Português, clique aqui:
https://my.fsf.org/civicrm/profile/create?reset=1&gid=34&id=59606&cs=12e16110eca67013341075e6f0886489_1554159607_168

#

OpenStreetMap and Deborah Nicholson win 2018 FSF Awards

From March 23

The Free Software Foundation (FSF) recognized OpenStreetMap with the
2018 Free Software Award for Projects of Social
Benefit and Deborah Nicholson
with the Award for the Advancement of Free
Software. FSF president Richard
M. Stallman presented the awards on March 23 in a yearly ceremony
during the LibrePlanet 2019
conference at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT).

• https://www.fsf.org/news/openstreetmap-and-deborah-nicholson-win-2018-fsf-awards


• https://sfconservancy.org/news/2019/mar/25/fsfawardDeb/


• https://blog.openstreetmap.org/2019/03/27/openstreetmap-wins-free-software-foundation-award-for-projects-of-social-benefit/

Activists and experts gather in Cambridge for ethical tech conference to celebrate software freedom on March 23-24

From March 14

On March 23-24, the FSF presented the eleventh annual LibrePlanet free
software conference in Cambridge, at the Stata Center at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. LibrePlanet is an annual
conference for people who care about their digital freedoms, bringing
together software developers, policy experts, activists, and computer
users to learn skills, share accomplishments, and tackle challenges
facing the free software movement, including 3D printing,
cryptography, medical devices, privacy, security, and current issues
in software licensing. LibrePlanet 2019 focused on the exploration of
software freedom and how to bring to life trailblazing, principled new
technologies.

LibrePlanet talks will soon be available on video at https://media.libreplanet.org/.

• https://www.fsf.org/news/activists-and-experts-gather-in-cambridge-for-ethical-tech-conference-to-celebrate-software-freedom-on-march-23-24


• https://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/libreplanet-is-coming-in-two-days-heres-how-you-can-participate


• https://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/your-guide-to-libreplanet-2019-march-23-24


• https://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/what-talks-will-you-attend-at-libreplanet-2019


• https://www.fsf.org/blogs/gnu-press/new-libreplanet-2019-tees-explore-new-frontiers-of-free-software

LibrePlanet day 1: Trailblazing free software together

From March 23

The LibrePlanet conference has now entered its second decade, and as
software infiltrates more and more of daily life, there are many new
and important ethical, social, legal, and technological questions to
answer. Today's sessions examined the theme of "Trailblazing Free
Software" from many different angles, addressing how we can apply the
practical advantages of free software while maintaining and defending
the indispensable principles behind it.

• https://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/libreplanet-day-1-trailblazing-free-software-together

LibrePlanet day 2: Welcoming everyone to the world of free software

From March 24

One of the most important questions that free software is facing in
the year 2019 is: how do we make the world of free software accessible
to broader audiences? Vast numbers of people are using software every
day -- how do we relate our message to something that is important to
them, and then welcome them into our community? In order to achieve
our mission, we need to invite people and get them to use, create, and
proliferate ethical software, until all technology is free. Many of
the best talks at LibrePlanet 2019 echoed a message for the free
software community to focus on building a culture that's respectful
and encouraging for new people, respecting a wide variety of
personalities and values.

• https://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/libreplanet-day-2-welcoming-everyone-to-the-world-of-free-software

Resources for preventing the digital world of Nineteen Eighty-Four

From March 8 by Michele Metts and Benjamin Melançon

At the LibrePlanet conference, Michele "Micky" Metts delivered a
closing keynote about how we, as people and as programmers, can work
our way out of the digital world of Nineteen Eighty-Four that we are
living in. After the conference, Micky asked us to share this list of
resources with our free software audience. Video of this keynote
speech, as well as nearly all of the other speeches, will be available
at our MediaGoblin instance soon, so
keep an eye on FSF news!

• https://agaric.coop/blog/resources-preventing-digital-world-nineteen-eighty-four

Seven new devices from ThinkPenguin, Inc. now FSF-certified to Respect Your Freedom

From March 21

The FSF awarded Respects Your Freedom (RYF)
certification
to seven devices from ThinkPenguin, Inc.: the Penguin Wireless G USB
Adapter (TPE-G54USB2), the Penguin USB Desktop Microphone for
GNU/Linux (TPE-USBMIC), the Penguin Wireless N Dual-Band PCIe Card
(TPE-N300PCIED2), the PCIe Gigabit Ethernet Card Dual Port
(TPE-1000MPCIE), the PCI Gigabit Ethernet Card (TPE-1000MPCI), the
Penguin 10/100 USB Ethernet Network Adapter v1 (TPE-100NET1), and the
Penguin 10/100 USB Ethernet Network Adapter v2 (TPE-100NET2). The RYF
certification mark means that these products meet the FSF's standards
in regard to users' freedom, control over the product, and privacy.

These are not the first devices from ThinkPenguin to receive RYF
certification. This fresh batch joins four previously certified
devices in the ThinkPenguin lineup. With these additions, ThinkPenguin
becomes one of the largest retailers of RYF-certified devices.

• https://www.fsf.org/news/seven-new-devices-from-thinkpenguin-inc-now-fsf-certified-to-respect-your-freedom

FSF job opportunity: Campaigns manager

From March 25

The FSF seeks a motivated and talented Boston-based individual to be
our full-time campaigns manager. Reporting to the executive director,
the campaigns manager works on our campaigns team to lead, plan,
carry out, evaluate, and improve the FSF's advocacy and education
campaigns. The team also works closely with other FSF departments,
including licensing, operations, and tech. The position will start by
taking responsibility for existing campaigns in support of the GNU
Project, free software adoption, free media formats, and freedom on
the network; and against Digital Restrictions Management (DRM),
software patents, and proprietary software. See application details
in the link!

• https://www.fsf.org/news/fsf-job-opportunity-campaigns-manager-1

RMS article: "Install fests: What to do about the deal with the devil"

From March 19

In "Install fests: What to do about the deal with the
devil," Richard
Stallman issues both a caveat to free software novices who would like
to transition to using free software exclusively via an install-fest,
and a plea to install-fest organizers and volunteers not to make
injurious ethical decisions for the people availing themselves of
their help.

• https://www.fsf.org/blogs/rms/rms-article-install-fests-what-to-do-about-the-deal-with-the-devil

Spotify files EU complaint against Apple's App Store rules

From March 13 by Steve Dent

We're no Spotify fans, but this is exactly the kind of thing that
happens because Apple uses unethical Digital Restrictions Management
(DRM) and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) to maintain its
illegitimate app store monopoly. Both Spotify and Apple should stop
using DRM.

• https://www.engadget.com/2019/03/13/spotify-files-eu-complaint-against-apples-app-store-rules/

A critical flaw in Switzerland's e-voting system is a microcosm of everything wrong with e-voting, security practice, and auditing firms

From March 13 by Cory Doctorow

Switzerland is about to have a national election with electronic
voting, overseen by Swiss Post; e-voting is a terrible idea and the
general consensus among security experts who don't work for e-voting
vendors is that it shouldn't be attempted, but if you put out an RFP
for magic beans, someone will always show up to sell you magic beans,
whether or not magic beans exist.

• https://boingboing.net/2019/03/13/principal-agent-problems.html

GNU Linux-libre kernel officially released for those who seek 100% freedom

From March 4 by Marius Nestor

On March 4, the GNU Linux-libre project released the GNU Linux-libre
5.0-gnu kernel for GNU/Linux users who are seeking 100% freedom for
their personal computers.

• https://news.softpedia.com/news/gnu-linux-libre-5-0-kernel-officially-released-for-those-who-seek-100-freedom-525172.shtml

About Musix's removal from our list of endorsed distributions

From March 19

Musix was maintained by a sole developer, Marcos Guglielmetti, as a
volunteer effort, a truly impressive accomplishment. Maintaining a
distribution is a difficult task. Dealing with technical and security
issues across an entire system, as well as upholding the ethical
standards required for inclusion on our list, takes a great deal of
effort.

While it is sad that Musix will now reside in our Historical section,
we can all still be thankful for the maintainer's work over the years,
and for the fact that there are still many endorsed distributions
available. Users of Musix should consider switching to another distro
on our list to ensure that the security and freedom of their system is
up to date.

• https://www.fsf.org/blogs/licensing/about-musixs-removal-from-our-list-of-endorsed-distributions

GNOME 3.32 released

From March 13 by the GNOME Project

The latest version of GNOME 3 has been released today. Version 3.32
contains six months of work by the GNOME community and includes many
improvements, performance improvements and new features. This release
features a refreshed visual style ranging from an entirely new set of
app icons to improvements to the user interface style. Many of the
base style colors have been saturated, giving them a more vivid,
vibrant appearance. Buttons are more rounded and have a softer
“shadow” border. Switches no longer use the explicit ON and OFF text,
instead using color to indicate state.

• https://www.gnome.org/news/2019/03/gnome-3-32-released/

Statement from GNU C Library about EU-sponsored FOSSA2 initiative

From March 14 by Carlos O'Donell

The GNU C Library project maintainers are excited to see further EU
support of free software, most recently in the form of the
EU-sponsored FOSSA2
initiative. The
initiative provides funding to bug bounty platforms, encouraging
developers to work on free software. A total of EUR 45,000 is
available to Intigriti/Deloitte to run a program targeting security
bugs in the GNU C Library. The program offers prizes, up to EUR
10,000, to the bug bounty participants. The GNU C Library maintainers
worked closely with Intigriti, the bug bounty platform provider, to
ensure that the program met the needs of the project. We encourage
developers all over the world to work on free software, and this
initiative only pushes that encouragement over the edge!

Introducing Valessio Brito, intern with the FSF tech team

From March 6

My name is Valessio Brito. I was born in Jacobina, a very small town
in the warm northeastern region of Brazil. I got involved in free
software when I was a teenager. I have been an activist and user in
the free software movement for 19 years.

At the Free Software Foundation, I will be collaborating with the tech
team on the streaming and recording of LibrePlanet 2019. I will also
be working on preparing laptops to be used in workshops at public
schools to introduce free software and programming to students.

• https://www.fsf.org/blogs/sysadmin/introducing-valessio-brito-intern-with-the-fsf-tech-team

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, April 5, from 12pm to 3pm EDT (16:00 to
19:00 UTC). Details here:

• https://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Main_Page

LibrePlanet featured resource: LibrePlanet: Teams

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 LibrePlanet: Teams, which provides
information about the global network of groups organized by
geographical region or school, all working together for free software
in accordance with the LibrePlanet project's mission statement and
code of conduct. Joining a local team or student group is easy, and
your level of involvement is up to you! You are invited to adopt,
spread and improve this important resource.

• https://libreplanet.org/wiki/LibrePlanet:Teams

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

GNU Spotlight with Mike Gerwitz: 13 new GNU releases!

13 new GNU releases in the last month (as of March 26, 2019):

• coreutils-9.31


• ddrescue-1.24


• dr-geo-19.2


• gnuhealth-3.4.1


• gnupg-2.2.15


• help2man-1.47.10


• librejs-7.19


• linux-libre-5.0-gnu


• mit-scheme-10.1.6


• nano-4.0


• octave-5.1.0


• parallel-20190322


• unifont-12.0.01

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@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:

• April 2, 2019, Rennes, France, "Free Software in Ethics and in Practice"


• April 2, 2019, Thonon-les-Bains, France, "« Logiciels libres, société libre »"


• April 2, 2019, Anthy-sur-Leman, France, "« Logiciels libres, société libre »"


• April 4, 2019, Geneva, Switzerland, "Title TBA"


• April 5, 2019, Geneva, Switzerland, "Title TBA"


• April 6, 2019, Grandvaux, Switzerland, "Title TBA"


• April 9, 2019, Bern, Switzerland, "Free software, free society"


• April 11, 2019, Lausanne, Switzerland, "Title TBA"

Other FSF and free software events

• April 28, 2019, Bellingham, WA, USA, Donald Robertson III, "Common licensing issues for free software projects: Learn the most common mistakes developers make in regards to licensing their free software project"


• April 28, 2019, Bellingham, WA, USA, John Sullivan, "'Just don't buy it': Consumer choices in free software activism"

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/2019supporters.html

This month, a big Thank GNU to:

• Ben Abrams


• Ed Price


• Nathan Boy


• Sam Halliday


• Steve Sprang


• Valerio Poggi

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:

• Ahmed Khanzada (Emacs)


• Alex Henrie (GCC)


• Amos Bird (Emacs)


• Andrew Whatson (Emacs)


• Carles Fernandez Prades (GNU Radio)


• EfficiOS Inc. (GCC, GDB, GNU Binutils, glibc)


• Jan Klötzke (glibc)


• Marco Barisione (GDB)

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 © 2019 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/.