Hacker News with Generative AI: Free Software

Echo – Open Hardware Music Player (github.com/amachronic)
Echo is an open hardware platform for music players. The goal of the project is to produce a high quality music player, based on and designed with free software. It's primarily designed to run Rockbox, a free music player firmware with support for many codecs, and a wide array of features.
Music Players, Free Software
84 points by todsacerdoti 2 days ago | 20 comments
VMware revives its free ESXi hypervisor (theregister.com)
VMware has resumed offering a free hypervisor.
Virtualization, Software, VMware, Free Software
13 points by speckx 11 days ago | 5 comments
A conversation with Richard M Stallman (2004) (learntosolveit.com)
In the early and initial days (when open source, free software, and Linux were the same for me), I used to think of Richard M Stallman, known as RMS, in comparison with Mahatma Gandhi. One math professor there (at Cochin University of Science and Technology) gave a brief introduction and said that he feels RMS is comparable to Mahatma Gandhi.
Free Software, Open Source, Linux, History
19 points by orsenthil 31 days ago | 2 comments
FSF Holds Live Auction of 'Historically Important' Free Software Memorabilia (slashdot.org)
Free Software, Auctions, History
7 points by MilnerRoute 34 days ago | 1 comments
Who Is Free Software For? (tante.cc)
For a while I have been arguing that maybe there are some issues with the whole “Open*” movements, their founding myths and ideologies (see for example my talk at Fluconf). This criticism comes from a place of love.
Free Software, Open Source, Ideology, Criticism
65 points by NotInOurNames 40 days ago | 65 comments
LiquidFeedback – a free software for political opinion formation and decisions (wikipedia.org)
LiquidFeedback is free software for political opinion formation and decision making. The software incorporates insights from social choice theory in order to aggregate opinions more effectively.
Political Science, Free Software, Decision Making
7 points by faebi 41 days ago | 0 comments
Free Software Foundation rides to defend AGPLv3 against Neo4j license add-ons (theregister.com)
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) on Monday backed a lone developer's brave effort to overturn a pivotal court ruling that threatens to undermine the AGPLv3 – the foundation's GNU Affero General Public License, version 3.
Free Software, Open Source, Law, Licensing, Legal Battles
12 points by josephcsible 52 days ago | 2 comments
"Free Software": An idea whose time has passed (medium.com)
Almost forty years ago, in 1985, the idea of “Free Software” was born.
Software, History, Free Software, Opinion
5 points by doener 53 days ago | 13 comments
FSF Use Microsoft Word and Docx to Submit Its Amicus Brief (techrights.org)
Could the FSF not find any law firm that, in addition to talking about or for Free software, does not use .NET, OOXML, and almost everything Microsoft?
Free Software, Microsoft, Legal
7 points by zoobab 53 days ago | 11 comments
Show HN: I vibe coded a free screen studio alternative that runs in the browser (screen.now)
Web Development, Open Source, Free Software, Browser-Based Tools
12 points by mrrxwyz 53 days ago | 4 comments
"Free" Office for Windows is being trialed (office-watch.com)
Microsoft is testing a free version of Office for Windows with limited features, an important requirement and ads to ‘pay’ for the software.
Microsoft, Software, Free Software, Business, Advertising
16 points by WoodenChair 57 days ago | 12 comments
Obsidian is now free for work (twitter.com)
Obsidian, Free Software, Productivity, Note-Taking
15 points by bpierre 65 days ago | 1 comments
Show HN: Mind Map Wizard – Generate Infinite Mind Maps with AI, for Free (FOSS) (mindmapwizard.com)
Mind Maps, Artificial Intelligence, Free Software, Productivity Tools
27 points by linus-sch 68 days ago | 5 comments
Jellyfin: The Free Software Media System (jellyfin.org)
Jellyfin is the volunteer-built media solution that puts you in control of your media.
Free Software, Media, Streaming, Open Source, Self-Hosting
492 points by doener 69 days ago | 284 comments
Show HN: BGNix-100% Free and Privacy Image Background Removal (bgnix.com)
Image Editing, Free Software, Privacy, Show HN
10 points by thinkingjimmy 83 days ago | 9 comments
Statement on planned protests during the upcoming FOSDEM 2025 (fosdem.org)
We were made aware of planned protests during the upcoming FOSDEM 2025 in response to a scheduled talk which is causing controversy.
Protests, FOSDEM, Conferences, Open Source, Free Software
15 points by tledakis 99 days ago | 5 comments
Why Open Source Misses the Point of Free Software (gnu.org)
The terms “free software” and “open source” stand for almost the same range of programs. However, they say deeply different things about those programs, based on different values. The free software movement campaigns for freedom for the users of computing; it is a movement for freedom and justice. By contrast, the open source idea values mainly practical advantage and does not campaign for principles. This is why we do not agree with open source, and do not use that term.
Free Software, Open Source, Philosophy, Ethics
21 points by rglover 99 days ago | 6 comments
FOSDEM and DMA updates and 2025 YH4F and Our visions for 2048 (fsfe.org)
The new year has begun, offering 365 days to promote Free Software! As we prepare for FOSDEM and continue working on the DMA implementation, we are excited to launch the fourth edition of Youth Hacking 4 Freedom. We closed 2024 sharing our predictions for 2048 and taking part in the Chaos Communication Congress.
Free Software, Events, Technology, Europe
20 points by crescit_eundo 102 days ago | 0 comments
Free-software warriors celebrate landmark case that enforced GNU LGPL (theregister.com)
Sebastian Steck, a software developer based in Germany, has obtained the source code and library installation scripts for his AVM FRITZ!Box 4020 router, thanks to a lawsuit funded by the Software Freedom Conservancy (SFC).
Free Software, Lawsuits, Open Source, Technology, Germany
14 points by guiambros 105 days ago | 0 comments
Free-software warriors celebrate landmark case that enforced GNU LGPL (theregister.com)
Sebastian Steck, a software developer based in Germany, has obtained the source code and library installation scripts for his AVM FRITZ!Box 4020 router, thanks to a lawsuit funded by the Software Freedom Conservancy (SFC).
Free Software, Law, Open Source, Software Licensing
13 points by thebeardisred 106 days ago | 0 comments
The Free Software Foundation is dying (2023) (drewdevault.com)
Today, almost 40 years on, the FSF is dying.
Free Software, Non-Profit Organizations, Technology, Open Source
6 points by dcassett 109 days ago | 1 comments
Free Software Needs Free Tools (2010) (mako.cc)
Over the last decade, free software developers have been repeatedly tempted by development tools that offer the ability to build free software more efficiently or powerfully.
Free Software, Development Tools, Software Development
85 points by pabs3 119 days ago | 58 comments
You don't need to pay for OpenAI - Gemini 2.0 Free & More (github.com/EliasPereirah)
Orion is a web-based chat interface that simplifies interactions with multiple AI model providers.
OpenAI, AI Models, Free Software, Chatbots, Web Applications
41 points by singularis 125 days ago | 7 comments
Trisquel GNU/Linux is a free operating system (trisquel.info)
Our most ambitious release to date, Trisquel 11.0 Aramo is out! After extensive work and thorough testing, we are proud to declare Aramo to be production-ready. This release brings many improvements and covers more grounds both in terms of machines supported and in installation options. Here are some highlights of the main accomplishments included in this release:
Linux, Operating Systems, Free Software, New Releases
6 points by doener 133 days ago | 0 comments
Hyperbola GNU/Linux-libre operating system (hyperbola.info)
You've reached the website for Hyperbola GNU/Linux-libre operating system. The Hyperbola Project is a community driven effort to provide a fully free (as in freedom) operating system that is stable, secure, simple, lightweight that tries to Keep It Simple Stupid (KISS) under a Long Term Support (LTS) way.
Operating Systems, GNU/Linux, Free Software, LTS
36 points by doener 133 days ago | 36 comments
Show HN: A Directory of Free, Open Source Alternatives to Popular Software (alternateoss.com)
Explore the Alternate Universe of Software
Open Source, Software, Alternatives, Free Software
36 points by syakirurahman 143 days ago | 13 comments
Piskel – Free online editor for animated sprites and pixel art (piskelapp.com)
Piskel is a free online editor for animated sprites & pixel art
Pixel Art, Animation, Design Tools, Free Software, Web Applications
11 points by punnerud 143 days ago | 1 comments
Tell HN: Uptimerobot.com offers a fake free plan (ycombinator.com)
Hey HN, I am using uptimerobot.com for some years now through its free plan. It monitors some hobby-non really important projects. The same plan is advertised here: https://uptimerobot.com/pricing/<p>However, before some days I got the following email: "From 1st November 2024, our Free Plan is for non-commercial use only. If you're using it for business, you'll need to upgrade to a paid plan and now they are forcing me to update."
Free Software, Business, Uptime Monitoring, Deception
14 points by spapas82 151 days ago | 28 comments
Unreal and Unreal Tournament are now free and preserved on the Internet Archive (rockpapershotgun.com)
Epic Games has given the OK for their 1998 shooter Unreal to be hosted on the Internet Archive, essentially making the classic sci-fi alien blaster free, and preserving it for the future.
Video Games, Preservation, Internet Archive, Free Software
9 points by Tomte 162 days ago | 0 comments
VMware Workstation and Fusion are now free for everyone (theverge.com)
VMware made its Fusion and Workstation software that creates and manages virtual machines free for personal use earlier this year. Now, the company announced that as of Monday, it’s free for everyone, including commercial customers. Also, the Fusion (for Macs) and Workstation (for Windows and Linux) Pro versions are no longer available for purchase.
Software, Virtual Machines, Free Software, VMware
5 points by Tomte 165 days ago | 1 comments