Links to Other Free Software Sites

To help promote knowledge of free software that isn't GNU software distributed by the FSF, we have collected the following links to other web sites that contain free software, or is directly related to the issue of free software.

We do not have links to web sites of the well-known GNU/Linux system distributions, or to the well-known BSD system distributions, because all those sites explicitly describe, and facilitate access to, various non-free programs. We would be glad to know of other free software web sites that we could link to here.

The FSF is not responsible for the content of other web sites, or how up-to-date their content is.

Free GNU/Linux distributions

These are the GNU/Linux distributions we know of which only include and only propose free software. They reject non-free applications, non-free programming platforms, non-free drivers, or non-free firmware “blobs”. If by mistake they do include any, they remove it. To learn more about what makes for a free GNU/Linux distribution, see our Guidelines for Free System Distributions.

If you know of a distribution that may qualify but isn't listed here, please ask the distribution's maintainers if they want to follow these free software principles. If they do, and they would like their distribution to be listed here, they should write to <gnu@gnu.org>. Some distributions are making efforts to move toward a completely free system. We thank them for their on-going work to achieve that goal, and hope to list them here some day.

All of the distributions that follow are installable to a computer hard drive and most can be run live. They are listed in no particular order. We list companies that sell hardware preinstalled with a free GNU/Linux distribution separately.

• gNewSense, a GNU/Linux distribution based on Debian and Ubuntu, with sponsorship from the FSF.
• Ututo, a GNU/Linux distribution based on Gentoo. It was the first fully free GNU/Linux system recognized by the GNU Project.
• Dynebolic, a GNU/Linux distribution that places special emphasis on audio and video editing.
• Musix GNU+Linux, a GNU+Linux distribution based on Knoppix, with special emphasis on audio production.
• BLAG, BLAG Linux and GNU, a GNU/Linux distribution based on Fedora.
• Trisquel, a GNU/Linux distribution oriented to small enterprises, domestic users and educational centers.

The following distributions have expressed their intent to follow the Guidelines for Free System Distributions, and are currently under review:

• GNUstep Live, a GNU/Linux distribution with a user interface based on GNUstep, a free implementation of the Cocoa/OpenStep framework.

Other free operating systems

We would especially like to know of other free operating systems that have a policy not to include, or recommend, non-free software. Developers of such operating systems that wish us to be aware of their system should contact <gnu@gnu.org>. These systems also follow our Guidelines for Free System Distributions.

• GNU Darwin
• JNode, a free operating system written in Java

Collections of free software

• DJ Delorie's site.
• GNU EmacsWiki: ElispArea
• GNU programs for the Amiga and BeOS
• A short list of free software for Microsoft Windows, for the Windows user who is curious about free software.

Free software documentation

The documentation at these sites may be older than the latest versions distributed by GNU.

• Floss Manuals, a collection of free manuals for free software.
• GNU manuals at delorie.com.
• Reuse RKT provides links to FAQs, standards and references.
• GNUjdoc is a central archive of Japanese translations of GNU documents.

Unofficial GNU sites

• Trent's pages.
• A GNU page in Czech.
• A Spanish introduction to free software.

Free knowledge & free culture

• Wikipedia.org - The Free Encyclopedia.
• OurProject.org - Free Software & Free Knowledge for a Free Society (mostly in Spanish).
• Mutopia - collects and distributes free music, and information about free music.

Organizations related to free software

• GNU Mexico - The Mexican branch of the GNU Project
• GNU Spain - The Spanish branch of the GNU Project
• GNU Italia - The Italian branch of the GNU Project
• FSF Europe, Free Software Foundation Europe.
• FSF France, Free Software Foundation France.
• FSF India, Free Software Foundation India.
• FSF Latin America, Free Software Foundation Latin America
• Belgeler.org - A very compherensive Turkish Translation project including philosophical writings about Free Software
• APRIL
• European Software Patent Horror Gallery
• FFII: Protecting Information Innovation against the Abuse of the Patent System
• ICOT Free Software (in Japanese)
• Public Library of Science organizes support for online public libraries of science.
• OpenCores.Org is a volunteer group interested in developing hardware, with a similar ethos to the free software movement.
• OpenStreetMap is a free editable map of the whole world. OpenStreetMap allows you to freely view, edit and use geographical data in a collaborative way.
• The Free Model Foundry - for electrical engineers, free simulation models of digital components.
• Archives of the Free Software Business mailing list
• Association For a Free Informational Infrastructure (FFII)
• OpenCode
• FreeGIS Project
• Translation Project
• OFSET - The Organization for Free Software in Education and Teaching.
• CIPSGA
• Free Software Consortium
• pFFP - The plugincinema Free Film Project promotes the use of free software to make and distribute films.
• Free Software Project in Brazil
• African Virtual Open Initiatives and Resources, an organization dedicated to create opportunities for development and education with Free Software in Africa.
• GUGVe, promoting free software in Venezuela.
• GnuLinuxClub.org, dedicated to the propagation and usage of GNU/Linux and Free Software among the general computer users community.
• techmeet.org, a site for discussing free website revision systems and arranging conferences on the topic.
• Fundacion via libre, an organization which promotes sharing and development of the knowledge based on free software movement principles.
• Sugar Labs, an organization set up to continue development of the Sugar desktop environment.

Companies that support free software development, and exclusively free software development

• Solis Coop (partly in Portuguese)
• Ada Core Technologies
• Cendio Systems AB
• Intevation GmbH
• Propus Software Livre (partly in Portuguese)
• PROSA (partly in Italian)
• Simon Josefsson Datakonsult AB
• Wingnut Project (in Japanese)

Organizations that work for freedom in computer development and electronic communications

• OpenCores

  The OpenCores project exists to further the aims of the Open IP Core definition, which has the following tenets: information on using the hardware must be available; the design of the hardware must be available; design software for hardware must be available.

• chillingeffects.org

  Chilling Effects is a collection point for cease and desist notices concerning online activity — we invite visitors to enter C&Ds they have received or sent. The website collects the C&Ds in a searchable database and hyperlinks them to explanations of the legal issues.

• The League for Programming Freedom

  The League for Programming Freedom is an organization that opposes software patents and user interface copyrights.

• Free Protocols Foundation

  The Free Protocols Foundation (FPF) is an independent public forum, dedicated to the support of patent-free protocols.

• Electronic Frontier Foundation

  EFF, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, is a non-profit, non-partisan organization working in the public interest to protect fundamental civil liberties, including privacy and freedom of expression, in the arena of computers and the Internet.

• Electronic Privacy Information Center

  EPIC is a public interest research center in Washington, D.C. It was established in 1994 to focus public attention on emerging civil liberties issues and to protect privacy, the First Amendment, and constitutional values.

• Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility

  CPSR is a public-interest alliance of computer scientists and others concerned about the impact of computer technology on society. We work to influence decisions regarding the development and use of computers because those decisions have far-reaching consequences and reflect our basic values and priorities.

• American Civil Liberties Union

  The American Civil Liberties Union is the nation's foremost advocate of individual rights — litigating, legislating, and educating the public on a broad array of issues affecting individual freedom in the United States.

• Global Internet LibertyCampaign

  The GILC comprises of members from American Civil Liberties Union, the Electronic Privacy Information Center, Human Rights Watch, the Internet Society, Privacy International, the Association des Utilisateurs d'Internet, and other civil liberties and human rights organizations. They advocate the prohibition of censorship of on-line communication, and insist that on-line free expression should not be restricted by indirect means such as excessively restrictive governmental or private controls over computer hardware or software, telecommunications infrastructure, or other essential components of the Internet.

• P2P United

  This site fights legislation to ban peer to peer software.

• Electronic Frontiers Australia

  Electronic Frontiers Australia Inc. (EFA) is a non-profit national organisation representing Internet users concerned with on-line freedoms and rights.

Hosting

These sites provide hosting for free software packages, focused on source code. We don't list other well-known hosting sites since they have advertisements or other encouragement for proprietary software. As usual, contact us at <webmasters@gnu.org> if you have suggestions for the list.

• Savannah, the hosting site provided by GNU for both GNU and non-GNU packages. (More info.)
• Gna, the hosting site provided by FSF France, with support from the French company Free.

In contrast, these sites offers general hosting for domains, including email and web support, with an emphasis on the libre philosophy. They are not directly focused on software development.

• sfccp.net, the San Francisco Community Colocation Project provides a location for non-profit organizations to host their own servers.

News about free software

These sites offer updated news about GNU and other free software.

• planet.gnu.org, aggregation of blogs and news announcements from GNU packages.
• changelog.log, aggregation of ChangeLog entries from GNU and GNOME projects.
• Press/News, free software news from a Singapore GNU users group.
• news.northxsouth.com, news about free software in Latin America.
• GNUticias, news about free software and the GNU Project (in Spanish).

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