Welcome to the Free Software Supporter, the Free Software
Foundation's (FSF) monthly news digest and action update -- being read
by you and 232,663 other activists.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
June FSF40 challenge: Make the switch to a free software program or help someone else switch
Use your voice for free software! Tell Qualcomm to release fully-free drivers for modern Wi-Fi chipsets!
No more imposed licensing - Get back the cost of your Windows License!
Microsoft wants Windows Update to handle all apps
Mozilla is shutting down read-it-later app Pocket
Why console makers can legally brick your game console
Microsoft pulls MS365 Business Premium from nonprofits
"End of 10" to Windows 10 users: The environment wants you to use GNU/Linux
May GNU Emacs news
Join the FSF and friends in updating the Free Software Directory
LibrePlanet featured resource: Group: Hardware/Computers/Laptops
May GNU spotlight with Amin Bandali featuring thirteen new GNU releases: Automake, Gettext, and more!
Want to read this newsletter translated into another language? Scroll
to the end to read the Supporter in French or Spanish.
June FSF40 challenge: Make the switch to a free software program or help someone else switch
Every month during our fortieth anniversary year, we're inviting free
software supporters everywhere to join us in celebrating #FSF40. For
this month's challenge, make the switch yourself or help someone
else start using a free software program. For instance, instead
of Zoom or FaceTime, give Jistsi or another free videoconferencing
software a try. No matter if you want to make a big or small
change, there's probably a program in the Free Software
Directory that meets your needs. Already use only free software?
Great job! That's no small feat. Maybe you can help someone else
get started using a free program. If you can't take part in this
#FSF40Challenge, fear not — we've got six more coming.
Have an idea for a challenge? Send us a message at
[email protected]!
Use your voice for free software! Tell Qualcomm to release fully-free drivers for modern Wi-Fi chipsets!
By Mission:Libre
Over a decade ago, Atheros released the ath9k suite of Linux kernel
drivers, which were the first free Wi-Fi drivers for the Linux kernel.
Atheros' work made it possible for GNU/Linux users to connect to Wi-Fi
without having to use proprietary drivers or binary-only firmware.
Unfortunately, as technology marches forward, the chipsets that were
supported by free drivers have been discontinued, rendering the ath9k
suite of Wi-Fi drivers obsolete. Today, there are no free Linux kernel
drivers for contemporary Wi-Fi hardware. Tell Qualcomm, Inc. to
release fully-free drivers for its in-production Wi-Fi chipsets, just
as Atheros (Qualcomm's predecessor) did sixteen years ago.
No more imposed licensing - Get back the cost of your Windows License!
From May 29 by Free Software Foundation Europe
A majority of laptops being sold right now come with a controlling
preinstalled Microsoft Windows operating system, with no easy way for
users to opt-out. Not only is this a violation of user freedom, but it
also financially costs the user who is stuck paying for a Windows
license that they do not want. The new Refund4Freedom initiative aims
to help users recover the cost of a Windows license when buying a new
device and push for the end of this freedom-limiting practice. Read on
to learn what you can do next time you or someone you know buys a new
computer.
Microsoft users might be in for more update difficulties (and even
less freedom) in the near future if many apps give way to Microsoft
pressuring them to allow Microsoft to handle their updates. Whereas
many free operating systems have had a unified app updater for years,
Microsoft is once again trying to entice developers to put their
updates in the Microsoft Store. It remains to be seen if developers
will hand over updating responsibilities (and potentially control of
updates) to Microsoft, but we recommend not waiting around to see if
Microsoft will mishandle non-Microsoft app updates, too. If you or
someone you know likes the sound of having all updates in one spot,
consider upgrading to a free operating system.
Mozilla announced that its read-it-later app, Pocket (which allows
users to save articles, videos, and web pages for later offline
reading without ads), will become abandonware on July 8, 2025. As with
many such programs, if Pocket was a free software program, users
would have the freedom to use it long after Mozilla decided to shut it
down. Instead, users of Pocket will now be forced to switch to a
similar read-it-later, loading as much as eighteen years of data (if
used since it's original launch as Read-It-Later) to a new app.
Unfortunately, this is an often seen, sad end-point for proprietary
programs. We hope that Mozilla will pick up on its previous attempts
to publish the source code. If you have been a Pocket user until now,
consider switching to a freedom-respecting read-it-later app, such as
Wallabag.
Why console makers can legally brick your game console
From May 22 by Kyle Orland
Nintendo is one of the largest perpetrators of console bricking
(making a console permanently unusable in whole or in part), and they
currently have the legal ability to do so. When a proprietor bricks
your device and/or the software that makes it run, they are attempting
to control you and limit your user rights. Users like you should have
the right to do as you wish with your personal device, including
modifying it to work for you. Tell your state and national
representatives that you should have the legal power to alter your
device without being punished by its manufacturer.
Microsoft pulls MS365 Business Premium from nonprofits
From May 16 by Richard Speed
In less than two months, Microsoft will phase out its Business Premium
grant, which had provided eligible nonprofits with gratis access to
features like desktop Office apps and advanced security tools. Even
when Microsoft provides discounts on what they had previously provided
at zero cost, the programs cost users an immense amount of freedom.
Instead of partnering with greedy and predatory organizations like
Microsoft, organizations should choose to use free (as in freedom)
software, not just because it tends to cost less, but because it
allows users to modify the program to their needs, check how secure it
is (and implement security upgrades as needed), is fully transparent,
and is pro-social, powered by a dedicated community of developers. If
you use Microsoft 365 at work, consider bringing up with colleagues a
freedom-respecting office suite, such as Libre Office.
"End of 10" to Windows 10 users: The environment wants you to use GNU/Linux
From May 15 by Christine Hall
Installing a free operating system (OS) on a nonfree device is a very
important step towards freedom, but it rarely allows the user to
exercise their freedom to the fullest extent. If someone brings a
device that wasn't developed with freedom in mind and attempts to
install a free OS, oftentimes there will be at least a couple of
things that won't work correctly. This is due to most devices
containing components that won't operate unless the installed OS
contains some nonfree drivers or firmware. While there are ways around
these limitations, such as using a USB adapter for the non-operating
component, it is something to plan for when making the switch from a
nonfree OS to a free one. If you plan to participate in an installfest
in your area, do your best to be informed and share your knowledge
with others about the choices and limitations that come with
installing a free OS on a nonfree device.
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 Libera.Chat and usually include a handful of
regulars as well as newcomers. Libera.Chat is accessible from any IRC
client -- Everyone's welcome!
LibrePlanet featured resource: Group: Hardware/Computers/Laptops
Every month on the LibrePlanet
wiki, we highlight one
resource that is interesting and useful -- often one that could use
your help.
For this month, we are highlighting the Group:
Hardware/Computers/Laptops. This page covers all things laptops,
including laptops that are 100% free, freeable laptops, and laptops
that need to be evaluated on how free they could be. You are invited
to adopt, spread, and improve this important resource.
To download: nearly all GNU software is available most reliably from
https://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/. Optionally, you may find faster download
speeds at a mirror located geographically closer to you by choosing
from the list of mirrors published at
https://www.gnu.org/prep/ftp.html, or you may use
https://ftpmirror.gnu.org/ to be automatically redirected to a
(hopefully) nearby and up-to-date mirror.
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.
Assigning your copyright to the Free Software Foundation helps us
defend the GNU GPL and keep software free. The following individuals
have assigned their copyright to the FSF (and allowed public
appreciation) in the past month:
Giovanni Turco (GCC)
Jannik Hartung (GDB)
Michael James Kalyan (GNU Emacs)
Yuta Urano (GNU Emacs)
Rivulet Cedar (GNU Emacs)
Matthew Tromp (GNU Emacs)
Want to see your name on this list? Contribute to GNU and assign your
copyright to the FSF.
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Take action with the FSF!
Contributions from thousands of individual associate 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
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email to [email protected] with your interest and a list of your
experience and qualifications.
