[GNU/FSF Press] FSF updates list of free GNU/Linux distributions, adding Kongoni and announcing the Trisquel 3.0 release

[John Sullivan]

## FSF updates list of free GNU/Linux distributions, adding Kongoni and
   announcing the Trisquel 3.0 release

BOSTON, Massachusetts, USA -- Friday, September 11, 2009 -- The Free
Software Foundation (FSF) today announced updates related to its list
of fully free GNU/Linux distributions, including the addition of one
new distribution called Kongoni, and a milestone release of the
Trisquel system.

Trisquel, which was added to the list last December, has issued its
3.0 release, codenamed "Dwyn." It is the first in a new series of
short term support releases that will be updated every six months with
new software to add features, improved performance, and hardware
compatibility. 

Kongoni, named after the Shona word for "gnu," is based in Africa. For
optimal performance with minimal bandwidth requirements, it uses a
packaging system called "ports" that downloads programs as source and
builds them automatically.

Trisquel, Kongoni, and the other GNU/Linux system distributions on the
FSF's list only include and only propose free software. They reject
nonfree applications, nonfree programming platforms, nonfree
drivers, nonfree firmware "blobs," and any other nonfree software
and documentation. They uphold a commitment to remove any such
components as they are discovered -- a commitment most well-known
GNU/Linux distributions do not follow.

FSF operations manager John Sullivan said, "It's very encouraging to
see this list continuing to increase in both quality and quantity.
While others continue to propagate the outdated claim that it's too
hard or not possible to make distributions without proprietary binary
firmware and other nonfree programs, free software activists and
developers working on projects like Kongoni and Trisquel continue to
prove them wrong."

Both Trisquel and Kongoni are calling for more contributors to help.
Trisquel is seeking mirrors, package maintainers, beta testers,
translators, and documentation writers. Kongoni is looking for people
to help with publicity, and writing new package ports. More
information about using and contributing to Trisquel and Kongoni can
be found at their respective Web sites, <http://trisquel.info/> and
<http://kongoni.co.za/>.

The FSF's guidelines for free system distributions are online at
<http://www.gnu.org/distros/free-system-distribution-guidelines.html>,
and the distributions committed to those guidelines are listed at
<http://www.gnu.org/distros/free-distros.html>.

### About the Free Software Foundation

The Free Software Foundation, founded in 1985, is dedicated to promoting
computer users' right to use, study, copy, modify, and redistribute computer
programs. The FSF promotes the development and use of free (as in freedom)
software -- particularly the GNU operating system and its GNU/Linux variants --
and free documentation for free software. The FSF also helps to spread
awareness of the ethical and political issues of freedom in the use of
software, and its Web sites, located at fsf.org and gnu.org, are an important
source of information about GNU/Linux. Donations to support the FSF's work can
be made at <http://donate.fsf.org>. Its headquarters are in Boston, MA, USA.

### About Free Software and Open Source

The free software movement's goal is freedom for computer users. Some,
especially corporations, advocate a different viewpoint, known as "open
source," which cites only practical goals such as making software powerful and
reliable, focuses on development models, and avoids discussion of ethics and
freedom. These two viewpoints are different at the deepest level. For more
explanation, see
<http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html>.

### About the GNU Operating System and Linux

Richard Stallman announced in September 1983 the plan to develop a free
software Unix-like operating system called GNU. GNU is the only operating
system developed specifically for the sake of users' freedom. See
<http://www.gnu.org/gnu/the-gnu-project.html>.

In 1992, the essential components of GNU were complete, except for one, the
kernel. When in 1992 the kernel Linux was re-released under the GNU GPL, making
it free software, the combination of GNU and Linux formed a complete free
operating system, which made it possible for the first time to run a PC without
nonfree software. This combination is the GNU/Linux system. For more
explanation, see <http://www.gnu.org/gnu/gnu-linux-faq.html>.

### Media Contacts

John Sullivan  
Operations Manager  
Free Software Foundation  
+1 (617) 542 5942  
<address@hidden>  

 ###