Spreading the FOSS Word
maddog's Doghouse
Even if you aren't a programmer, you can help spread the word about Free and Open Source Software and Hardware.
"How can I help Free Software?" is a question I hear a lot. Many people do not know how to program, and they feel helpless when they want to help Free and Open Source Software (FOSS).
There are many ways to help the Free Culture movement, which includes FOSS, Open Hardware, and Free and Open Data.
The first way is simply to use FOSS. Think about the things you do or want to do, and search the Internet for software that might help you with that work. Search engines are your friend, and just a couple of searches for "thing-that-you-want-to-do" combined with "your-favorite-Free-Software-Operating-System" might find exactly what you need. Yes, you may need to download a few projects to see which one is really the best for your needs, but at least you do not have to pay money for that privilege. You might also have to try several closed-source proprietary software products to find the one you want, and with closed source, "kicking the tires" will cost you both time and money.
After you find the FOSS you like (looking first in your distribution's software repository is a good idea) and after you use that FOSS a little while, you can tell other people about it. This will both help the authors find more users (if no one uses the software, developing it is useless) and build a base of others who may help answer questions about the FOSS in the future. In the old days, we called this movement "birds of a feather" (from the expression "birds of a feather flock together"), and it is about people helping other people to use software in a better way.
There are also levels of "telling other people." Telling your family and friends is a start, but telling your school board or your small business association is another. These are the "birds" that have needs for software and will multiply the number of people using the software and "flocking" by a hundred fold or more. Find out if your school or university has a computer club, and volunteer to give a talk about Free and Open Source Software and Hardware (FOSSH). Yes, that includes topics like the Raspberry Pi or other GNU/Linux-based single-board computers.
Please do not forget talking and writing to your government officials, stressing open access to data that can be used by projects like OpenStreetMap and OpenGIS.
Another way you can help FOSS is by being diligent in reporting software bugs. You might think that developers hate hearing about bugs, but they really want well-written bug reports. Please do not just say that "the software broke." Tell them what version of the software you are using (often in the Help menu), what version of operating system you are on, what architecture you are using (ARM, AMD, etc.), and a detailed description of what happened with the software. Also, before you submit your bug report, scan the existing bug reports to see if the bug was previously reported (it may already be fixed!) and if you can add any information to an already existing bug report.
While I am talking about "bugs," reviewing documentation and giving suggestions on parts of documentation that are confusing or out of date is useful to the project. If you are fluent in different human languages, helping with translations is always appreciated.
Some people have creativity in photography, illustrations, and music. Creating Creative Commons-licensed media for use is also appreciated by FOSSH projects and is fun to use in your own posters and work.
Putting on a FOSSH event or having FOSSH as part of a larger event is another good way to spread the love. You can start small and build it up over time. Even attending an already existing event shows support for the FOSSH community.
Contributing funds to a project is also a way to help. While the software is often free of charge, development systems, Internet fees, and travel to events all cost projects money. Think about what you would have to pay for the software you use, and even a fraction of that money donated to a FOSSH project would help move it forward.
Finally, there is Subutai, a peer-to-peer cloud computing platform. Just by installing Subutai and using it, you generate goodwill that can then be given to projects to help them buy resources such as disk storage, computing power, and other necessary resources. Creating use cases, which Subutai calls blueprints, not only generates goodwill but makes it easier for you to do your work and help others do their work by reusing and improving on your blueprints.
Each contribution you make to Software Freedom and Open Source makes your life and the lives of countless others better.
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Canonical Bumps LTS Support to 12 years
If you're worried that your Ubuntu LTS release won't be supported long enough to last, Canonical has a surprise for you in the form of 12 years of security coverage.
-
Fedora 40 Beta Released Soon
With the official release of Fedora 40 coming in April, it's almost time to download the beta and see what's new.
-
New Pentesting Distribution to Compete with Kali Linux
SnoopGod is now available for your testing needs
-
Juno Computers Launches Another Linux Laptop
If you're looking for a powerhouse laptop that runs Ubuntu, the Juno Computers Neptune 17 v6 should be on your radar.
-
ZorinOS 17.1 Released, Includes Improved Windows App Support
If you need or desire to run Windows applications on Linux, there's one distribution intent on making that easier for you and its new release further improves that feature.
-
Linux Market Share Surpasses 4% for the First Time
Look out Windows and macOS, Linux is on the rise and has even topped ChromeOS to become the fourth most widely used OS around the globe.
-
KDE’s Plasma 6 Officially Available
KDE’s Plasma 6.0 "Megarelease" has happened, and it's brimming with new features, polish, and performance.
-
Latest Version of Tails Unleashed
Tails 6.0 is based on Debian 12 and includes GNOME 43.
-
KDE Announces New Slimbook V with Plenty of Power and KDE’s Plasma 6
If you're a fan of KDE Plasma, you'll be thrilled to hear they've announced a new Slimbook with an AMD CPU and the latest version of KDE Plasma desktop.
-
Monthly Sponsorship Includes Early Access to elementary OS 8
If you want to get a glimpse of what's in the pipeline for elementary OS 8, just set up a monthly sponsorship to help fund its continued existence.