Sparkling gems and new releases from the world of Free and Open Source Software
FOSSPicks
Nate explores the top FOSS including the latest KDE app suite, a secure passphrase generator, a post-apocalyptic roguelike, and an AI-powered tarot card reader.
The Battle for Open Source
The US government contributes a lot to open source development. In 2024, the Tor Project received around half a million dollars, while Let's Encrypt was given roughly $800,000. Traditionally, the funding is done through the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which in turn donates to the Open Technology Fund (OTF).
Unfortunately, the OTF has been the latest casualty of the White House's efficiency drive. In a statement by USAGM executive CEO Kari Lake, the OTF was declared a "huge rot and burden on the American taxpayer" and funding was cut, leading to an ongoing lawsuit.
As I was reading through the comments on this story in the r/linux subreddit, I noted one user had troubled to visit the whitehouse.gov website. Sure enough, it uses SSL certificates supplied by Let's Encrypt, as do a number of other federal agencies. The Tor Project is likewise used by the US Navy, who originally developed the onion routing software TOR uses. The OTF is also a staunch supporter of OpenVPN, a protocol used by people living under repressive regimes to evade censorship.
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Digital Autonomy
• The Answer Was Already on the Shelf
• Changing the Chip Industry: How Public Investment Has Grown Open Silicon
• United Nations Open Source Portal Goes Live
• EU Open Source Strategy Plays Key Role in Tech Sovereignty Package
• France Says “Au Revoir” to Microsoft
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