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Welcome to the *Free Software Supporter*, the Free Software Foundation's (FSF) monthly news digest and action update — being read by you and 234,203 other activists.
## TABLE OF CONTENTS
* November FSF40 challenge: Participate in the FSF40 hackathon on November 21-23 * FSF announces Librephone project * FSF turns forty with a groundbreaking new project and a new president * Windows 10 sunsetting doesn't mean the end for your PC * FSF confirms Ian Kelling as its new president * The FSFE defends interoperability from Apple at the EU’s highest court * PERA remains a serious threat to efforts against bad patents * Germany slams brakes on EU's Chat Control device-scanning snoopfest * October GNU Emacs news * Join the FSF and friends in updating the Free Software Directory * LibrePlanet featured resource: Group: FSF:Tech Team Volunteers * October GNU Spotlight with Amin Bandali featuring nine new GNU releases: GNUnet, Marst, and more! * FSF and other free software events * Thank GNUs! * GNU copyright contributions * Translations of the *Free Software Supporter* * Take action with the FSF!
View this issue online here: .
Encourage your friends to subscribe and help us build an audience by adding our subscriber widget to your website.
* Subscribe: * Widget:
Miss an issue? You can catch up on back issues at .
Want to read this newsletter translated into another language? Scroll to the end to read the *Supporter* in French or Spanish.
***
### November FSF40 challenge: Participate in the FSF40 hackathon on November 21-23
Every month during our fortieth anniversary year, we're inviting free software supporters everywhere to join us in celebrating #FSF40. For our second-to-last FSF40 challenge, take part in the FSF40 hackathon that will be held on November 21-23, 2025. You don't have to have experience programming (but we certainly welcome that experience if you do). Help develop any of the eight participating projects and learn from others in the free software community. If you can't take part in this #FSF40Challenge, fear not—we've got one more coming.
The FSF is tackling mobile phone freedom with its newest project, Librephone. This project will not build a mobile phone operating system from scratch. It is a long-term project to better understand and reverse-engineer the nonfree blobs used by virtually all SoCs made today, as well as lay further groundwork for the future of freedom in mobile phones. You can stay informed by joining #librephone on the Libera.Chat IRC server. All information about Librephone will be posted on its homepage, so don't forget to bookmark it!
* * *
### FSF turns forty with a groundbreaking new project and a new president
*From October 4*
The FSF's birthday began with a conversation between board members Christina Haralanova, Gerald J. Sussman, Ian Kelling, and Richard M. Stallman, who discussed the organization's mission and their vision for its future. It was during this discussion that Ian Kelling was presented as the new FSF president. The announcement of Kelling's presidency wasn't the only major change shared at FSF40: FSF executive director Zoë Kooyman introduced the organization's newest project — Librephone. You can read more about the FSF40 anniversary event in the article below.
*
### Windows 10 sunsetting doesn't mean the end for your PC
*From October 9*
For those of you with computers running Windows 10, you may have noticed a wide variety of issues when your computer attempted the forced update to Windows 11 (if your hardware was even compatible). This isn't the first time that Microsoft has worked to control users, nor will it be the last. The end of Windows 10 support is the perfect opportunity to stop this cycle in its tracks and switch to a freedom-respecting GNU/Linux operating system (OS). There are quite a few FSF-approved free GNU/Linux distributions that you can switch to, many with helpful tutorials online. Give one of them a try if you're not yet running a free OS — you always have the freedom to return to an OS that seeks to take from you.
*
### FSF confirms Ian Kelling as its new president
*From October 2*
The FSF has a new president! Ian Kelling, board member since 2021 and FSF senior systems administrator since 2017, brings a wealth of experience to the position. As noted by the board, "... He has the technical knowledge to speak with authority on most free software issues, and he has a strong connection with the community as an active speaker and blogger." Learn more about the FSF's new president in the article below and keep an eye out for an exclusive interview with Kelling in the upcoming *Bulletin*.
*
### The FSFE defends interoperability from Apple at the EU’s highest court
*From October 21 by Free Software Foundation Europe*
In mid-October, the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) participated as an intervenor in the landmark *Apple v. European Commission* (T-1080/23) hearing before the Court of Justice of the European Union. The case could shape the future of Europe’s digital freedom by determining whether the Digital Markets Act (DMA) truly delivers on its promise of interoperability and user choice. The DMA imposes several freedom-granting obligations on corporations like Apple, including allowing the right to install and uninstall software in devices, prohibition of non-removable pre-installed software, and enabling third-party app stores and access rights via interoperability with software and hardware functions. A decision hasn't been announced yet, so keep an eye out for updates on this important case.
* *
### PERA remains a serious threat to efforts against bad patents
*From October 9 by Katharine Trendacosta*
The Patent Eligibility Restoration Act (PERA), which is being considered by the US Senate Judiciary Committee, would reverse over a decade of progress in fighting patent trolls, effectively making obtaining software patents even easier than before. PERA, should it pass, would overturn long-standing court decisions that have helped keep some of the most problematic patents in check, and instead introduce codified criteria that would enable broad software patents — allowing anyone to assert ownership over abstract software ideas. The current protections in US patent law are essential for our work to end software patents, and without them, software freedom is at greater risk. If you reside in the US, please call, email, or write to your Senator.
* *
### Germany slams brakes on EU's Chat Control device-scanning snoopfest
*From October 8 by Connor Jones*
Germany has committed to opposing the EU's controversial "Chat Control" regulations following huge pressure from multiple activists and major organizations. Under the guise of protecting children, Chat Control proposals would require mass scanning of every message, photo, and video on a person's device (including encrypted materials), assessing via a government-mandated database or machine learning model to determine whether the content is permissible or not. In other words, should Chat Control regulations pass, it would effectively make available all communications from individual activists to government officials. If you are an EU citizen, contact your Member of the European Parliament (MEP) with your concerns about this dangerous proposal.
* *
### October GNU Emacs news
*From October 31 by Sacha Chua*
In these issues: Disproject v2.2.0 release, Emacs for writers, and more!
### 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!
The next meeting is this Friday, November 7 from 12:00 to 15:00 EST (17:00 to 20:00 UTC). Details here:
*
### LibrePlanet featured resource: Group: FSF:Tech Team Volunteers
Every month on the LibrePlanet, we highlight one resource that is interesting and useful—often one that could use your help. For this month, we are highlighting Group: FSF:Tech Team Volunteers. The FSF tech team wants your help! The FSF Tech Team consists of two full-time staff members (plus an intern or two sometimes). Along with teams of volunteers (such as the Savannah hackers and the GNU webmasters), we maintain and improve the infrastructure and services that power the free software movement. Starting in 2023, our small team began steps to increase the number and types of tasks that we can accept volunteer help with. Whether you have a few hours a week or a few hours every couple of months, please read on and consider joining in! You are invited to help update, adopt, spread, and improve this important resource.
* *
Do you have a suggestion for next month's featured resource? Let us know at .
### October GNU Spotlight with Amin Bandali featuring nine new GNU releases: GNUnet, Marst, and more!
Nine new GNU releases in the last month (as of October 31, 2025):
For announcements of most new GNU releases, subscribe to the info-gnu mailing list: .
To download: nearly all GNU software is available most reliably from . Optionally, you may find faster download speeds at a mirror located geographically closer to you by choosing from the list of mirrors published at , or you may use to be automatically redirected to a (hopefully) nearby and up-to-date mirror.
A number of GNU packages, as well as the GNU operating system as a whole, are looking for maintainers and other assistance. Please see if you'd like to help. The general page on how to help GNU is at .
If you have a working or partly working program that you'd like to offer to the GNU project as a GNU package, see .
As always, please feel free to write to me, , with any GNUish questions or suggestions for future installments.
### FSF and other free software events
* November 7-8, 2025, Seattle, Washington, United States, [SeaGL](https://pretalx.seagl.org/2025/) * November 21-23, 2025, online, [FSF hackathon](https://my.fsf.org/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=134)
### Thank GNUs!
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.
*
This month, a big Thank GNU to:
* Alexander Krylkov * Amit Behera * C Terrell Prudé II * Gus Lawlor-Ralph * Jason Penniman * Josie Baker * Mark Driscoll * Matias Atria * Nahuel Sacchetti * Pablo González Otero * Paul Reilly * Raffael Golomingi * Sydian Garlathy
You can add your name to this list by donating at .
### GNU copyright contributions
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:
* Alvin Hsu (GNU Emacs) * Mathieu Borderé (GNU Coreutils) * Rob Savoye (Librephone) * Roger Bowler (GNUCOBOL) * Vivien Kraus (glibc, GNUlib)
Want to see your name on this list? Contribute to GNU and assign your copyright to the FSF.
*
### Translations of the *Free Software Supporter*
El *Free Software Supporter* está disponible en español. Para ver la versión en español haz click aquí:
**Para cambiar las preferencias de usuario y recibir los próximos números del *Supporter* en español, haz click aquí:**
Le *Free Software Supporter* est disponible en français. Pour voir la version française cliquez ici:
**Pour modifier vos préférences et recevoir les prochaines publications du *Supporter* en français, cliquez ici:**
If you no longer wish to receive the *Free Software Supporter* in English (but still receive other communications in English), you can opt out [here][7].
[7]: https://my.fsf.org/node/75
### Take action with the FSF!
Contributions from thousands of individual associate members enable the FSF's work. You can contribute by joining at . If you're already a member, you can help refer new members by adding a line with your member number to your email signature like:
> I'm an FSF member — Help us support software freedom! >
The FSF is always looking for [volunteers](https://www.fsf.org/volunteer). From rabble-rousing to hacking, from issue coordination to envelope stuffing — there's something here for everybody to do. Also, head over to our [campaigns section](https://www.fsf.org/campaigns) and [take action on software patents](https://endsoftwarepatents.org/), [Digital Restrictions Management](https://www.defectivebydesign.org/), [free software adoption](https://libreplanet.org/wiki/Group:Freedom_Ladder), [OpenDocument](https://www.fsf.org/campaigns/opendocument/download), and more.
**Do you read and write Portuguese and English?** The FSF is looking for translators for the *Free Software Supporter*. Please send an email to with your interest and a list of your experience and qualifications. -- Interested in helping us expand our reach?
* Follow us on Mastodon at and PeerTube at , showing your support for federated social networks. * Get active on the LibrePlanet wiki: . * Share on your blog or [social network](https://www.fsf.org/share) that you support us, and why you do so. * Subscribe to our RSS feeds: . * Join us as an associate member: ; and display your membership button () on your website.
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Welcome to the Free Software Supporter, the Free Software Foundation's (FSF) monthly news digest and action update — being read by you and 234,203 other activists.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
November FSF40 challenge: Participate in the FSF40 hackathon on November 21-23
FSF announces Librephone project
FSF turns forty with a groundbreaking new project and a new president
Windows 10 sunsetting doesn't mean the end for your PC
FSF confirms Ian Kelling as its new president
The FSFE defends interoperability from Apple at the EU’s highest court
PERA remains a serious threat to efforts against bad patents
Germany slams brakes on EU's Chat Control device-scanning snoopfest
October GNU Emacs news
Join the FSF and friends in updating the Free Software Directory
LibrePlanet featured resource: Group: FSF:Tech Team Volunteers
October GNU Spotlight with Amin Bandali featuring nine new GNU releases: GNUnet, Marst, and more!
Want to read this newsletter translated into another language? Scroll to the end to read the Supporter in French or Spanish.
November FSF40 challenge: Participate in the FSF40 hackathon on November 21-23
Every month during our fortieth anniversary year, we're inviting free software supporters everywhere to join us in celebrating #FSF40. For our second-to-last FSF40 challenge, take part in the FSF40 hackathon that will be held on November 21-23, 2025. You don't have to have experience programming (but we certainly welcome that experience if you do). Help develop any of the eight participating projects and learn from others in the free software community. If you can't take part in this #FSF40Challenge, fear not—we've got one more coming.
The FSF is tackling mobile phone freedom with its newest project, Librephone. This project will not build a mobile phone operating system from scratch. It is a long-term project to better understand and reverse-engineer the nonfree blobs used by virtually all SoCs made today, as well as lay further groundwork for the future of freedom in mobile phones. You can stay informed by joining #librephone on the Libera.Chat IRC server. All information about Librephone will be posted on its homepage, so don't forget to bookmark it!
FSF turns forty with a groundbreaking new project and a new president
From October 4
The FSF's birthday began with a conversation between board members Christina Haralanova, Gerald J. Sussman, Ian Kelling, and Richard M. Stallman, who discussed the organization's mission and their vision for its future. It was during this discussion that Ian Kelling was presented as the new FSF president. The announcement of Kelling's presidency wasn't the only major change shared at FSF40: FSF executive director Zoë Kooyman introduced the organization's newest project — Librephone. You can read more about the FSF40 anniversary event in the article below.
Windows 10 sunsetting doesn't mean the end for your PC
From October 9
For those of you with computers running Windows 10, you may have noticed a wide variety of issues when your computer attempted the forced update to Windows 11 (if your hardware was even compatible). This isn't the first time that Microsoft has worked to control users, nor will it be the last. The end of Windows 10 support is the perfect opportunity to stop this cycle in its tracks and switch to a freedom-respecting GNU/Linux operating system (OS). There are quite a few FSF-approved free GNU/Linux distributions that you can switch to, many with helpful tutorials online. Give one of them a try if you're not yet running a free OS — you always have the freedom to return to an OS that seeks to take from you.
The FSF has a new president! Ian Kelling, board member since 2021 and FSF senior systems administrator since 2017, brings a wealth of experience to the position. As noted by the board, "... He has the technical knowledge to speak with authority on most free software issues, and he has a strong connection with the community as an active speaker and blogger." Learn more about the FSF's new president in the article below and keep an eye out for an exclusive interview with Kelling in the upcoming Bulletin.
The FSFE defends interoperability from Apple at the EU’s highest court
From October 21 by Free Software Foundation Europe
In mid-October, the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) participated as an intervenor in the landmark Apple v. European Commission (T-1080/23) hearing before the Court of Justice of the European Union. The case could shape the future of Europe’s digital freedom by determining whether the Digital Markets Act (DMA) truly delivers on its promise of interoperability and user choice. The DMA imposes several freedom-granting obligations on corporations like Apple, including allowing the right to install and uninstall software in devices, prohibition of non-removable pre-installed software, and enabling third-party app stores and access rights via interoperability with software and hardware functions. A decision hasn't been announced yet, so keep an eye out for updates on this important case.
PERA remains a serious threat to efforts against bad patents
From October 9 by Katharine Trendacosta
The Patent Eligibility Restoration Act (PERA), which is being considered by the US Senate Judiciary Committee, would reverse over a decade of progress in fighting patent trolls, effectively making obtaining software patents even easier than before. PERA, should it pass, would overturn long-standing court decisions that have helped keep some of the most problematic patents in check, and instead introduce codified criteria that would enable broad software patents — allowing anyone to assert ownership over abstract software ideas. The current protections in US patent law are essential for our work to end software patents, and without them, software freedom is at greater risk. If you reside in the US, please call, email, or write to your Senator.
Germany slams brakes on EU's Chat Control device-scanning snoopfest
From October 8 by Connor Jones
Germany has committed to opposing the EU's controversial "Chat Control" regulations following huge pressure from multiple activists and major organizations. Under the guise of protecting children, Chat Control proposals would require mass scanning of every message, photo, and video on a person's device (including encrypted materials), assessing via a government-mandated database or machine learning model to determine whether the content is permissible or not. In other words, should Chat Control regulations pass, it would effectively make available all communications from individual activists to government officials. If you are an EU citizen, contact your Member of the European Parliament (MEP) with your concerns about this dangerous proposal.
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: FSF:Tech Team Volunteers
Every month on the LibrePlanet, we highlight one resource that is interesting and useful—often one that could use your help. For this month, we are highlighting Group: FSF:Tech Team Volunteers. The FSF tech team wants your help! The FSF Tech Team consists of two full-time staff members (plus an intern or two sometimes). Along with teams of volunteers (such as the Savannah hackers and the GNU webmasters), we maintain and improve the infrastructure and services that power the free software movement. Starting in 2023, our small team began steps to increase the number and types of tasks that we can accept volunteer help with. Whether you have a few hours a week or a few hours every couple of months, please read on and consider joining in! You are invited to help update, 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:
Alvin Hsu (GNU Emacs)
Mathieu Borderé (GNU Coreutils)
Rob Savoye (Librephone)
Roger Bowler (GNUCOBOL)
Vivien Kraus (glibc, GNUlib)
Want to see your name on this list? Contribute to GNU and assign your copyright to the FSF.
If you no longer wish to receive the Free Software Supporter in English (but still receive other communications in English), you can opt out here.
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 refer new members by adding a line with your member number to your email signature like:
Do you read and write Portuguese and English? The FSF is looking for translators for the Free Software Supporter. Please send an email to campaigns@fsf.org with your interest and a list of your experience and qualifications.
*Please consider adding to your address book, which will ensure that our messages reach you and not your spam box.*
*Read and share online: .*
Welcome to the *Free Software Supporter*, the Free Software Foundation's (FSF) monthly news digest and action update — being read by you and 234,203 other activists.
## TABLE OF CONTENTS
* November FSF40 challenge: Participate in the FSF40 hackathon on November 21-23 * FSF announces Librephone project * FSF turns forty with a groundbreaking new project and a new president * Windows 10 sunsetting doesn't mean the end for your PC * FSF confirms Ian Kelling as its new president * The FSFE defends interoperability from Apple at the EU’s highest court * PERA remains a serious threat to efforts against bad patents * Germany slams brakes on EU's Chat Control device-scanning snoopfest * October GNU Emacs news * Join the FSF and friends in updating the Free Software Directory * LibrePlanet featured resource: Group: FSF:Tech Team Volunteers * October GNU Spotlight with Amin Bandali featuring nine new GNU releases: GNUnet, Marst, and more! * FSF and other free software events * Thank GNUs! * GNU copyright contributions * Translations of the *Free Software Supporter* * Take action with the FSF!
View this issue online here: .
Encourage your friends to subscribe and help us build an audience by adding our subscriber widget to your website.
* Subscribe: * Widget:
Miss an issue? You can catch up on back issues at .
Want to read this newsletter translated into another language? Scroll to the end to read the *Supporter* in French or Spanish.
***
### November FSF40 challenge: Participate in the FSF40 hackathon on November 21-23
Every month during our fortieth anniversary year, we're inviting free software supporters everywhere to join us in celebrating #FSF40. For our second-to-last FSF40 challenge, take part in the FSF40 hackathon that will be held on November 21-23, 2025. You don't have to have experience programming (but we certainly welcome that experience if you do). Help develop any of the eight participating projects and learn from others in the free software community. If you can't take part in this #FSF40Challenge, fear not—we've got one more coming.
The FSF is tackling mobile phone freedom with its newest project, Librephone. This project will not build a mobile phone operating system from scratch. It is a long-term project to better understand and reverse-engineer the nonfree blobs used by virtually all SoCs made today, as well as lay further groundwork for the future of freedom in mobile phones. You can stay informed by joining #librephone on the Libera.Chat IRC server. All information about Librephone will be posted on its homepage, so don't forget to bookmark it!
* * *
### FSF turns forty with a groundbreaking new project and a new president
*From October 4*
The FSF's birthday began with a conversation between board members Christina Haralanova, Gerald J. Sussman, Ian Kelling, and Richard M. Stallman, who discussed the organization's mission and their vision for its future. It was during this discussion that Ian Kelling was presented as the new FSF president. The announcement of Kelling's presidency wasn't the only major change shared at FSF40: FSF executive director Zoë Kooyman introduced the organization's newest project — Librephone. You can read more about the FSF40 anniversary event in the article below.
*
### Windows 10 sunsetting doesn't mean the end for your PC
*From October 9*
For those of you with computers running Windows 10, you may have noticed a wide variety of issues when your computer attempted the forced update to Windows 11 (if your hardware was even compatible). This isn't the first time that Microsoft has worked to control users, nor will it be the last. The end of Windows 10 support is the perfect opportunity to stop this cycle in its tracks and switch to a freedom-respecting GNU/Linux operating system (OS). There are quite a few FSF-approved free GNU/Linux distributions that you can switch to, many with helpful tutorials online. Give one of them a try if you're not yet running a free OS — you always have the freedom to return to an OS that seeks to take from you.
*
### FSF confirms Ian Kelling as its new president
*From October 2*
The FSF has a new president! Ian Kelling, board member since 2021 and FSF senior systems administrator since 2017, brings a wealth of experience to the position. As noted by the board, "... He has the technical knowledge to speak with authority on most free software issues, and he has a strong connection with the community as an active speaker and blogger." Learn more about the FSF's new president in the article below and keep an eye out for an exclusive interview with Kelling in the upcoming *Bulletin*.
*
### The FSFE defends interoperability from Apple at the EU’s highest court
*From October 21 by Free Software Foundation Europe*
In mid-October, the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) participated as an intervenor in the landmark *Apple v. European Commission* (T-1080/23) hearing before the Court of Justice of the European Union. The case could shape the future of Europe’s digital freedom by determining whether the Digital Markets Act (DMA) truly delivers on its promise of interoperability and user choice. The DMA imposes several freedom-granting obligations on corporations like Apple, including allowing the right to install and uninstall software in devices, prohibition of non-removable pre-installed software, and enabling third-party app stores and access rights via interoperability with software and hardware functions. A decision hasn't been announced yet, so keep an eye out for updates on this important case.
* *
### PERA remains a serious threat to efforts against bad patents
*From October 9 by Katharine Trendacosta*
The Patent Eligibility Restoration Act (PERA), which is being considered by the US Senate Judiciary Committee, would reverse over a decade of progress in fighting patent trolls, effectively making obtaining software patents even easier than before. PERA, should it pass, would overturn long-standing court decisions that have helped keep some of the most problematic patents in check, and instead introduce codified criteria that would enable broad software patents — allowing anyone to assert ownership over abstract software ideas. The current protections in US patent law are essential for our work to end software patents, and without them, software freedom is at greater risk. If you reside in the US, please call, email, or write to your Senator.
* *
### Germany slams brakes on EU's Chat Control device-scanning snoopfest
*From October 8 by Connor Jones*
Germany has committed to opposing the EU's controversial "Chat Control" regulations following huge pressure from multiple activists and major organizations. Under the guise of protecting children, Chat Control proposals would require mass scanning of every message, photo, and video on a person's device (including encrypted materials), assessing via a government-mandated database or machine learning model to determine whether the content is permissible or not. In other words, should Chat Control regulations pass, it would effectively make available all communications from individual activists to government officials. If you are an EU citizen, contact your Member of the European Parliament (MEP) with your concerns about this dangerous proposal.
* *
### October GNU Emacs news
*From October 31 by Sacha Chua*
In these issues: Disproject v2.2.0 release, Emacs for writers, and more!
### 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!
The next meeting is this Friday, November 7 from 12:00 to 15:00 EST (17:00 to 20:00 UTC). Details here:
*
### LibrePlanet featured resource: Group: FSF:Tech Team Volunteers
Every month on the LibrePlanet, we highlight one resource that is interesting and useful—often one that could use your help. For this month, we are highlighting Group: FSF:Tech Team Volunteers. The FSF tech team wants your help! The FSF Tech Team consists of two full-time staff members (plus an intern or two sometimes). Along with teams of volunteers (such as the Savannah hackers and the GNU webmasters), we maintain and improve the infrastructure and services that power the free software movement. Starting in 2023, our small team began steps to increase the number and types of tasks that we can accept volunteer help with. Whether you have a few hours a week or a few hours every couple of months, please read on and consider joining in! You are invited to help update, adopt, spread, and improve this important resource.
* *
Do you have a suggestion for next month's featured resource? Let us know at .
### October GNU Spotlight with Amin Bandali featuring nine new GNU releases: GNUnet, Marst, and more!
Nine new GNU releases in the last month (as of October 31, 2025):
For announcements of most new GNU releases, subscribe to the info-gnu mailing list: .
To download: nearly all GNU software is available most reliably from . Optionally, you may find faster download speeds at a mirror located geographically closer to you by choosing from the list of mirrors published at , or you may use to be automatically redirected to a (hopefully) nearby and up-to-date mirror.
A number of GNU packages, as well as the GNU operating system as a whole, are looking for maintainers and other assistance. Please see if you'd like to help. The general page on how to help GNU is at .
If you have a working or partly working program that you'd like to offer to the GNU project as a GNU package, see .
As always, please feel free to write to me, , with any GNUish questions or suggestions for future installments.
### FSF and other free software events
* November 7-8, 2025, Seattle, Washington, United States, [SeaGL](https://pretalx.seagl.org/2025/) * November 21-23, 2025, online, [FSF hackathon](https://my.fsf.org/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=134)
### Thank GNUs!
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.
*
This month, a big Thank GNU to:
* Alexander Krylkov * Amit Behera * C Terrell Prudé II * Gus Lawlor-Ralph * Jason Penniman * Josie Baker * Mark Driscoll * Matias Atria * Nahuel Sacchetti * Pablo González Otero * Paul Reilly * Raffael Golomingi * Sydian Garlathy
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### GNU copyright contributions
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:
* Alvin Hsu (GNU Emacs) * Mathieu Borderé (GNU Coreutils) * Rob Savoye (Librephone) * Roger Bowler (GNUCOBOL) * Vivien Kraus (glibc, GNUlib)
Want to see your name on this list? Contribute to GNU and assign your copyright to the FSF.
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Welcome to the Free Software Supporter, the Free Software Foundation's (FSF) monthly news digest and action update — being read by you and 234,203 other activists.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
November FSF40 challenge: Participate in the FSF40 hackathon on November 21-23
FSF announces Librephone project
FSF turns forty with a groundbreaking new project and a new president
Windows 10 sunsetting doesn't mean the end for your PC
FSF confirms Ian Kelling as its new president
The FSFE defends interoperability from Apple at the EU’s highest court
PERA remains a serious threat to efforts against bad patents
Germany slams brakes on EU's Chat Control device-scanning snoopfest
October GNU Emacs news
Join the FSF and friends in updating the Free Software Directory
LibrePlanet featured resource: Group: FSF:Tech Team Volunteers
October GNU Spotlight with Amin Bandali featuring nine new GNU releases: GNUnet, Marst, and more!
Want to read this newsletter translated into another language? Scroll to the end to read the Supporter in French or Spanish.
November FSF40 challenge: Participate in the FSF40 hackathon on November 21-23
Every month during our fortieth anniversary year, we're inviting free software supporters everywhere to join us in celebrating #FSF40. For our second-to-last FSF40 challenge, take part in the FSF40 hackathon that will be held on November 21-23, 2025. You don't have to have experience programming (but we certainly welcome that experience if you do). Help develop any of the eight participating projects and learn from others in the free software community. If you can't take part in this #FSF40Challenge, fear not—we've got one more coming.
The FSF is tackling mobile phone freedom with its newest project, Librephone. This project will not build a mobile phone operating system from scratch. It is a long-term project to better understand and reverse-engineer the nonfree blobs used by virtually all SoCs made today, as well as lay further groundwork for the future of freedom in mobile phones. You can stay informed by joining #librephone on the Libera.Chat IRC server. All information about Librephone will be posted on its homepage, so don't forget to bookmark it!
FSF turns forty with a groundbreaking new project and a new president
From October 4
The FSF's birthday began with a conversation between board members Christina Haralanova, Gerald J. Sussman, Ian Kelling, and Richard M. Stallman, who discussed the organization's mission and their vision for its future. It was during this discussion that Ian Kelling was presented as the new FSF president. The announcement of Kelling's presidency wasn't the only major change shared at FSF40: FSF executive director Zoë Kooyman introduced the organization's newest project — Librephone. You can read more about the FSF40 anniversary event in the article below.
Windows 10 sunsetting doesn't mean the end for your PC
From October 9
For those of you with computers running Windows 10, you may have noticed a wide variety of issues when your computer attempted the forced update to Windows 11 (if your hardware was even compatible). This isn't the first time that Microsoft has worked to control users, nor will it be the last. The end of Windows 10 support is the perfect opportunity to stop this cycle in its tracks and switch to a freedom-respecting GNU/Linux operating system (OS). There are quite a few FSF-approved free GNU/Linux distributions that you can switch to, many with helpful tutorials online. Give one of them a try if you're not yet running a free OS — you always have the freedom to return to an OS that seeks to take from you.
The FSF has a new president! Ian Kelling, board member since 2021 and FSF senior systems administrator since 2017, brings a wealth of experience to the position. As noted by the board, "... He has the technical knowledge to speak with authority on most free software issues, and he has a strong connection with the community as an active speaker and blogger." Learn more about the FSF's new president in the article below and keep an eye out for an exclusive interview with Kelling in the upcoming Bulletin.
The FSFE defends interoperability from Apple at the EU’s highest court
From October 21 by Free Software Foundation Europe
In mid-October, the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) participated as an intervenor in the landmark Apple v. European Commission (T-1080/23) hearing before the Court of Justice of the European Union. The case could shape the future of Europe’s digital freedom by determining whether the Digital Markets Act (DMA) truly delivers on its promise of interoperability and user choice. The DMA imposes several freedom-granting obligations on corporations like Apple, including allowing the right to install and uninstall software in devices, prohibition of non-removable pre-installed software, and enabling third-party app stores and access rights via interoperability with software and hardware functions. A decision hasn't been announced yet, so keep an eye out for updates on this important case.
PERA remains a serious threat to efforts against bad patents
From October 9 by Katharine Trendacosta
The Patent Eligibility Restoration Act (PERA), which is being considered by the US Senate Judiciary Committee, would reverse over a decade of progress in fighting patent trolls, effectively making obtaining software patents even easier than before. PERA, should it pass, would overturn long-standing court decisions that have helped keep some of the most problematic patents in check, and instead introduce codified criteria that would enable broad software patents — allowing anyone to assert ownership over abstract software ideas. The current protections in US patent law are essential for our work to end software patents, and without them, software freedom is at greater risk. If you reside in the US, please call, email, or write to your Senator.
Germany slams brakes on EU's Chat Control device-scanning snoopfest
From October 8 by Connor Jones
Germany has committed to opposing the EU's controversial "Chat Control" regulations following huge pressure from multiple activists and major organizations. Under the guise of protecting children, Chat Control proposals would require mass scanning of every message, photo, and video on a person's device (including encrypted materials), assessing via a government-mandated database or machine learning model to determine whether the content is permissible or not. In other words, should Chat Control regulations pass, it would effectively make available all communications from individual activists to government officials. If you are an EU citizen, contact your Member of the European Parliament (MEP) with your concerns about this dangerous proposal.
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: FSF:Tech Team Volunteers
Every month on the LibrePlanet, we highlight one resource that is interesting and useful—often one that could use your help. For this month, we are highlighting Group: FSF:Tech Team Volunteers. The FSF tech team wants your help! The FSF Tech Team consists of two full-time staff members (plus an intern or two sometimes). Along with teams of volunteers (such as the Savannah hackers and the GNU webmasters), we maintain and improve the infrastructure and services that power the free software movement. Starting in 2023, our small team began steps to increase the number and types of tasks that we can accept volunteer help with. Whether you have a few hours a week or a few hours every couple of months, please read on and consider joining in! You are invited to help update, 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:
Alvin Hsu (GNU Emacs)
Mathieu Borderé (GNU Coreutils)
Rob Savoye (Librephone)
Roger Bowler (GNUCOBOL)
Vivien Kraus (glibc, GNUlib)
Want to see your name on this list? Contribute to GNU and assign your copyright to the FSF.
If you no longer wish to receive the Free Software Supporter in English (but still receive other communications in English), you can opt out here.
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 refer new members by adding a line with your member number to your email signature like:
Do you read and write Portuguese and English? The FSF is looking for translators for the Free Software Supporter. Please send an email to campaigns@fsf.org with your interest and a list of your experience and qualifications.
