FSFE, life and all the rest

Installing Debian GNU/Linux on fresh hardware

Mo, 07 Jul 2008 22:00:48 +0200

Installing GNU/Linux on fresh hardware can be challenging. I bought a Medion akoya 10" netbook (MSI Wind U100 platform).

Since then I wanted to install my used distribution, Debian GNU/Linux. After trying the lenny installers, at first I wasn't able to get to it. Kernel 2.6.24 did not support the network card but instead broke the boot process so, after install, I did not have any drives. :(

I reported this install failure and got help so I was able to install a newer, working, kernel.

Thanks to the Debian installer team!

Advocacy for Document Freedom Day goes on!

Fr, 14 Mär 2008 20:26:35 +0100

Now I'm able to raise the flag to make aware of freedom issues with documents:

Thanks to Rainer and the Düsseldorf Fellows, promo material is now sent into the whole world.

FSFE Fellow Sean Daly donates nice banner to FSFE

Mi, 05 Mär 2008 12:16:16 +0100

At FOSDEM, Fellow Sean Daly donated this nice banner to us:

I seized the opportunity to ask him why he supported FSFE:

"I am a Fellow of the Free Software Foundation Europe and an occasional contributor to Groklaw. I support Free Software as a means to bridge the digital divide, build a better society, and create opportunities for everyone. Every one of us can find a way to contribute and make an impact. I myself am not much of a coder beyond
bash and gawk, but I do know about marketing and communications, so when I learned FSFE lacked a rollup banner, I had a nice one made.
When I visited FOSDEM, I was proud to see the new FSFE logo beckoning curious visitors to consult documents about Free Software."

Here you can see the banner in action:

EDIT: Layout improved.

Zweites Fellowship Meeting in Köln (2008-02-19)

Di, 26 Feb 2008 22:30:58 +0100

Am 19. Februar fand endlich das zweite Treffen von Fellows in Köln statt. Wir trafen uns im DIALOG in der Kölner Südstadt.

Themen waren:

Der Artikel von Thomas Richter zur Unterstützung der Community durch Kommunen
Die Vorbereitung des Treffens am Document Freedom Day und der gebührende Empfang der Düsseldorfer Fellows (Ich habe mittlerweile schonmal ein Team Fellowship Rheinland für den Document Freedom Day registriert). Weitere Schritte werden auf der Mailingliste der Fellowship Rheinland koordiniert.

Hier ist auch ein Bild vom Treffen:

Microsoft accuses IBM of OOXML failure

Sa, 02 Feb 2008 08:37:16 +0100

Microsoft whines about IBM playing unfair to them and by doing this admit that OOXML is about pushing it as a "product" securing its profit stream, no more, no less.

I particularly like that quote: "It is war. I am sorry if it is too hard for you."

Letzte-Minute-Erinnerung Fellowship-Meeting Köln

Mo, 17 Dez 2007 14:58:38 +0100

Dies ist nochmal die herzliche Erinnerung an alle Interessierten,
morgen beim Fellowship-Meeting der FSFE vorbeizuschauen!
Ein Thema soll unter anderem sein:
Freie Software und ihre Unterstützung durch Kommunen / Gesellschaft

Thomas Richter aus dem Kreis der Python Users hat hierzu bereits
einen Artikel verfaßt; ich denke, wir sollten hier diskutieren,
in welche Richtung wir hier weiter tätig werden wollen.

Das Treffen findet statt ab 19 Uhr im newthinking store in Köln,
Alteburger Straße 45, 50678 Köln (Nähe Haltestelle Chlodwigplatz).

Viele Grüße
Michael

Erstes Kölner Fellowship Meeting

Do, 29 Nov 2007 16:27:45 +0100

Das erste Kölner Fellowshipmeeting wird am 18. Dezember im Kölner Laden von newthinking stattfinden.

Themen:

Vernetzung von Gruppen, die sich für Freie Software einsetzen und Ideen zur Förderung durch Stadt bzw. Unternehmen
Was Ihr noch vorschlagt

Ich hoffe auf Euer zahlreiches Erscheinen!

Den neuen Harry Potter bestellen und Freie Software unterstützen

Di, 25 Sep 2007 15:16:21 +0200

Bald kommt der letzte Harry Potter auch auf Deutsch. Wer ihn bestellt kann dank Bookzilla.de gleichzeitig Freie Software unterstützen. :)

Fellowship meeting in Bonn

Sa, 03 Feb 2007 12:44:56 +0100

Finally, there will be a fellowship meeting for people in Cologne, Bonn and environment!

It will take place on 2007-02-13, beginning at 18 o'clock in the restaurant/bar Aktuell Nachrichtentreff near Bonn main station.

If you want to come, please drop me a line so I can adjust the reservation.

Everyone in this region, please subscribe to the new Rheinland mailinglist where discussions about projects in our region will take place.

GnuPG has a new logo!

So, 03 Dez 2006 17:11:06 +0100

All subscribers of the gnupg-users and gnupg-devel mailing list had the chance to vote on the new logo of GnuPG.

I had used this chance too, and am very pleased with its result.

You still got the chance to donate some money to the winner, though!

I think GnuPG is a very important piece of software, concerning Freedom as well as Privacy and having a modern logo which represents both is really necessary.

UPDATE: Link corrected, thanks Stefano!

Thanks for hplip, HP!

Do, 30 Nov 2006 19:26:18 +0100

My old printer (multifunction) had to be replaced. I choose an HP one.
Why? Because you can just plug it into your PC and use the Free Software hplip to print most often perfectly and use all possibilites of your printer with Free Software.
It even worked Plug'n'Play with sane and CF and SD disks are mounted instantly!

Draft of GNU FDL, new GNU SFDL at the horizon

Mi, 27 Sep 2006 10:52:05 +0200

There's a new draft of GNU documentation licenses.

While the GPLv3 review process moves towards its end, I'm really surprised to see a draft of the GNU FDL as well as a completely new license, the GNU Simpler Free Documentation License.

There's again the possibility for YOU to read and comment on the draft of FDL and to comment the new SFDL as well.

WOS4

Mo, 18 Sep 2006 14:00:45 +0200

Wizards of OS4 is over and I'm back in my "beloved" work.

Time to make a small resumee:

The booth was quite strange this time, being placed in a really dark hall. (There were some gothic-like bar-women, they fitted perfectly to the environment). Because of this darkness, most people stayed outside and enjoyed the good weather. But having these good-looking T-shirts (and even a spot lamp), we managed to attract a few visitors.

The only talk I attended was about GPLv3 and it was really good although I had read some transcriptions (thanks, Shane!) of earlier GPLv3 conferences before.

Best part was again to meet all those lovely people face to face.

UPDATE: Sorry, all transcriptions I read were made by Ciarán O'Riordan. Thanks Ciarán!