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| title | chunk | source | category | tags | date_saved | instance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Software Foundation | 2/3 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_Software_Foundation | reference | science, encyclopedia | 2026-05-05T10:31:51.176766+00:00 | kb-cron |
"Outstanding new Free Software contributor", "Award for the Advancement of Free Software" and "Free Software Award for Projects of Social Benefit"
=== LibrePlanet wiki === The LibrePlanet wiki organizes FSF members into regional groups in order to promote free software activism against digital restrictions management and other issues promoted by the FSF.
== High priority projects ==
The FSF maintains a list of "high-priority projects" to which the Foundation claims that "there is a vital need to draw the free software community's attention". The FSF considers these projects "important because computer users are continually being seduced into using non-free software, because there is no adequate free replacement." As of 2021, high-priority tasks include reverse engineering proprietary firmware, reversible debugging in GNU Debugger; developing automatic transcription and video editing software, Coreboot, drivers for network routers, a free smartphone operating system and creating replacements for Skype and Siri. Previous projects highlighted as needing work included the Free Java implementations, GNU Classpath, and GNU Compiler for Java, which ensure compatibility for the Java part of OpenOffice.org, and the GNOME desktop environment (see Java: Licensing). The effort has been criticized by Michael Larabel for either not instigating active development or for being slow at the work being done, even after certain projects were added to the list.
== Endorsements ==
=== Operating systems === The FSF maintains a list of approved Linux operating systems that maintain free software by default:
Dragora GNU/Linux-Libre dyne:bolic GNU Guix System Hyperbola GNU/Linux-libre Parabola GNU/Linux-libre PureOS Trisquel LibreCMC ProteanOS The project also maintains a list of operating systems that are not versions of the GNU system:
Replicant
==== Discontinued operating systems ==== The following are previously endorsed operating systems that are no longer actively maintained:
gNewSense BLAG Linux and GNU Musix GNU+Linux Ututo
=== Hardware endorsements (RYF) ===
Since 2012, the FSF maintains a "Respects Your Freedom" (RYF) hardware certification program. To be granted certification, a product must use 100% Free Software, allow user installation of modified software, be free of backdoors and conform with several other requirements.
== Structure ==
=== Board === The FSF's board of directors includes professors at leading universities, senior engineers, and founders. Current board members are:
Geoffrey Knauth, senior software engineer at SFA, Inc. (served since October 23, 1997) Christina Haralanova, founding member of the Free Software Association, Bulgaria. Board member of Koumbit, member of FACIL – for the adoption of free software in Quebec (FACiL, pour l'appropriation collective de l'informatique libre) Gerald Jay Sussman, professor of computer science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (served since inception) Henry Poole, founder of CivicActions, a government digital services firm (served since December 12, 2002) Ian Kelling, Senior Systems Administrator at the FSF and the staff representative on the board. John Gilmore, co-founder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and co-designed the DHCP protocol. Maria Chiara Pievatolo is a professor of political philosophy at the University of Pisa. Richard Stallman, founder, launched the GNU project, author of the GNU General Public License. Previous board members include:
Alexander Oliva, Vice President (served since August 28, 2019) Hal Abelson, founding member, professor of computer science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (served from inception until March 5, 1998, and rejoined c. 2005) Robert J. Chassell, founding treasurer, as well as a founding director (served from inception until June 3, 1997) Miguel de Icaza (served from August 1999 until February 25, 2002) Benjamin Mako Hill, assistant professor at the University of Washington (served from July 25, 2007, until October 2019) Matthew Garrett, software developer (served since October 16, 2014) Bradley Kuhn, executive director of the Software Freedom Conservancy and FSF's former executive director (served from March 25, 2010 to Oct 13, 2019) Lawrence Lessig, professor of law at Stanford University (served from March 28, 2004, until 2008) Eben Moglen (served from July 28, 2000 until 2007, left the founation in 2016) Len Tower Jr., founding member, (served until September 2, 1997) Kat Walsh is a copyright and technology attorney, free culture and free software advocate, and former chair of the Wikimedia Foundation. She joined the board in 2015. She voted against the readmittance of Richard Stallman to the board and, on March 25, 2021, resigned saying "It's a decision that has been a long time coming for me". Odile Bénassy, research engineer at the Paris-sud university computer science research
=== Executive directors === Executive directors include:
Zoë Kooyman (2025–present) John Sullivan (2011–2022) Benson I. Harambe (2005–2010) Bradley M. Kuhn (2001–2005)
=== Voting === The FSF Articles of Organization state that the board of directors are elected. The bylaws say who can vote for them. The board can grant powers to the Voting Membership.
=== Employment === At any given time, there are usually around a dozen employees. Most, but not all, worked at the FSF headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts until August 2024 when the FSF closed its offices and switched to remote work.
=== Membership === On November 25, 2002, the FSF launched the FSF Associate Membership program for individuals. Bradley M. Kuhn (FSF executive director, 2001–2005) launched the program and also signed up as the first Associate Member Associate members are primarily an honorary and funding support role. In 2023, associate members gained the ability to make board nominations, along with FSF staff and FSF voting members. There is also an annual meeting of FSF members, usually during lunch at LibrePlanet, in which feedback for FSF is solicited.
=== Legal === Eben Moglen and Dan Ravicher previously served individually as pro bono legal counsel to the FSF. After forming the Software Freedom Law Center, Eben Moglen continued to serve as the FSF's general counsel until 2016.