free software community

Digital artist Sylvia Ritter has unveiled a colourful stingray illustration titled 'Stonking Stingray', painted over the course of a month using Krita, Blender and a touch of GIMP. The piece takes its name from the Ubuntu 26.10 release codename, which is scheduled for release on 15 October. Ritter has a long history of creating Ubuntu wallpaper art, and the new work is drawing warm reactions from free software and art communities.

System76's COSMIC desktop environment has reached version 1.10, adding the ability to map drawing tablets to specific displays alongside numerous other changes. The release is being shared across the free and open source software community, where users of Linux-based systems follow the Rust-based desktop's development closely as it matures toward its stable release.

A meme tagged around free and open source software is spreading among coders and developers on decentralized social networks, drawing attention from the wider tech community. The joke touches on everyday themes of open source software work, and users in tech circles are sharing and amplifying it as part of ongoing lighthearted banter about developer and internet culture.

Korean software developer community commentary is recommending Laya, an open-source tool positioned as a free alternative to Jev. The discussion walks through how to use Laya in place of the paid product, and the recommendation is drawing strong engagement, suggesting interest in open-source options over proprietary software is growing among developers.

Keypunch, a typing practice app available through the GNOME app catalog, is being promoted as a free and open-source tool for improving typing speed. Its developers highlight that it contains no ads and no tracking, and is built specifically for typing practice. Users in the free software community are sharing and recommending it as a polished, privacy-friendly option.

Developer Daniel Brendel has released SayTextChat, a free, open-source and self-hostable chat application whose motto is 'Chat like you're playing CS 1.6 again.' The app revives the retro feel of early 2000s in-game text chat, and the developer shared it alongside its source code on GitHub, inviting the self-hosting and open-source community to try it out and give feedback.

Hostsharing has released a new edition of its handbook 'Freie Software im Verein' (Free Software in Clubs), timed to coincide with the diday event. The updated guide offers more pages, more tips and more software recommendations, while stressing it makes no claim to completeness. The group argues free software is not only the best remedy against digital dependency but also a practical resource for associations.

A Linux enthusiast is sharing a short list of personally recommended free and open source applications available in Linux repositories, aimed at users overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices. The suggestions are grouped by how people use their computers, and the post has drawn modest engagement from the free software community.

TUXEDO Computers is holding its DI.DAY event today, offering talks and workshops introducing the basics of Linux, presenting its own TUXEDO OS distribution and giving installation tips. The company is inviting visitors to discover free software and digital sovereignty, and encouraging them to bring their own laptops to get hands-on help.

A user in Germany reports that after trying the Android app Gadgetbridge, they cancelled their planned order of a PineTime smartwatch. The open-source app makes many smartwatches usable without the manufacturers' proprietary companion software. The short post draws modest attention, with a few likes, among people interested in open-source alternatives for wearables and free software on Android.

A new free and open-source application called GT-SALAT offers prayer times, remembrances (adhkar) and the Quran on GNU/Linux and Android. Built in Kotlin with Jetpack Compose for Android, it is designed to work fully offline without a permanent internet connection, and the code is available on GitHub. Arabic-speaking free software users have been sharing and discussing the project online.

A developer has built and released a free website for AI video generation, including audio, and published an explanation of how it works. The project is described as open source and is being shared with developer and software communities, with tags referencing AI, SaaS and coding. AI video generation tools are becoming more accessible, and the site's no-cost, open approach is drawing attention among builders and hobbyists.

A roundup of six little-known open source applications is drawing wide attention, with the final entry being the creator's own project. The list highlights free, community-developed alternatives to mainstream software that the author argues deserve more recognition. Viewers are engaging heavily with the picks, which cover a range of everyday computing needs.

The GNOME project has announced that the upcoming GNOME 51 release will bring changes to Loupe, its default image viewer. The app will now display more image information, including the creator, copyright details, equipment used such as the camera and lens, and the color profile. The announcement is part of a wider rollout of improvements planned for GNOME 51, and is being welcomed by free and open source software supporters.

A visitor spent a relaxed Sunday at Prishtina Hackerspace in Kosovo doing informal tinkering, with some soldering and open-source robot assembly. The person shared the experience with FLOSSK, the Kosovo free and open source software community behind the space, and said they hope to return for more sessions soon.

The Document Foundation's LibreOffice 26.8 passed four million downloads in September, a figure the project addressed in a talk at the LinuxDays conference in Prague. The free open-source office suite continues to see strong uptake worldwide. Supporters point to the milestone as a sign of sustained interest in free software alternatives to commercial office software, with the talk now available to watch online.

Week 32's community-designed app icon has been revealed for Haystack, a tool for editing openQA needles used in openSUSE testing. The icon was created by jwh as part of an ongoing weekly icon design project. The designer shared the news with the Linux and GNOME open-source community, pointing to a gallery of all recently released icons, and the announcement is drawing engagement from free-software enthusiasts.

A social media user has made their first donation through the Liberapay platform, choosing to support Akkoma, the federated microblogging software, saying the project has brought them a lot of joy. The post highlights how members of the fediverse community fund the free and open-source software they rely on, and encourages others to back the projects they use daily.

A security community member has been helping test LittleFedi, an open-source project developed by Stefano. Early impressions highlight the software's simplicity: small, focused and free of clutter, with an interface that is easy to use. The tester also praised Stefano for taking user feedback on board and improving the project accordingly. The post invites others to set the software up themselves.

The open-source Puzzle collection, a set of brain games built with Flutter for Linux, has been released in version 2.0.4. The update is being shared among Linux gaming communities, who welcome new releases of free puzzle software. Details on changelog specifics are limited to the release announcement itself.