January 2024: Informational event of the month about the Linuxverse
Today, January 02, 2024, in this first publication of the year, we wish our entire faithful and growing community of readers and frequent visitors a happy new year and a successful start to the year. Additionally, and as usual, at the beginning of each month, we offer you our great, timely and brief news summary about the Linuxverse (Free Software, Open Source and GNU/Linux) current that always offers us a lot of recent and relevant information. In order to keep up to date with the "information event for the current month of January 2024".
And for a change this year, we will be offering you 1 featured news related to each area of the Linuxverse, that is, Free Software, Open Source and GNU/Linux. And finally, the mention of the 3 most recent releases on DistroWatch / OS.Watch, which are also worth taking into account when it comes to keeping ourselves well informed with the latest news for this month that has just begun.
December 2023: Informational event of the month about GNU/Linux
But, before starting this present publication on the «news event for January 2024», we recommend you explore the previous related post, at the end of it:
Linuxverse for January 2024: Free Software, Open Source and GNU/Linux
informative summary of the Linuxverse: January 2024
Free software: Reflecting on the origins of software freedom
This year 2024, as in previous and future years, we must not forget where we come from and where we must go in terms of free software, placing special emphasis on the sustainability of all the projects that are created, used in said technological field. or apply and spread. Which, generally, is done through contributions and donations from the Community of users and beneficiaries. And in favor of this, the president of the Free Software Foundation (FSF), GEoffrey Knauth, has left us an excellent reflection on the origins of Free Software Freedom which we invite you to read in full and share with others:
We humans have wondered about origins beyond memory, perhaps even before we had words. In our community of free software activists, the origin is GNU, a declaration of freedoms that must be safeguarded. The FSF is the firmament created to protect and develop the GNU Project and, currently, other free software initiatives as well. Today, GNU is the gold standard for what free software should be: unequivocally dedicated to computing freedom and rigorously maintained to provide maximum power and extensibility to users. The purpose of GNU is also to inspire developers, educate those who want to code and create the ultimate collaborative project.
Open Source: En pro development of an open source definition of AI
In terms of open source, the year 2024 will have a lot to continue contributing to the field of development of Artificial Intelligence technologies. And therefore, the «Open Source Initiative» (OSI) has continued to contribute and strengthen its objectives in this regard, through its union with la Digital Public Goods Alliance (DPGA). So, if you are passionate about both fields of technology, we invite you to learn a little more about the joint work of the OSI and the DPGA on Open Source AI:
Their recently released State of the Digital Public Goods Ecosystem 2023 report highlights DPG-related work and contributions from DPGA member entities. For OSI, our notable work includes participation and collaboration with the DPGA Community of Practice (CoP) on AI, which advocates for the responsible use of AI. The DPGA agrees that an open source definition of AI that incorporates principles of transparency and clarity will be crucial to supporting broader efforts towards responsible AI. We look forward to continued collaboration with DPGA and its members.
GNU/Linux: WattOS R13 released
For this occasion (January 2024) and this area we have selected la GNU/Linux WattOS Distro and the launch of WattOS R13, which has been addressed by both DistroWatch and OS.Watch. And if you know nothing or very little about said GNU/Linux Distribution called WattOS, it is important to highlight that it is characterized by being a daily use Distro for desktop computers based on Debian, which uses the lightweight Openbox window manager as its default interface. In addition, it focuses on being small, minimalist, light, fast, and very efficient in the use of energy. Which makes it ideal for use in recycled low-capacity computers, that is, old computers with few hardware resources.
While, as for the official announcement with the launch news, it is worth highlighting some important points such as the following: It is based on the stable version of Debian (12 / Bookworm), it comes with LXDE to offer a new lightweight desktop, includes Kernel 6.1 for installation and use on 64-bit PCs, adds much better hardware support for broader use, and makes use of Calamares as an installer for easy, streamlined installation from a live session. Finally, it now includes the GDebi graphical app to facilitate the installation of the necessary .deb packages, and additional configuration, by default, to improve the user experience.
3 Last minute releases of GNU/Linux Distros
DistroWatch
- FreeELEC 11.0.4: 26-12-2023.
- Nobara Project 39: 27-12-2023.
- Watt OS R13: 30-12-2023.
OS.Watch
- ArcLinux v24.01: 01-12-2023.
- Watt OS R13: 30-12-2023.
- Starbuntu 22.04.3.10: 30-12-2023.
Summary
In short, we hope this new roundup of news about the start of the "Linuxverse news event in January 2024", as usual, continues to help them be better informed and trained about the Free Software, Open Source and GNU / Linux.
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