Press Release – Page 4 – GNOME Foundation

Canonical joins GNOME Foundation Advisory Board

ORINDA, CA – November 1st, 2017 – The GNOME Foundation is pleased to announce that Canonical, creator of the Ubuntu operating system, has joined the GNOME Foundation advisory board. The Advisory Board is a body of stakeholder organizations and companies who support the GNOME Project by providing funding and expert consultation. The board includes Google, the Linux Foundation, and the Free Software Foundation, among others.

“The recently launched Ubuntu 17.10 (Artful Aardvark) had been widely anticipated as the first version of Ubuntu to switch to GNOME. The success of this release is thanks to the GNOME community. We’re excited to join the GNOME Foundation Advisory Board to continue our collaboration in closer partnership.” said, Jamie Bennett, Vice President of Devices and IoT Engineering at Canonical

Ubuntu is the most popular GNU/Linux distribution and is used by millions of users daily.

“Canonical brings a wealth of experience, and we’re extremely pleased that they’re engaging with the Foundation and the community.” said Neil McGovern, Executive Director of the GNOME Foundation.

The non-profit GNOME Foundation is an independent organization committed to supporting the advancement of the GNOME Project and software freedom. It provides financial, organizational and legal support to the GNOME Project and helps determine its vision and roadmap. GNOME software is used by millions of people around the world.

More information about GNOME and the GNOME Foundation can be found at www.gnome.org

GNOME Foundation partners with Purism to support its efforts to build the Librem 5 smartphone

Orinda, CA/San Francisco, September 19, 2017 – The GNOME Foundation has provided their endorsement and support of Purism’s efforts to build the Librem 5, which if successful will be the world’s first free and open smartphone with end-to-end encryption and enhanced user protections. The Librem 5 is a hardware platform the Foundation is interested in advancing as a GNOME/GTK phone device. The GNOME Foundation is committed to partnering with Purism to create hackfests, tools, emulators, and build awareness that surround moving GNOME/GTK onto the Librem 5 phone.

As part of the collaboration, if the campaign is successful the GNOME Foundation plans to enhance GNOME shell and general performance of the system with Purism to enable features on the Librem 5.

Various GNOME technologies are used extensively in embedded devices today, and GNOME developers have experienced some of the challenges that face mobile computing specifically with the Nokia 770, N800 and N900, the One Laptop Per Child project’s XO laptop and FIC’s Neo1973 mobile phone.

“Having a Free/Libre and Open Source software stack on a mobile device is a dream-come-true for so many people, and Purism has the proven team to make this happen. We are very pleased to see Purism and the Librem 5 hardware be built to support GNOME.” — Neil McGovern, Executive Director, GNOME Foundation

“Purism is excited to work with many communities and organizations to advance the digital rights of people. Getting endorsement from GNOME Foundation for the Librem 5 hardware gets us all one-step closer to a phone that avoids the handcuffs of Android and iOS.” — Todd Weaver, Founder & CEO, Purism

About the GNOME Foundation

The GNOME Project was started in 1997 by two then-university students, Miguel de Icaza and Federico Mena Quintero. Their aim: to produce a free (as in freedom) desktop environment. Since then, GNOME has grown into a hugely successful enterprise. Used by millions of people across the world, it is the most popular desktop environment for GNU/Linux and UNIX-type operating systems. The desktop has been utilized in successful, large-scale enterprise, and public deployments, and the project’s developer technologies are utilized in a large number of popular mobile devices.

The GNOME Foundation is an organization committed to supporting the advancement of GNOME, comprised of hundreds of volunteer developers and industry-leading companies. The Foundation is a member directed, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides financial, organizational, and legal support to the GNOME project. The GNOME Foundation is supporting the pursuit of software freedom through the innovative, accessible, and beautiful user experience created by GNOME contributors around the world. More information about GNOME and the GNOME Foundation can be found at www.gnome.org and foundation.gnome.org. Become a friend of GNOME at https://www.gnome.org/friends/

For further comments and information, contact the GNOME press contact team at gnome-press-contact@gnome.org.

About Purism

Purism is a Social Purpose Corporation devoted to bringing security, privacy, software freedom, and digital independence to everyone’s personal computing experience. With operations based in San Francisco (California) and around the world, Purism manufactures premium-quality laptops and tablets, creating beautiful and powerful devices meant to protect users’ digital lives without requiring a compromise on ease of use. Purism designs and assembles its hardware in the United States, carefully selecting internationally sourced components to be privacy-respecting and fully Free-Software-compliant. Security and privacy-centric features come built-in with every product Purism makes, making security and privacy the simpler, logical choice for individuals and businesses.

Purism media contact: Marie Williams, Coderella/Purism 415-689-4029 or pr@puri.sm

GUADEC 2017 Registration is Open!

This year, the GNOME project’s annual European conference will be taking place in Manchester, UK. Happening between 28th July and 2nd August, it will be the biggest and most important GNOME event of 2017. The conference will provide an opportunity to find out about the latest technical developments, learn new skills and tools, attend talks and participate in workshops and discussions. Everyone is welcome to attend – see the GUADEC 2017 website for more details.

If you are planning on attending GUADEC, please register via the GUADEC registration website as soon as possible. Dedicated GUADEC accommodation places are available to book at registration time. There is a limited supply of these rooms, and it might be difficult to secure more after the end of March. So, if you want a room at the GUADEC accommodation, please register and book before April.

The GUADEC team have also published the sponsorship brochure for this year’s conference, which includes some exciting opportunities for partners. Interested parties are invited to get in touch.

We hope to see you in Manchester. It’s going to be great!

(Image by Zuzanna Neziri, CC-BY 2.0.)

Neil McGovern Named New Executive Director of the GNOME Foundation

ORINDA, CA. The GNOME Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of Neil McGovern as its new Executive Director. McGovern officially starts work for the GNOME Foundation on February 15, 2017 and will operate from the United Kingdom.

McGovern is an experienced leader in Free Software projects and is best known for his role as Debian Project Leader from 2014-15. He has been on the Boards of numerous organizations, including Software in the Public Interest, Inc. and the Open Rights Group.

Announcing the appointment, Nuritzi Sanchez, GNOME Foundation President, said: “The GNOME Foundation Board of Directors is thrilled that Neil will be joining in the capacity of Executive Director. Neil was a very strong candidate, and we have high hopes for what he will enable the GNOME community to achieve.”

GNOME’s new Executive Director has a strong technical background. He has contributed to Debian as a developer for over twelve years, and comes most recently from Collabora, a respected open source consultancy, where he worked as an Engineering Manager.

“Through the past five years, Neil has helped us grow, develop, and maintain our strong engineering team. His technical knowledge and dedication to Open Source will be a great asset to the GNOME Foundation.” says Philippe Kalaf, CEO of Collabora.

The GNOME project is responsible for a number of important technologies, many of which have a role beyond the desktop. McGovern’s experience at Collabora, coupled with his technological expertise, means that he has the knowledge to promote these technologies further. He joins GNOME at an exciting time, with the emergence of new technologies such as Flatpak, Builder, and GTK+4.

McGovern is also in a good position to foster greater collaboration between GNOME and other Free Software projects. Mehdi Dogguy, the current Debian Project Leader, hopes that GNOME’s new Executive Director will help to forge closer relations between the two projects: “Neil’s commitment to free and open source software over the years make him a great asset to the community. I believe his new role as Executive Director of the GNOME Foundation will help to make a stronger link between GNOME and the Debian project.”

It has been three years since the GNOME Foundation lost its previous Executive Director, Karen Sandler. Previous holders of the role include Stormy Peters and Tim Ney. McGovern’s job will be to support the GNOME project, particularly in terms of fundraising, outreach, and strategy.

“As former Executive Director of the GNOME Foundation, it’s clear to me that Neil is a fantastic choice for the position,” said Karen Sandler, now Executive Director of the Software Freedom Conservancy. “His insights into both the community and corporate sides of GNOME are impressive. I know GNOME will thrive under his leadership!”

McGovern will be attending this year’s FOSDEM in Brussels this weekend (February 4 – 5). Members of the GNOME community, and the wider Open Source community, are encouraged to speak to him and offer a warm welcome.

About the GNOME Foundation

For further comments and information, contact the GNOME press contact team at gnome-press-contact@gnome.org.

Photo credit: CC-BY-SA Guy Lunardi

Endless joins the GNOME Advisory Board

ORINDA, CA – February 3, 2016 – The GNOME Foundation is pleased to announce that Endless, creator of the Endless computer and operating system, has joined the GNOME Foundation advisory board. The Advisory Board is a body of stakeholder organizations and companies who support the GNOME Project by providing funding and expert consultation. The board includes Google, Intel, the Linux Foundation, and the Free Software Foundation, among others.

“We are very excited to join the GNOME Foundation advisory board,” said, Jonathan Blandford, VP Engineering at Endless and GNOME advisory board member. “The goals of the GNOME Foundation are perfectly aligned with the goals of Endless; to create a technology platform for the general public that is designed to be elegant, efficient, and easy to use.”

The Endless computer is the world’s first fully functioning desktop PC designed to bring the next four billion people into the information age.

“Endless is using GNOME in innovative ways to help close the digital divide. We’re excited to have them share their vision on the GNOME advisory board.” said Shaun McCance, President of the GNOME Foundation Board of Directors.

The nonprofit GNOME Foundation is an independent organization committed to supporting the advancement of the GNOME Project and software freedom. It provides financial, organizational and legal support to the GNOME Project and helps determine its vision and roadmap. GNOME software is used by millions of people around the world.

More information about GNOME and the GNOME Foundation can be found at www.gnome.org

GNOME Foundation was never bankrupt

We are aware that there have been references online claiming that the GNOME Foundation was bankrupted in 2013 along with accusations about who was responsible.

To clarify the matter, the Foundation was never bankrupt. Quite a while ago, there was a temporary cash flow issue which is now completely resolved. Funds that were committed by sponsors and earmarked for the Outreach Program for Women (OPW) were delayed in payment. GNOME Foundation’s board temporarily froze expenditures while it collected the funds and revamped its financial procedures to adjust for the additional cash flow going forward. Every cent of the funds was ultimately received. Additionally, GNOME collected administrative fees which covered the program’s expenses.

Karen Sandler, our former Executive Director, made certain there were firm financial commitments from OPW sponsors prior to authorizing outgoing payments and she further ensured that all funds were ultimately recouped. While we were disappointed when Karen chose to leave the Foundation for a new position at the Software Freedom Conservancy, she has the full support of the GNOME community who elected her onto the Board of Directors in 2014. We are grateful for her continued involvement with Foundation activities on a voluntary basis after her term on the Board, as well as being a Free Software advocate and pro-bono lawyer for us and other projects.

While OPW has transferred to another home which is more suited to the program’s size and breadth, we remain an active partner of the program and are proud to support it.

GNOME supports the work of Software Freedom Conservancy

The GNOME community has dedicated the last 18 years to building great software for our users. We have created a library of work that is found not only in our desktop but also in various other important software and hardware. As a proud part of the GNU Project, GNOME licenses its software freely to ensure that the work will continue to be free for everyone to use and build on. To do this, we use the GPL (GNU General Public License) and the LGPL (GNU Lesser General Public License).

However, relying on these license choices only works if everyone plays by the rules. The GNOME community knows that others can take our software for their own ends without complying with the licenses. Bad actors could attempt to proprietarize our work without acknowledging our efforts and without giving back to our community. The GPL functions to support the Free Software model because there are legal consequences to violating it.

Software Freedom Conservancy — a charitable non-profit dedicated to Free Software — has led efforts to make sure that compliance happens. They provide education about GPL Compliance, and ensure that companies and individuals comply with the GPL by following up on violations and providing litigation assistance when there is no other avenue available.

Conservancy is currently running a campaign to ensure its continued long-term operations. We encourage individuals to support Conservancy at https://sfconservancy.org/supporter/, as supporting their GPL enforcement activities benefits all copylefted free software projects. Until January 31, Supporter sign ups will be generously matched by Private Internet Access. Please also become a Friend of GNOME and financially support the GNOME Foundation too!

GNOME’s 2014 Fiscal Year Annual Report Published

Today marks the beginning of a new financial year, and the GNOME Foundation is pleased to announce the release of its latest annual report, which covers the outgoing 2014 financial year. The Report reviews all the events and activities in the GNOME project during the 2014 financial year, including hackfests, conferences, our releases, outreach activities and more.

Jean-François Fortin Tam, president of the GNOME Foundation for 2014-2015, states in the introduction letter: “2014 is on record as one of the most challenging years in the Foundation’s history. It is also the year that has given us the most demonstrative and passionate display of support—from our members, our contributors, and the Free Software community—that we have ever experienced.”

We want to take this opportunity to thank the Friends of GNOME and our Advisory Board members for their support of the Foundation and its operations.

GNOME 3.18 Released: Brings Big Improvements

https://youtube.com/watch?v=xu0VSKvfNEI%3Frel%3D0%26showinfo%3D0

The GNOME project is proud to announce the release of GNOME 3.18. The new version is the result of six months’ hard work by the GNOME community, and includes 25,112 changes by 772 contributors.

3.18 has been named “Gothenburg” in recognition of this year’s GUADEC organising team. GUADEC is GNOME’s main annual conference, and is only possible due to the hard work of local volunteers. In 2015, it was held in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Speaking on behalf of the Release Team, Matthias Clasen said: “This release brings significant improvements to many of our core applications, from better Google Drive integration in Files to a list view in Boxes to firmware updates in Software, and several entirely new applications.” He went on to thank everyone who made the release possible.

Major new features in GNOME 3.18 include:

Google Drive integration in Files
Firmware updates through Software
Automatic screen brightness
Touchpad gestures
Several new applications: Calendar and Characters
Significant improvements to Files, Boxes and Polari
And, as always, there are many other smaller changes and bug fixes!

GNOME 3.18 has plenty to offer developers, too. In particular, this release marks a major milestone for Builder, GNOME’s new integrated development environment. The new version also includes improvements to GTK+, WebKitGTK+, Clutter, as well as the Human Interface Guidelines. And major progress has been made on Wayland support and application sandboxing, both of which are available to try out.

More information about all these improvements – and more – can be found in the release notes.

Press

Press queries can be directed to gnome-press-contact@gnome.org. A screenshot pack is also available to download.

GNOME Announces Search for Executive Director

For Immediate Release – August 8, 2015 The GNOME Foundation is looking for qualified candidates for the position of Executive Director of the GNOME Foundation. The Executive Director is critical for the Foundation, the public face of GNOME, the liaison to the GNOME Advisory Board, and the primary fundraiser for the Foundation. It is expected that the Executive Director will execute the daily business of the Foundation, and work with the Directors of the GNOME Foundation on a regular basis.

GNOME is a Free Software project that provides a libre desktop platform to users around the world. It is an influential social and technical contributor to the Free Software and Open Source software stack that continues to leave its mark on every piece of hardware that runs GNU/Linux across all technical market segments.

The GNOME community consists of translators, documentation writers, developers of all stripes, and systems administrators representing a unique and wide range of skills and talents that sets itself apart from other Free Software and Open Source projects.

The GNOME Executive Director will be an integral part of this community, with opportunities to be in a position of influence in the Free Software and Open Source eco-system.

If you are interested in this position, please apply at http://www.gnome.org/executive-director-position