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Github-free

Is it still possible to build a free operating system while staying free of Microsoft Github? We explore Github-free components here.

If we are remixing an existing distribution, the first thing we would need to do is find one that is systemd-free; systemd is developed on Github. Then among what's left, we would dismiss distros that are developed on Github such as Void Linux or Puppy.

This also applies to any BSD systems, very few of which have the goal of being fully free. LibreBSD was on Github, they may migrate or are hopefully in the process of migrating. HyperbolaBSD is the most promising distribution under FSF approval; the Linux kernel itself is under serious threat of moving to Github eventually (the Linux foundation has no fewer than 4 "Softies" running it-- not even counting Zemlin, who is fairly loyal to Microsoft.)

Note that [OS] means the project claims to be "Open Source", not Free software. This is notable because open source is co-opted by monopolies more often than Free software.

If the growth of this list diminishes your concern about Github, have a look at the Delete_Github|Delete_Github page or Entwined_with_Github|Entwined_with_Github

Bootloaders

  • GNU GRUB (GRUB2) https://www.gnu.org/software/grub/ -- thankfully, Github does not control GRUB, so if you have a Github-free operating system, you can use GRUB to boot it.


  • Syslinux (ISOLINUX) https://www.syslinux.org/ -- Syslinux and ISOLINUX let you boot from CD/DVD/USB; Syslinux also includes isohybrid, which lets you convert bootable ISO images to hybrid ISOs that can either be written to CD/DVD or directly with dd to hard drives and USB drives.


  • Command line utilities

  • GNU Wget https://savannah.gnu.org/projects/wget/ -- it's too bad that Curl is controlled by Microsoft, though like most of the GNU project, Wget is Github-free.


  • Applications

  • GNU C-Graph https://www.gnu.org/software/c-graph/ -- a visualisation tool for the convolution theorem


  • GNU Emacs https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/ -- unlike Vim, Emacs is Github-free.


  • Compilers and related tools

  • [OS] CMake https://cmake.org/ -- tools for building and packaging software


  • GNU GCC https://gcc.gnu.org/git/ -- GNU Compiler Collection


  • Lua https://www.lua.org -- also an interpreted language, lua includes luac, a compiler


  • Display servers

  • X.org https://www.x.org -- the foundation of graphical GNU/Linux distros and more, X.org is not based on Github.


  • Init systems

  • busybox-init https://git.busybox.net/busybox/ -- people have used this in systemd-free experiments, possibly Steve Litt among them; like runit, this is a solution for people trying to find the most modest way to handle init.


  • procd https://openwrt.org/docs/techref/procd -- this init is for openwrt routers, so if adapted elsewhere it should be minimal in its requirements.


  • [OS] runit http://smarden.org/runit/ -- runit is a popular and simple init system.


  • GNU Shepherd https://www.gnu.org/software/shepherd/ -- the init system used by Guix.


  • s6 http://skarnet.org/software/s6/ -- used by Obarun.


  • sysvinit https://savannah.gnu.org/projects/sysvinit/ -- never defended as the most ideal init, relied on for many years by Debian and defended for another half decade by defenders of init freedom... while others pretend that nobody cares about it anymore.


  • Programming language interpreters

  • PyPy https://www.pypy.org -- while the Python Foundation uses Github, PyPy not only avoids it but they also maintain compatibility with both Python 2 and more recent implementations.


  • Server software

  • [OS] SavaPage https://www.savepage.org -- full-featured print server and web-based print portal.


  • Window managers

  • dwm http://dwm.suckless.org -- tiling/stacking window manager with optional dmenu.





  • Related Pages

  • Delete_Github|Delete_Github
  • Delete_Android_Apps_on_Github|Delete Android Apps on Github
  • Librethreat_Database|Librethreat Database