Tagged: FOSS

Art

Videos mostly about technology, especially free open source software, Linux and PC accessories. The videos are a mixture of features, tutorials and news items. There are also some interesting wild card non-technical videos too.

Fediverse address:
@art@tilvids.com

WriteFreely

Free open source federated blogging platform. The interface and options are minimalist, with the focus on reading text with as few distractions as possible. It’s part of the Fediverse, so you can follow WriteFreely blogs from Mastodon etc. You can host a WriteFreely server yourself, or sign up on an existing server.

Fediverse address (main):
@writefreely@writing.exchange

Fediverse address (blog):
@writefreely@blog.writefreely.org

Flameshot

Free open source screenshot app for Linux, Mac and Windows. It does more than just capture the screen, it also includes editing tools and upload features.

Fediverse address:
@flameshot@fosstodon.org

GoToSocial

A new type of Fediverse server software which runs on cheap lightweight hardware and emphasises user safety and privacy. It supports both allowlists and blocklists, imports of lists from other servers, non-federated servers etc. To keep it lightweight there is no built-in web app at all, it is used entirely through third party apps compatible with the Mastodon API. It’s still in alpha testing but the official account is already running on a GoToSocial instance, and it’s a public alpha so others can have a go too.

Fediverse address:
@gotosocial@superseriousbusiness.org

Matthias Pfefferle

Creator of the “ActivityPub for WordPress” plug-in which turns WordPress blogs into Fediverse servers. When it’s active, people will be able to follow your WordPress account from Mastodon etc, and when you post a new blog entry it will appear as a post on the Fediverse.

Fediverse address (in English and German)
@pfefferle@mastodon.social

The XMPP Standards Foundation

Develops and maintains the XMPP standard for instant messaging and voice and video calls. It’s a free open federated standard, so anyone can set up their own server or write their own app. (XMPP used to be known as Jabber.)

Fediverse address:
@xmpp@fosstodon.org

Tusky

Free open source Mastodon app for Android phones, available through F-Droid and Google Play. Can also be used by other Fediverse platforms that use the Mastodon API such as PixelFed and GoToSocial.

Fediverse address:
@Tusky@mastodon.social

AntennaPod

Free open source podcast player for Android devices. The app lets you listen to podcasts, keep track of episodes and manage your podcast subscriptions through open standards like RSS.

Fediverse account:
@AntennaPod@fosstodon.org

FreeRCT

Free open source theme park game inspired by RollerCoaster Tycoon. The game uses entirely libre assets, so you don’t need any proprietary licences to play it. It’s still in alpha testing but playable.

Fediverse address:
@FreeRCT@floss.social

Briar

Free open source end-to-end encrypted peer-to-peer messaging system for Android and Linux which can be used online through Tor, or locally through wifi or bluetooth. Because it has local support it can be used even if the internet is shut down or broken, for example at demonstrations or in disaster zones.

Fediverse address:
@briar@fosstodon.org

Kiwix

Free open source app that lets you view and search reference materials such as Wikipedia, Gutenberg, StackExchange etc without an internet connection. This can be very useful in remote areas, during temporary outages, or during times of turmoil. Kiwix is available for Linux, Mac, Windows, Android and iPhone/iPad. You can optionally also create a self-hosted Kiwix hotspot, so that anyone physically near your server can access your copy of Kiwix through a local connection.

Fediverse address:
@kiwix@mastodon.social

NextCloud

Free open source personal cloud software for sharing files, collaborative editing, instant messaging, personal music streaming and lots of other things. It’s extremely flexible thanks to lots of add-on apps that can be installed through the graphical interface. Nextcloud instances can be accessed through web browsers or dedicated apps for all major platforms. You can host a cloud yourself or sign up on an existing instance.

Fediverse address:
@nextcloud@mastodon.xyz

Manyverse

A new kind of social network which works peer-to-peer, and all personal data is stored locally on your computer or phone. It’s part of the Scuttlebutt network, but has a user-friendly interface, features and branding that are aimed at a more mainstream audience. There are free open source apps for iOS, Android, Linux, Mac and Windows.

Fediverse address:
@manyver_se@fosstodon.org

Chris Were (videos)

An entertaining collection of videos about Linux, FOSS, computing, gaming, technology and sometimes random other stuff such as tea, vegan food and fountain pens. Were presents with a laid back, calm style which is relaxing to watch.

Fediverse address:
@chriswere@share.tube

Keyoxide

Free open source decentralised online identity platform. It helps you prove who you are across multiple sites without storing any personal data about you.

Fediverse address:
@keyoxide@fosstodon.org

Libre Graphics Meeting

Annual conference discussing free open source graphics software, including graphic design, digital painting and more. The conferences have been happening every year since 2006, though the pandemic has somewhat complicated things recently.

Fediverse address (main):
@lgm@post.lurk.org

Fediverse address (videos):
@lgm@conf.tube

LibreOffice

The most popular free open source office suite, it includes a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation software etc. It’s very widely used by businesses, governments, organisations and individuals, and is available for Linux, Mac and Windows.

Fediverse address:
@libreoffice@fosstodon.org

There are also user groups on the Fediverse:

Fediverse address (in Spanish):
@LibreOfficeEs@mastodon.social

Fediverse address (in French):
@LaMouetteODF@framapiaf.org

Gancio

A free open source collaborative online calendar. It allows local communities to share a common calendar that anyone can post events to, even people without an account. (Posts are moderated to prevent spam though.) You can also interact with Gancio through the Fediverse, and it has RSS support for people who want to follow through feed readers.

Fediverse address:
@gancio@mastodon.cisti.org

KDE

Worldwide free open source software community which creates all kinds of popular useful projects such as the Plasma desktop, Kdenlive, Krita and lots more.

Fediverse address (main):
@kde@floss.social

Fediverse address (conference videos):
@kde@conf.tube

Fediverse address (Spanish language community):
@kde_espana@floss.social

Fediverse address (French language community):
@kdefr@framapiaf.org

Lutris

Free open source game preservation platform for Linux PCs which lets you access your games collections from many different platforms. It includes a collection of emulators and compatibility layers to help even older games run correctly on your current machine.

Fediverse address:
@lutris@fosstodon.org

K-9 Mail

Very popular free open source e-mail app for Android. It is due to become the official Thunderbird app for Android devices.

Fediverse address:
@k9mail@fosstodon.org

Tails

A special version of Linux that aims for maximum privacy and anonymity. Tails runs entirely off a USB stick, it uses the Tor network to connect to the internet, and by default it resets/forgets everything you’ve done when you switch it off. (You can also optionally save encrypted data if you need to keep something.)

Fediverse address:
@tails@fosstodon.org

YunoHost

Version of Linux which makes it as easy as possible to install and maintain your own self-hosted online services. There’s a really easy graphical interface, it works on home servers or remote ones, and it supports older and lower powered computers too.

Fediverse address (main account in English and French):
@yunohost@mastodon.social

Fediverse address (video account in English and French):
@yunohost@cinema.yunohost.support

Jami

Free open source end-to-end encrypted peer-to-peer calling and messaging app. It supports video calls, audio, messaging and has a Skype-style interface. It has apps for all major platforms including Android, iPhone/iPad, Linux, Mac and Windows.

Fediverse address:
@Jami@mstdn.io

The Spritely Institute

Developing the next generation of Fediverse platforms, led by Christine Lemmer-Webber who co-authored the ActivityPub technical standard which the current Fediverse is built upon. (Previously known as the Spritely Project.)

Fediverse address:
@spritelyinst@octodon.social

Cryptomator

Free open source app that lets you add an end-to-end encrypted folder to your existing cloud service. It works with popular cloud services such as Nextcloud, DropBox, Google Drive, One Drive, iCloud etc. There are apps for Linux, Mac, Windows, iPhone/iPad and Android.

Fediverse address:
@cryptomator@mastodon.online

PeerTube

A Fediverse video sharing and livestreaming, platform, sort of like YouTube but federated onto lots of independent servers. Because it’s part of the Fediverse, you can follow PeerTube accounts from Mastodon etc and the new videos will appear in your timeline just like normal posts. You can also interact with them within your timeline, for example replies to a PeerTube video within Mastodon will turn into comments under that same video on PeerTube.

Fediverse address:
@peertube@framapiaf.org

Delta Chat

Free open source end-to-end encrypted messaging system that works through email. This means if you both have Delta apps running you can chat in encrypted mode, but even people without Delta can chat with you through their normal email account. It’s available for Android, iOS, Linux, Mac and Windows.

Fediverse address:
@delta@chaos.social

Fediphoto Lineage

An app for Android phones available through F-Droid which makes it as easy as possible to share photos on the Fediverse. It’s based on an app by PLA, who enjoyed sharing pictures on the Fediverse while out and about. PLA sadly died in January 2021, and Fediphoto Lineage aims to honour his memory by keeping his project alive.

Fediverse address:
@fediphoto_lineage@libranet.de

Collabora Office

Fork of the LibreOffice productivity suite aimed at businesses, including long term tech support, admin tools, smartphone apps and cloud collaboration.

Fediverse address:
@CollaboraOffice@mastodon.social

Its development company, Collabora, is one of the biggest upstream contributors to LibreOffice’s source code, and has a close relationship with the FOSS community.

Fediverse address:
@collabora@floss.social

Snikket

XMPP-based free open federated messenger project. It aims to make XMPP into a more viable alternative to Whatsapp etc by providing consistency in design and terminology, while still maintaining compatibility with other XMPP apps and servers. (It’s a similar plan to how Mastodon made ActivityPub more mainstream while still being compatible with other ActivityPub server types.)

Fediverse address:
@snikket_im@fosstodon.org

Senfcall.de

A free open source video conferencing site which aims to provide a privacy-friendly alternative to proprietary services. Calls are made through the web browser using the BigBlueButton platform.

Fediverse address (in German and English):
@senfcall@chaos.social

Grow Your Own Services

Website from the creator of Fedi.Directory (that’s me!) which helps non-technical people create their own online services through managed hosting providers. Managed hosting means the hosting company does all the technical stuff behind the scenes, but you own and run the service. This allows anyone to make their own Fediverse servers, personal clouds, music streaming services and much more.

Fediverse address:
@homegrown@social.growyourown.services

Goldfish

Brand new project trying to create a short video clip sharing service for the Fediverse (sort of a free open federated alternative to TikTok or Vine). It’s still in its very early rough draft stages, but is making steady progress.

Fediverse address:
@Goldfish@mstdn.social

PublicSpaces

A non-profit coalition of Dutch broadcasters, museums, arts organisations etc. campaigning for an ethical internet. They organise conferences on this topic, and run their own Fediverse servers.

Fediverse address (main, in Dutch and English): @publicspaces@publicspaces.net

Fediverse address (videos, in Dutch and English): @publicspaces@video.publicspaces.net

Fediverse address (podcasts, in Dutch and English): @TheTimeIsNow@podcast.publicspaces.net

Wallabag

Free open source alternative to Pocket and other article-saving services. There are apps for Android, iOS, Windows, Linux, Firefox, Chrome, Kindle, Kobo and others. It is also compatible with RSS readers. You can self-host your own instance for free, or use the paid-for flagship instance.

Fediverse account:
@wallabag@social.tcit.fr

E Foundation / Murena

The E Foundation develops and maintains a free open source privacy-friendly de-Googled version of Android, which you can either install yourself on your existing phone or buy pre-installed on a new phone. They sell pre-installed phones through the Murena brand, all of which are manufactured by established companies like Fairphone, Samsung etc.

Fediverse address (E Foundation):
@e_mydata@mastodon.social

Fediverse address (Murena):
@murena@mastodon.social