Free and open source software

The KDE desktop environment for Linux and Unix systems is celebrating its 30th birthday. German tech outlet Heise marked the anniversary with a congratulatory article looking back at three decades of the free desktop software, which has been a cornerstone of open-source computing since its launch in 1996.

The KDE community is marking the project's 30th birthday, celebrating three decades of free and open-source desktop software built by volunteers. Users are sharing congratulations and their experiences running recent KDE Plasma releases on Linux distributions such as Fedora, praising the desktop's stability and Wayland support. Well-wishers are toasting to another 30 years of the community-driven project.

Libreboot 26.10, a new release of the fully free and open-source BIOS/UEFI firmware, has been released. The headline change is full UEFI support, a notable shift for a project long known for avoiding proprietary blobs and offering only coreboot-based boot options. Linux enthusiasts are welcoming the update as it broadens hardware compatibility while keeping the firmware free-software compliant.

LineageOS 24.0, the new release of the popular free and open-source Android operating system, is now available. The version is based on Android 17 and adds new applications alongside a faster update process. The custom ROM community is discussing the release, which extends official software support for a range of older devices that no longer receive manufacturer updates.

The KDE community is marking the 30th anniversary of the free and open-source desktop environment. Supporters are congratulating the project online, with fans calling it the best desktop environment. The milestone is being highlighted under anniversary hashtags alongside praise for free software and open-source development.

A roundup highlights six free repositories positioned as alternatives to expensive paid software, including ElevenLabs voice tools, Pro Tools for audio production, and AutoCAD for design. The list taps into a growing interest in open-source substitutes that offer similar capabilities without subscription fees, appealing to users looking to cut costs on professional software tools.

Well-wishes are pouring in for KDE, the free and open source desktop environment, as the free software community marks the project's birthday. One long-time user recalled using the desktop since KDE was at version 4, sending affectionate congratulations alongside hashtags for open source, FOSS and desktop Linux.

The KDE community is marking the 30th anniversary of the free and open-source desktop project. Well-wishes and congratulations are being shared across the Linux and open-source community, with members of the KDE project joining in to celebrate the milestone of one of free software's longest-running and most widely used desktop environments.

The KDE community is marking its 30th anniversary, with the project directing people to a dedicated anniversary page on its website. Well-wishers in the open source world are congratulating the desktop environment and free software community, whose software has been developed and published freely since its founding in the 1990s.

The LibreOffice project has announced a new feature in version 26.8: deleted comment ranges in Microsoft Word documents are now imported and exported more accurately. The change is part of ongoing work to improve DOCX compatibility, a long-standing pain point for users exchanging documents with Word users. The release notes are published on the Document Foundation wiki, and the update is being shared with the free and open source software community.

KDE, the community behind the long-running free and open-source desktop environment for Linux, is drawing attention with discussion of why the project remains important. Supporters are highlighting KDE's role in offering a free, customizable alternative to proprietary operating systems and its decades of contributions to open desktop software.

At the Open Source Summit Europe in Prague, Munich's Chief Digital Officer and IT councilwoman Laura Dornheim presented an update on the city's return to open source software. She outlined how Munich is rebuilding its free software strategy, reviving an approach the city had previously scaled back after years as a high-profile Linux pioneer.

LibreOffice's German-language team is sharing a short tutorial on how to insert special characters such as Ø in LibreOffice Writer, pointing users to a guide on the Document Foundation wiki. The tip is part of the project's ongoing efforts to help users in schools and public administration switch to the free, open-source office suite.

Karrot, a free and open source platform for grassroots initiatives, is being highlighted again a year after it was first featured. The tool helps groups coordinate face-to-face activities on a local, autonomous and voluntary basis. Developer community members, including a team member named Nick, have spoken about how it works and who it serves, and supporters are recirculating the project to reach new volunteer groups and community organisers.

A new documentary titled 'KDE: The Documentary – The Story of Free Software Underdogs' is drawing attention among free and open-source software enthusiasts. It tells the story of the KDE community and its decades-long effort to build a free desktop environment, positioning the project as an underdog in a software world long dominated by proprietary platforms.

The Linux Professional Institute is supporting its training partner New Elements at the it-sa Expo&Congress cybersecurity trade fair in Nuremberg, running October 27 to 29. LPI will share a booth with New Elements and OSC - LPI Channel Partner Europe, where visitors can learn about free and open-source software certifications, training opportunities and partnership programmes.

The open-source voxel game engine Luanti has announced its presence at FrOSCon 2026, the free software conference held in Sankt Augustin, Germany. The announcement was published on the project's blog. Within the free and open-source software community, the news is being shared widely, with supporters welcoming the project's visibility at one of Europe's best-known community-run open source conferences.

NetBSD, the long-running free and open-source operating system, is being discussed as an 'AI-free' alternative at a time when many software projects are racing to add AI features. The Register reports that the project is seeing growing awareness and adoption, followed by increasing donations. Supporters are framing its minimal, stable, no-AI approach as a selling point rather than a limitation.

RustGIS, a new open-source geographic information system built in Rust, is being introduced to the geospatial community. The German-language geoObserver blog features it as its 'Tool of the Month', highlighting its potential alongside established free and open-source GIS projects. The tool is drawing attention from developers and mapping professionals interested in Rust-based spatial software.

The Document Foundation, which develops the open source office suite LibreOffice, says it has no plans to add AI features to the software's default configuration, framing the absence of AI as a feature in itself. The stance is being presented as a privacy commitment, positioning LibreOffice against the wave of AI assistants being built into mainstream office software.