1. Who started and runs the project?

gNewSense was started by and continues to be run by bbrazil and ompaul.

2. Why did you start this project?

We started this project to provide an Ubuntu based free software distribution without non-free binary blobs in the kernel.

3. Aren't Ubuntu/Debian already free?

Neither Debian nor Ubuntu are fully free. Ubuntu installs non-free software by default. Debian provides non-free software through its repositories and includes non-free kernel drivers. We're also the first distribution to remove GLX^, which Debian has ignored for years.

See 1 2

^GLX is needed for hardware-accelerated 3d graphics in X. Recompiling X, and removing OpenGL, are required due to the non-free SGI Free B license.

4. Why the name gNewSense?

The name originated as Gnusiance as a reference to RMS's GPG key, but was later changed to gNewSense by bbrazil and ompaul to also capture the New Sense of the distribution and as a pun on GNU.

5. How do you pronounce gNewSense?

There is no definitive pronunciation, but guh-NEW-sense is preferred.

6. What's the FSF's involvement with the project?

The FSF provide hardware and related support to the project. They approached us after the 0.85 release.

7. How can I get support?

You can get support on the mailing lists, IRC and the wiki or forum.

8. How can I help?

We're always looking for help. Some areas include user support, documentation and development.

9. Why don't you do $X?

Many people want this project to do many different things. We can't accommodate all of them, and keep the project maintainable. If you want to do something, your best chance is to talk to us first and then implement it.

10. Why do you use PmWiki instead of MediaWiki or $wiki?

PmWiki is a very easy to setup wiki that is highly extendable and configurable, with a community that provides lots of code and good documentation. While MediaWiki is used by many popular projects such as Wikipedia, it doesn't have the features we need.

11. Can Builder be used only for gNewSense?

While Builder is geared towards gNewSense, with some modification it can be used to create and maintain a fork of any .deb based distribution.

12. Do I really have to download 30GB to use gNewSense?

No, LiveCDs are available from our Mirrors. You only need to download 30GB if you want to use Builder to create your own distribution.

FAQ