Stream our researchweek event where Olivier Meunier presents open source alternatives to GAFAM. We stream via our Big Blue Button-server. Try our software-recommendations in the post.
For online communication and audiovisual art production, we lease platforms and programs from big tech companies. In exchange for our data or money, we temporarily feel at home in virtual places, but are they really ours? Do we have a say in their evolution? How about rights of entry or freedom of speech?
On the other side we use open source programs and platforms that do belong to everybody – but do they allow us to work efficiently and competitive? What do they necessitate to become more sustainable than a subscription at a multinational?
Constant vzw recommends the following:
Tools and platforms:
- Jitsi, secure Free Software video conferencing. Install your own or use an install at various instances, such as: https://meet.jit.si/ or in partnerships with Belgian federal services https://jitsi-1.belnet.be/ or by independent radios, Freifunk München: https://meet.ffmuc.net/
- YunoHost, a F/LOSS operating system aiming for the simplest administration of a server, ‘with the aim to democratize self-hosting while making sure it stays reliable, secure, ethical and lightweight’. https://yunohost.org/
*Big Blue Button, Free-software “web conferencing system designed for online learning”. You can install yourself https://bigbluebutton.org/ or find a hosted service such as The Online Meeting Cooperative: https://www.org.meet.coop (demo @ https://demo.meet.coop) - Mastodon, federated, community-developed, ad-free social media platform https://joinmastodon.org/ + https://lifehacker.com/a-beginner-s-guide-to-mastodon-1828503235
Free, Libre and Open Source on-line services:
- Framasoft, association promoting digital freedoms by providing on-line tools and services https://degooglisons-internet.org/en/list + https://framasoft.org/en/
- April, association for the promotion of F/Loss with Chapril https://www.chapril.org/
- Domaine Public, Hébergeur indépendant et autogéré (Brussels) http://domainepublic.net/
- Nubo, cooperative that wants to provide trustworthy services that will allow one to live a digital life with confidence, with an ethical basis (Belgium) https://nubo.coop
- Libre hosters https://libreho.st/ + https://github.com/libresh/awesome-librehosters
The following is the extensive list of software that Olivier sent to Mobo:
==== Media Production in a Free/Libre environment ====
=== free software and distributed networks ===
== base reference links ==
GNU/GPL Free Software definition : http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html
licences : http://www.gnu.org/licenses/licenses.html
open source licences : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_source#Open-source_license
= Desktop gnu linux distributions (adapted to media production): =
Debian : https://debian.org
Ubuntu : https://ubuntu.com
Ubuntu Studio : https://ubuntustudio.org/
LinuxMint : https://linuxmint.com
= Mobile Linux / Android distribution (for better privacy) =
/e/ : an android without google services/surveillance + additionnal services + reconditionned phones : https://e.foundation/
a phone build to support multiple linux mobile system https://www.pine64.org/pinephone/
a phone build with fairtrade and modularity/repairability supporting multiple systems : https://www.fairphone.com/
https://shop.puri.sm/shop/librem-5/ a Linux phone that focuses on security by design
== Creative Commons licences : ==
https://creativecommons.org/
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/
= Content under Creative Commons =
https://www.wikipedia.org/ Wikipedia
https://archive.org/ archive of the internet and host of documents archive
https://www.flickr.com/search/?license=2%2C3%2C4%2C5%2C6%2C9 photos under CC
https://musique-libre.org/ CC Music platform
https://freemusicarchive.org/ CC music platform
https://www.jamendo.com/ CC music platform
https://freesound.org/ CC sounds for creators
https://opengameart.org/ CC video game assets
https://www.opendesk.cc/designs open design of furniture
http://libreobjet.org/ open design
https://www.thingiverse.com library of 3d printable objects
== Libre Software : ==
= display – host – distribute : =
https://videolan.org : VLC
https://yunohost.org/ Yunohost : “3 click app install” hosting debian distribution for self hosting services (home or VPS)
https://yunohost.org/en/apps : web applications available
Nextcloud : cloud application (happily replace propretary “drives”, anhanced privacy/security + collaborative apps)(available on Yunohost)
https://owncast.online self hosted live video and webchat
http://galene.org/ videoconferencing server
https://docs.bigbluebutton.org/ videoconferencing server
https://meet.jit.si videoconferencing server
= Social media =
with Activitypub :
https://www.w3.org/wiki/ActivityPub
https://funkwhale.audio/ funkwhale audio sharing platform
https://pixelfed.social/ pixelfed picture sharing platform (~insta without algo)
https://joinpeertube.org/ Peertube video hosting + live platform (~youtube)
https://github.com/Chocobozzz/PeerTube
https://github.com/Plume-org/Plume federated Blogs
https://joinmastodon.org : Mastodon distributed social media microblog
https://pleroma.social/ Pleroma distributed social media microblog
https://friendi.ca/ Friendica distributed social media
Matrix : https://matrix.org/
a decentralized instant message and live audio/video conversation network
https://matrix.org/clients/ clients for the matrix network
https://element.io : Element : a matrix client
https://fluffychat.im/ Fluffychat : a matrix client
https://matrix.org/docs/guides/installing-synapse : Synapse Matrix Home server (also in Yunohost)
= create : =
https://www.audacityteam.org/ Audacity multi track sound editor (~soundforge)
https://ardour.org/ ardour digital audio workstation (~cubase/protools)
https://natrongithub.github.io/ Natron digital image sequence compositor (~nuke)
https://kdenlive.org/ kdenlive video editor (~première)
https://www.gimp.org/ gimp image editor
https://www.darktable.org/ RAW photo developer
https://krita.org/ krita digital paint
https://mypaint.org/ MyPaint digital paint
https://inkscape.org/ inkscape vector graphic editor
https://github.com/cnc-club/gcodetools plugin for inkscape to export gcode for CNC, laser cutter, vinyl cutter, etc …
https://blender.org blender 3d editor (+ compositor + video editor + realtime vis)
https://videos.blender.org : peertube video of blender.org with tech info, news, tutorials and more
https://blenderartists.org/ historical blender community forum
https://giudansky.com/illustration/infographics/blender-map blender key map poster
https://github.com/vilemduha/blendercam/ blender plugin for CNC tool (cut/engrave/sculpt)
https://alicevision.org/#meshroom photogrammetry 3D reconstruction software
https://www.freecadweb.org/ FreeCAD CAD software (technical, architecture, systems, BIM, FEA, CNC, robot, etc… )
http://www.openscad.org/ script based CAD software
https://www.libreoffice.org/ libre office suite (also available online in nextcloud)
https://godotengine.org/ godot game engine (~unity)
https://www.materialmaker.org/ 3d material synth (~substance)
https://obsproject.com/ Open Broadcast Studio software for video stream compositing and broadcasting
== Hardware : ==
= open source hardware =
= the network of hackerspaces and fablabs : =
https://hackerspaces.org/
https://wiki.hackerspaces.org/List_of_Hackerspaces
http://fablab.org/
https://www.fablabs.io/labs
https://www.fabhub.io/
= Open source filming =
https://www.apertus.org/ open hardware pro camera
https://magiclantern.fandom.com/wiki/Magic_Lantern_Firmware_Wiki alternative firmware for Canon DSLR
https://chdk.fandom.com/wiki/CHDK Alternative Firmware for Canon Powershot cameras
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:113865 printable analog film camera
= open source ecology : =
https://www.opensourceecology.org/
https://latelierpaysan.org/
= the famous 3d printers : =
https://reprap.org/wiki/RepRap : wiki of the original “open source 3d printer” project and it’s many derivatives
https://reprap.org/wiki/About
= the famous Arduino : =
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arduino
https://arduino.cc/
= brands of open hardware =
https://olimex.com : a brand of open hardware electronics
https://mntre.com : a brand of open hardware electronics and laptop
= brands of native linux computers : =
https://tuxedocomputers.com/ (germany)
https://puri.sm (USA)
https://system76.com/ (USA)(high end prod systems available)