The Free Software Foundation (FSF) Hosts Global Free Software Hackathon to Mark 40th Anniversary
The Free Software Foundation, a prominent advocate for software freedom, has announced a global hackathon as part of its 40th-anniversary celebrations. The event, scheduled for November 21-23, 2025, aims to unite the free software community to collaboratively improve and expand the ecosystem of libre software. The FSF, which has been at the forefront of promoting software freedom since its founding, is inviting both individual contributors and software projects to participate in the hackathon, which will run online to accommodate participants worldwide.
Among the projects set to take part in the hackathon are key initiatives such as the GNU/Linux distribution and package manager GNU Guix, the boot software distribution GNU Boot, the media publishing system MediaGoblin, and the Free Software Directory, which serves as the FSF’s catalog of free software. These projects have already committed to submitting their own initiatives for the event. The FSF’s hackathon guidelines, which outline the rules and expectations for participants, are available online for review.
Contributions from participants will be evaluated by a panel appointed by the FSF, with the most impactful projects and individual contributions receiving recognition and awards. The hackathon will conclude with a closing ceremony, where the achievements of the event will be celebrated, and future endeavors will be discussed. This initiative reflects the FSF’s ongoing commitment to fostering innovation, collaboration, and the continued growth of the free software movement.