BSD?

Have you considered adopting a [desktop-capable] BSD into your program?

(I ask because of Linus' recent curious comments on the use of AI, and
desktop Linux...)

I'd also suggest KDE, but it appears they have their own OS-independent
fundraising arm...

On 2026-10-17 17:51:48 +0000 (+0000), steve(dot)b(at)bitmodeler(dot)com wrote:
> Have you considered adopting a [desktop-capable] BSD into your
> program?
>
> (I ask because of Linus' recent curious comments on the use of AI,
> and desktop Linux...)
>
> I'd also suggest KDE, but it appears they have their own
> OS-independent fundraising arm...

SPI doesn't seek out projects, rather projects request association
with SPI. If one of the free/libre open source BSD Unix based
operating systems sought association with SPI, we wouldn't reject it
on the basis that it's "not Linux" (note that most of our associated
projects aren't operating systems at all, much less GNU/Linux
distributions).

The process by which a project can request association with SPI is
documented here:

https://www.spi-inc.org/projects/associated-project-howto/

To my knowledge, the reason no BSDs are associated with SPI is that
none have asked to be.
--
Jeremy Stanley

I will discuss this with the BSD maintainers. Thanks!

On 10/17/26 03:38 PM, Jeremy Stanley wrote:
> On 2026-10-17 17:51:48 +0000 (+0000), steve(dot)b(at)bitmodeler(dot)com wrote:
>> Have you considered adopting a [desktop-capable] BSD into your program?
>>
>> (I ask because of Linus' recent curious comments on the use of AI,
>> and desktop Linux...)
>>
>> I'd also suggest KDE, but it appears they have their own
>> OS-independent fundraising arm...
>
> SPI doesn't seek out projects, rather projects request association
> with SPI. If one of the free/libre open source BSD Unix based
> operating systems sought association with SPI, we wouldn't reject it
> on the basis that it's "not Linux" (note that most of our associated
> projects aren't operating systems at all, much less GNU/Linux
> distributions).
>
> The process by which a project can request association with SPI is
> documented here:
>
> https://www.spi-inc.org/projects/associated-project-howto/
>
> To my knowledge, the reason no BSDs are associated with SPI is that
> none have asked to be.

On Sun, Oct 18, 2026 at 12:16:20AM -0500, steve(dot)b(at)bitmodeler(dot)com wrote:
> I will discuss this with the BSD maintainers. Thanks!

Note that FreeBSD, NetBSD, and OpenBSD all of their own foundation,
and most of them are have 501(c)(3) status, so that donations by US
people are tax deductible. The primary value that Software in the
Public Interest is that it provides the legal and administrative
umbrella handling donations, contracts, and holding tangible assets
(e.g., a checking account) and intangible assets (e.g., trademarks,
copyright). But that's the role of the FreeBSD, NetBSD, and OpenBSD
foundations. (This is also the role of the Linux Foundation for
Linux, and the Free Software Foundation for the GNU project.)

An exception to this is DragonFly BSD, which doesn't have a formal
foundation supporting it. So perhaps they could request SPI take on
this role --- however, note that it has the most permissive attitude
towards Large Language Models of the various BSD development
communities. For example commit 41fb76421dce ("vkernel: Restore
MAP_VPAGETABLE support with COW/VPTE fix") in the DragonFly BSD git
repository, dated December 2025, has in its commit description "NOTE:
This code was almost fully generated by Claude Opus 4.5".

Cheers,

- Ted

Thank you -I did not know that...

On 10/18/26 08:54 PM, Theodore Tso wrote:
> On Sun, Oct 18, 2026 at 12:16:20AM -0500, steve(dot)b(at)bitmodeler(dot)com wrote:
>> I will discuss this with the BSD maintainers. Thanks!
> Note that FreeBSD, NetBSD, and OpenBSD all of their own foundation,
> and most of them are have 501(c)(3) status, so that donations by US
> people are tax deductible. The primary value that Software in the
> Public Interest is that it provides the legal and administrative
> umbrella handling donations, contracts, and holding tangible assets
> (e.g., a checking account) and intangible assets (e.g., trademarks,
> copyright). But that's the role of the FreeBSD, NetBSD, and OpenBSD
> foundations. (This is also the role of the Linux Foundation for
> Linux, and the Free Software Foundation for the GNU project.)
>
> An exception to this is DragonFly BSD, which doesn't have a formal
> foundation supporting it. So perhaps they could request SPI take on
> this role --- however, note that it has the most permissive attitude
> towards Large Language Models of the various BSD development
> communities. For example commit 41fb76421dce ("vkernel: Restore
> MAP_VPAGETABLE support with COW/VPTE fix") in the DragonFly BSD git
> repository, dated December 2025, has in its commit description "NOTE:
> This code was almost fully generated by Claude Opus 4.5".
>
> Cheers,
>
> - Ted

Hello,

There aren't any flavours of BSD that are member projects currently, and as
Ted pointed out, Dragonfly BSD might be the only real candidate as the
others have their own foundations.

It seems like it might be helpful to point out that the Government of
Canada includes the two-clause and three-clause BSD licenses under the Open
Resource Exchange (here:
https://code.open.canada.ca/en/open-source-softwares.html).So the licenses
are recognized in Canada, if that's helpful. Open source software, more
broadly, is included in the Directive on Service and Digital, here:
https://www.tbs-sct.canada.ca/pol/doc-eng.aspx?id=32601 under point
4.3.22. I'm providing this information for general information/knowledge.

I hope that's helpful in some way,
Katie

On Mon, Oct 19, 2026 at 9:08 AM steve(dot)b(at)bitmodeler(dot)com <
steve(dot)b(at)bitmodeler(dot)com> wrote:

> Thank you -I did not know that...
>
> On 10/18/26 08:54 PM, Theodore Tso wrote:
> > On Sun, Oct 18, 2026 at 12:16:20AM -0500, steve(dot)b(at)bitmodeler(dot)com wrote:
> >> I will discuss this with the BSD maintainers. Thanks!
> > Note that FreeBSD, NetBSD, and OpenBSD all of their own foundation,
> > and most of them are have 501(c)(3) status, so that donations by US
> > people are tax deductible. The primary value that Software in the
> > Public Interest is that it provides the legal and administrative
> > umbrella handling donations, contracts, and holding tangible assets
> > (e.g., a checking account) and intangible assets (e.g., trademarks,
> > copyright). But that's the role of the FreeBSD, NetBSD, and OpenBSD
> > foundations. (This is also the role of the Linux Foundation for
> > Linux, and the Free Software Foundation for the GNU project.)
> >
> > An exception to this is DragonFly BSD, which doesn't have a formal
> > foundation supporting it. So perhaps they could request SPI take on
> > this role --- however, note that it has the most permissive attitude
> > towards Large Language Models of the various BSD development
> > communities. For example commit 41fb76421dce ("vkernel: Restore
> > MAP_VPAGETABLE support with COW/VPTE fix") in the DragonFly BSD git
> > repository, dated December 2025, has in its commit description "NOTE:
> > This code was almost fully generated by Claude Opus 4.5".
> >
> > Cheers,
> >
> > - Ted
>
>
>
>