FAQ

So, who are you?

We started up as an informal group of enthusiasts, who went on to set-up a non-profit organization, to make sure our project would stay on the right track.

We’re ordinary people from around the world. Neither cold-blooded corporate champions, nor communist hippies: just enthusiastic, modest people with an extraordinary sense of humor.
Wait, was that a serious question?

Why are you doing this?

We find free software to be a very important concept. We could not find a website to present both the GNU/Linux operating system and the philosophy behind it in a clear way. So we made one ourselves.

How do you make money?

We don’t. At the moment, the development of the website is entirely voluntary, and some of our costs are covered by sponsorship and donations. The rest comes from our own pockets –see below the FAQ section on GNU/Linux Matters and money.

Do you hate Microsoft?

No. (though the opposite is probably true). We simply believe that proprietary software is hurting our society. If Microsoft abandon restrictive licensing clauses and adopt open formats, we will happily remove our Windows page. We are not an anti-Microsoft organisation, but instead focus on freedom in software.

I’d like to switch to Linux but I don’t know if….

Please head over to the Nuxified.org forums, where many friendly techies will help you out and answer your questions about free software.

We focus on freedomware advocacy, so don’t provide technical help or support.

Why do you recommend these three distributions?

Regrettably, this is by far the most frequent input we receive. Typically, the remarks fall into either of the following categories:

• “The (hear: my favorite) distribution %XY is far better than the ones you recommend”
• “There are at least three dozen more distributions you should add, to show newcomers how amazing this is”.

So, yes, we do realise there are many other alternatives, some of which far better in this or that respect.
But, everyday users have very different needs and expectations than you and us. They think about software perhaps the way you think about car tires, because they have better things to worry about (see perhaps this talk by one of us).
The fact is, the technical difference between one distribution and another will not make much of a difference in terms of market share. Finding a large number of people in many languages will.
As for providing newcomers with a large panel of distributions to choose from, this talk by Barry Schwartz explains well why large choice is not always this good.

We carefully picked a few GNU/Linux distributions. Going through these discussions, modifying our descritptions, updating the contents of a website translated into multiple languages, costs a lot of energy and yields very little. Please help us move on to more effective actions.

Can’t you just write “GNU/Linux” all the time?

Why is it you can’t seem to decide whether it’s “Linux” or “GNU/Linux”?

Tough question. We wish to start by saying that we share the FSF’s view on the subject and have a Linux FAQ post to explain the meaning of it all.

We try to appeal to a large audience –reach these people who never heard about free software and barely remotely heard the word “Linux”. We want them to find us before they type linux.org and run away from it. So we frequently use the term “Linux”.

At the same time, we try to explain what free software means throughout the website. We try to stand mid-way between the FSF’s website (rigorous, precise, detailed, philosophical, but no place to send your mum straight to if you want her to switch) and a SpreadFirefox-like campaign (efficient, clear, simple marketing, but oblivious to free software ideas).

You can think of it this way: we want to bring “GNU/Linux” and “free software” up in the search results for “Linux”. There are corresponding compromises that go with it and we hope you will respect and understand our decisions! = )

Why not use the domain GetLinux.org?

Sure, you prefer to say “GNU/Linux”, but you could have the domain getlinux.org (or .com) and have it redirect to the actual website?

The GetLinux.org domain is reserved by someone else with different plans.
We haven’t tracked down the owner of GetLinux.com yet– if you can help us, get in touch.

Can I earn credits/money for linking to you?

No, there is no advertising revenue, reward credits or air miles to be earned with us.
Link to us nevertheless to receive near-eternal gratitude and multiple blessings –not to mention that warm feeling inside, and the knowledge that you help thousands discover free software.

Do you know the meaning of Life?

Do you have a sense of humor?

Why do you not display Tux?

Larry Ewing made a nice penguin which is the official Linux mascot! You should use it! I love that penguin!

Well we don’t like it. The level of marketing displayed by Microsoft and Apple make it questionable whether Tux the penguin is a suitable icon in 2008.

Why don’t you get yourself a dictionary / grammar book?

English is not our mother language, and errors might subsist. If you spot some typo or awkwardness, please file a bug.

Do you take full responsibility for the advice on your websites?

I used to be a billionaire, but then I read something on your website and now I am a complete loser. Can I send you to jail?

No. Please read the Terms of use of our websites, which you have to agree to when you browse our websites. We provide all of this information in good faith, believing it is true and hoping it is useful. But we might be complete morons who don’t know what they are writing – you read this at your own risk and assume full responsibility for your actions.

What does “non-profit” mean?

GNU/Linux Matters is a non-profit organization, more exactly defined as an “association de loi 1901″ in France where it is registered. This has two important consequences:

1. GNU/Linux Matters has no owners. There are no shares and no dividends. It cannot be sold or bought.
2. The association’s possessions, which include the website GetGNULinux.org and its translations, cannot be transferred to its members, even if it should ever be dissolved.

Non-profit does not mean “no-money”, there are non-negligible costs involved in our activities.

How can I be sure you will do what you say?

It’s not just promises. The above requisites are imposed on all “associations de loi 1901″ by the French law. We are registered in the “Journal Officiel”, our bylaws are law-binding ; our SIRET number is 497 846 587 00017 and our bank account IBAN is FR76 30003 00228 00037270093 90. The French love paperwork, so we have plenty more exciting numbers. Just contact us for more details.

So what do you do with the money?

Our yearly budget is of roughly 3000EUR. Our financial report for 2007, a legible 4-page PDF document, should give you a good overview of where these come from and where they are spent.

Do you intend to earn money at all?

Yes we do. We’ve dedicated a huge amount of time to our association for over a year, and today it’d be great if our work for GNU/Linux Matters could generate enough to pay for food. GetGNULinux.org and its translations can’t go on forever without a moderate, but reliable income – thus our call for sponsorships.

Does this mean ads for casinos and online dating are coming?

Surely not. Our websites work because we are clear and relevant. We might set-up commercial links, only if they are relevant (promoting services or products based on free software), clearly identified, and non-obtrusive (see our bylaws).

Can’t you simply make a living selling your T-shirts?

Selling T-shirts is barely profitable and very time-consuming. We’re looking at other business models ;-)

Are my donations tax-deductible?

Unfortunately not. We are strictly non-profit, but in France partial tax deduction on donations is only achievable if we are recognised “d’utilité générale“, the result of an extremely time-expensive, tedious procedure, which we haven’t undertaken (yet).

More questions? Just ask.