GNU40 - Celebration in the US

• When? October 1, 2023, 14:00 to 18:00 EDT
• Where? Free Software Foundation, 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110, USA
• What? A day for families, hackers, and hackers-to-be
• Link: https://www.fsf.org/events/gnu40
• Registration: https://my.fsf.org/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=127

No matter if you are an advanced hacker or a hacker-to-be, if you want to learn the basics of hacking or just hang out with others while working on your own project, you are invited. Bring your fellow students, family, or neighbors to hack along, get a gnu painted on your face, or just eat cake and socialize.

Preliminary program

• 14:00 Doors open

• 14:15-14:30 Welcome address by FSF and opening

• 14:45-17:45 Face painting and other activities for kids

• 14:45-15:45 Music Blocks: Programming for kids session one

  Age group: 7-13 years of age

  Learn programming in a fun way with Music Blocks! This workshop will get you started with the basics of Music Blocks visual programming, as well as introduce you to some inspirational projects that combine computation and music in a beautiful, authentic way. Laptops will be provided for use during the workshop.

  What is Music Blocks? Music Blocks is a visual programming language and collection of manipulative tools for exploring musical and mathematical concepts in an integrative and fun way. As seventeenth century German polymath Leibniz put it, "music is a hidden arithmetic exercise of the soul, which does not know that it is counting."

• 14:45-15:45 How to flash GNU Boot onto an X200 laptop

  FSF senior system administrator Ian Kelling will be conducting a workshop on how to flash the freedom-respecting boot firmware GNU Boot onto an X200 laptop computer and a KGPE-D16 workstation motherboard. Any attendees who have those computer models are welcome to bring them and get them flashed. GNU Boot is an ethical replacement for the nonfree boot firmware (or BIOS) included with all modern computers. This workshop is intended for a technical audience. This workshop is intended for a technical audience.

• 14:45-17:45 Exploring free software: Bash, Emacs, and more!

  Depending on your skill level, you can learn the basics of popular free software programs like GNU Bash (the command line), GNU Emacs (the programmer's editor), and more! We'll have laptop stations set up according to your familiarity with free software, allowing you to take the "next step" in learning the GNU System no matter where you're at.

  And if you're a veteran GNU hacker already? Feel free to join us and socialize while hacking on your own project or favorite piece of GNU software.

• 14:45-17:45 Hack for GNU

  Bring your own project or get started with a volunteer coordinator.

• 16:00-17:00 Music Blocks: Programming for kids session two

  Learn programming in a fun way with Music Blocks! This workshop will get you started with the basics of Music Blocks visual programming, as well as introduce you to some inspirational projects that combine computation and music in a beautiful, authentic way. Laptops will be provided for use during the workshop.

  What is Music Blocks? Music Blocks is a visual programming language and collection of manipulative tools for exploring musical and mathematical concepts in an integrative and fun way. As seventeenth century German polymath Leibniz put it, "music is a hidden arithmetic exercise of the soul, which does not know that it is counting."

  (This is a second presentation of the Music Blocks environment.)

• 16:30-17:45 How to flash GNU Boot onto an X200 laptop

  FSF senior system administrator Ian Kelling will be conducting a workshop on how to flash the freedom-respecting boot firmware GNU Boot onto an X200 laptop computer and a KGPE-D16 workstation motherboard. Any attendees who have those computer models are welcome to bring them and get them flashed. GNU Boot is an ethical replacement for the nonfree boot firmware (or BIOS) included with all modern computers. This workshop is intended for a technical audience. This workshop is intended for a technical audience.

• 17:45-17:00 Closing notes

You don't need to register to the event, but registration is recommended as it will assist us in our planning. Admission is free, and donations are welcome. There will not be a livestream available, but we will be sharing photos from both events on the day through our social media channels. We recommend that you take basic protective measures against COVID-19 to protect yourself and others.

Please email campaigns@fsf.org if you are interested in adding to the program by offering a workshop, learning station, or assistance for hackers and/or hackers-to-be.

Celebration and hacker meeting in Switzerland

There will also be a hacker meeting in Switzerland, which will feature presentations about various GNU packages, hacking, and making new releases.

• When? September 27, 2023, 9:00-22:00 CEST
• Where? Volkshaus in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland
• What? Hacker meeting
• Link: https://www.gnu.org/gnu40/

See the official website for more information.

Support the FSF and the GNU System

Please donate to support the FSF and GNU for the next forty years to come. Only with your help, can we continue to sponsor the GNU System and to promote the development and use of free software and documentation.