GNU Linux-libre 6.16-gnu

Freedo freedo at linux-libre.fsfla.org
Mon Jul 28 04:36:22 UTC 2025


Hello, free world,

*waves wing*

I'm Freedo, the spokespenguin for GNU Linux-libre.

Release 6.16-gnu is now hiding (in plain sight :-) at:

git://linux-libre.fsfla.org/releases.git/
tags {scripts,sources,logs}/v6.16-gnu

Pre-compressed tarballs can already be found at:

- https://www.fsfla.org/selibre/linux-libre/download/releases/6.16-gnu/

You may soon find compiled releases at:

- https://www.fsfla.org/selibre/linux-libre/download/freesh/ (.deb)

- https://www.fsfla.org/selibre/linux-libre/download/rpmfreedom/ (.rpm)


# Cleaning up news

* neutered blob loading and even an inline blob (eeew!) in new drivers
for Intel qat 6xxx crypto, ST vd55g1 sensor, ath12k AHB wifi, Aeonsemi
AS21xxx and MediaTek 25Gb ethernet PHY

* cleaned up blob names in new Qualcomm and MediaTek ARM64 devicetree
files

* adjusted cleaning up of Intel microcode loader docs, Nova Core and
Nouveau drivers for Nvidia GPUs, Realtek r8169 ethernet, Qualcomm Iris
and Venus video decoders, Mediatek mt7996 wifi, Qualcomm ath11k and
ath12k wifi, Texas Instruments tas2781 codec and speaker amplifier, and
Renesas R-Car gen4 PCIe controller doc.

* cleaning up of new blob names in Intel VPU, AMD GPU, and btusb blob
names that had already been backported into stable 6.15.*-gnu releases
during the 6.16-gnu development cycle.

In the 6.15-gnu announcement, I said:

> Anyhow, we'd like to fix it for later stable releases, we're just not
> sure how, and we don't have the tools handy to experiment with.

Thanks to David Pizarro for the fixes, available in recent 6.15.*-gnu
stable releases, that we've hopefully adapted correctly for 6.16-gnu.


# Artwork

We enjoy playing hide and seek.  Finding blobs is kind of fun.
But sometimes I also have fun hiding.  Tutor Jason took a picture in
which GNU is trying to find me.  Evil Bob and Evil Blob don't seem to
know how to play, whereas Tux hides really well.
https://linux-libre.fsfla.org/~freedo/#news


# Keeping in touch

Follow me in the Fediverse for fresh news about GNU Linux-libre.
https://mastodon.social/@freedo

My tutors jxself and lxo are also on IRC:
#gnu-linux-libre on libera.chat.

There's also a mailing list you're welcome to join:
https://www.fsfla.org/mailman/listinfo/linux-libre

That was all, everyone.  Be Free! with GNU Linux-libre.

*waves wings*

And now, find me if you can!

*goes back into hiding* :-)


# Rolling credits

What is GNU Linux-libre?
------------------------

  GNU Linux-libre is a Free version of the kernel Linux (see below),
  suitable for use with the GNU Operating System in 100% Free
  GNU/Linux-libre System Distributions.
  http://www.gnu.org/distros/

  It removes non-Free components from Linux, that are disguised as
  source code or distributed in separate files.  It also disables
  run-time requests for non-Free components, shipped separately or as
  part of Linux, and documentation pointing to them, so as to avoid
  (Free-)baiting users into the trap of non-Free Software.
  http://www.fsfla.org/anuncio/2010-11-Linux-2.6.36-libre-debait

  Linux-libre started within the gNewSense GNU/Linux distribution.
  It was later adopted by Jeff Moe, who coined its name, and in 2008
  it became a project maintained by FSF Latin America.  In 2012, it
  became part of the GNU Project.

  The GNU Linux-libre project takes a minimal-changes approach to
  cleaning up Linux, making no effort to substitute components that
  need to be removed with functionally equivalent Free ones.
  Nevertheless, we encourage and support efforts towards doing so.
  http://libreplanet.org/wiki/LinuxLibre:Devices_that_require_non-free_firmware

  Our mascot is Freedo, a light-blue penguin that has just come out
  of the shower.  Although we like penguins, GNU is a much greater
  contribution to the entire system, so its mascot deserves more
  promotion.  See our web page for their images.
  http://linux-libre.fsfla.org/

  If you are the author of an awesome program and want to join us in
  writing Free (libre) Software, please consider making it an official
  GNU program and become a GNU Maintainer.  You can find instructions
  on how to do so at https://www.gnu.org/help/evaluation.  We look
  forward to hacking with you! :)


What is Linux?
--------------

  Linux is a clone of the Unix kernel [...]

(snipped from Documentation/admin-guide/README.rst)


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