GNewSense

What is gNewSense?

gNewSense is a free GNU/Linux operating system. In this case, free refers to freedom like free speech rather than free beer, which means you're allowed to do the following with gNewSense:

• Use it for any purpose you like
• Distribute copies of gNewSense to any one you want
• Study the source code of gNewSense and understand its working. (This is largely impossible with Windows or OS X)
• Modify gNewSense so that it suits your purposes. (This is largely impossible with Windows or OS X)

What's so great about gNewSense?

gNewSense is great as it offers you the four freedoms as stated above. Well you can use Windows or OS X for any purpose you want. People who protect us, like police and army, use them; terrorists use Windows and OS X, too. The good news is that gNewSense can be used for anything, to create, to protect and to destroy. So gNewSense is leveled with competitive operating systems.

Now let's talk about the second point of free software: to distribute it freely to your friends, and possibly enemies to get their good will, to family and loved ones. With gNewSense you can distribute the operating system because it's free(dom). If you distribute Windows or OS X, you will still be happy if you like to count bars behind prison. You will be called a pirate, criminal and possibly enemy of the state.

If the above paragraph shocked you, then we must remind you that we are not kidding. It could happen to you if you use Windows or OS X. So you'd better start using gNewSense or risk facing the cold shoulder of society. In court you could argue that you had purchased Microsoft Windows or Mac OS X for yourself and that you have the right to do anything you want with what you own. Well the bad news is even if you have purchased a copy of a proprietary Operating System, you do not own it.

Microsoft and Apple have the right to control you if you are using their software. Believe it or not it's the awful truth. If you are using proprietary software the software vendor may spy on you, may not release crucial updates in time, may not allow you to modify the operating system because they think its a security breach.

So why did those companies launch and market their operating system? A simple answer is that they think, and have mostly succeeded, in fooling people around. They make you pay for them to shackle you! And that's a fact.

Coming to the third point of free software. You should be able to study the code and understand how it works. Well, for Windows and OS X the source code isn't made available to you. And it's practically difficult and almost impossible in all cases to find out how software works from binary files. Microsoft and Apple don't want you to know how their software works, simply because they are afraid of competition. In gNewSense you can study the source code of the software, find how it works and possibly create your own GNU/Linux distribution, if you are skilled enough.

Now the fourth law of free software, to modify it for your own purpose. gNewSense allows you to modify the software so that it fits your needs. If you try to modify Microsoft's or Apple's software, you will be labeled a criminal and possibly fined millions of dollars and put behind bars.

In short gNewSense is great, so start using it.

Getting gNewSense CD

To get gNewsense go to http://cdimage.gnewsense.org/ where you will find the latest CD images. But it's recommended that you download via Bittorrent by going to http://torrent.gnewsense.org/. You can check out various mirrors for gNewSense by visiting http://www.gnewsense.org/Mirrors/Mirrors.

If you are using a Windows Operating System, use tools like Free Download Manager or use Bittorrent client. Visit http://www.opendisc.org to get to know about many free programs that you can use on Windows.

Once you have got the CD, you need to burn it. In Windows just click the iso file twice (double click) for it to guide you on burning the CD.

Booting Up

Once you have burned the image on to your disk, put it into your computer disk drive and restart your computer. In a short notice you will see a screen like shown

Just press enter. If all goes well you will be able to see gNewSense live user screen as shown below

Now you can start playing with 100% free Operating System software.

Installing on your PC

Installing on the Yeeloong Laptop of Lemote Tech

The aim of the project gNewSenseToMips is to realize the intention of The Free Software Foundation to port the gNewSense distribution (http://www.gnewsense.org/static/homepage/ ) on the Yeeloong laptop (http://www.lemote.com/english/yeeloong.html ) manufactured by Lemote Tech (http://www.lemote.com/ ).

Project page : http://wiki.gnewsense.org/Projects/GNewSenseToMIPS