Developer Meeting Notes 2025 II

Announcements
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Developer Meeting Notes 2025 II (29th May)

  • Gnoppix 25.7 Release: Gnoppix 25.7 will feature KDE 6.4.1, which is scheduled for release on June 24th.

  • Interviews (Gnoppix) :

    • Thanks to Mark for conducting the interview with GovTec - release June 5th.
    • Amu also completed an interview with Tuta release - June 20th with Hanna.

  • Comex 2025 Invitation: Kim said: Gnoppix been invited to Comex 2025 in Singapore and have been offered a free stall. Please let us know if someone interested in attending (this incl. also Visa sponsoring if needed!) We need to report asap.

  • BYD Developer Request (Nova) : Add said: BYD has requested another dedicated Linux Developer. If you know anyone suitable, please report their name and send their CV.

  • Thai – EGA (Nova) Got their 1st. RC with Debian Trixie.

  • General Questions & Discussion for Gnoppix :

    • Amu brought up being frequently pinged regarding more frequent public releases of arch and free images, including other desktop environments like Enlightenment. After a vote, this was not agreed upon due to the current developer capacity. It was even suggested that we might need to reduce the number of public releases further.
    • KDE e.V. privately asked Amu help in testing KDE 6.4. Beta An image has been created and uploaded to SourceForge for this purpose.
    • Question to Amu: Can you create a similar image for Gnome 49 alpha?
    • Amu’s Response: This is not currently requested, so we won’t be doing it at this time. Based on my direct inquiry to the GNOME Foundation, they explicitly stated that Gnoppix is a competitor to their new GNOME NGOs. I don’t accept this mindset, so the priority for GNOME is as low as possible.

  • Amu’s Response: to KDE Discussion: When asked about an official KDE version, Amu responded: “It’s not just Kubuntu; the German and another (undisclosed) government desktop were also based on KDE. People in Germany tend to prefer KDE. I’ve been thinking, since we already have a client with a Kiosk mode, we could potentially strip that down and offer a KDE version for Gnoppix. The main problem, however, is support and bug fixing. This could be interesting for companies – remember my friend uses KDE/Linux as a terminal solution to replace Windows. But without more manpower, I don’t want Nova to spend additional resources on another desktop environment. Let me consider this further until the transition from Debian Bookworm to Trixie is complete.” It was also noted that Kubuntu still doesn’t get any credit for its creation. Additionally, a personal experience shared was how “Gnome-ish” Kubuntu looks, noting that Ubuntu’s move towards “political correctness” has made it less intuitive, and the day they sold user data to Amazon “ended everything.” Perhaps it’s time for a KDE restart.

Community and Future of Gnoppix

A significant discussion revolved around the long-term sustainability and community involvement for Gnoppix:

  • Financial and Support Constraints: Add said: Nova cannot finance or fully support Gnoppix long-term without more community involvement.

  • Financial Situation: Sud said : Gnoppix donations are currently less than $600, while our monthly costs are still $1800.

  • We need to stop supporting free AI, which would drop our monthly costs to approximately $72 2. We should explore requesting another 12-month “trial” from Google Cloud/Cloudflare or finding a long-term sponsor who can share GPU power or directly donate to Gnoppix.

  • Gnoppix vs. Nova Compatibility: As Amu explained, the development of Gnoppix and Nova is no longer identical. Parts from Nova aren’t compatible with Gnoppix, and vice-versa. Nova’s desktop is based on Debian, while Gnoppix has been Arch Linux.

  • Gnoppix’s Stance: Add said: Gnoppix is not a welfare organization. We will continue to prioritize support for our members and frequently release images for them. Lets do it like this, Nova sideproduct is Gnoppix. This makes easy for for Gnoppix to act fast on issues.

  • Future Options for Public Support: We discussed several options for public support:

    • Asking if someone in the community is interested in taking this on (e.g., social media posts).
    • Bringing Gnoppix back to Debian. This significantly simplify things for Gnoppix.
    • In the worst-case scenario, stopping in 2030 Gnoppix public support.

  • Current Public Engagement: Amu noted that everything is currently automated. There are few public questions on Discord, and ticket numbers are low. GGOS-Singapore also confirmed they are fine with the current situation.

  • Debian Transition for Gnoppix: Mark said: While currently it only works with our Nova team’s help, Amu decided that Gnoppix move back to Debian public images . Arch images will be optional until we have a build of Debian unstable. Our Way is stability, this means Debian.

  • Rationale for Debian: Amu said: Gnoppix should not have the latest version numbers of Software. There are other distros out, it is up to them, nothing worse than you boot after an upgrade and nothing works anymore. The stability and smooth upgrades of Debian make it ideal for everyone. Not only Nova clients but everyone should benefit from a stable, secure, and privacy-focused desktop with all our tools.

  • Community and Advertising: Amu said: Gnoppix currently lacks a large community, and we do not actively advertise or go public. It is ok as it is now. With over 30 years of experience, I understand the intricacies of this field. Manjaro, for instance, took a path that led to near bankruptcy; financial dependence is truly the worst outcome for an open-source project. Having concluded my professional career, my focus isn’t on building a reputation or accumulating wealth; my priority is simply to enjoy the work. Even without active advertising, our results speak for themselves. I have no desire to convert or convince anyone; Gnoppix’s technical stack stands on its own merits, and ultimately, we believe everyone will recognize its value. However, should anyone desire a successful future in this domain, I’d be pleased to offer mentorship. Mark is a good candidate for this. Even if he is more in content creation (for now).

  • Mark’s Contribution: Mark is not hired or paid, and for all his efforts, we should at least invite him on Nova holiday trip. ACK.

Amu closed the meeting by thanking everyone for their time and contributions to Gnoppix. They emphasized that without Nova’s help, Gnoppix would not be a viable option for data protection and secure desktops and expressed their satisfaction with what the small team has achieved in just a few years with a minimal budget. Special thanks, of course, go to our sponsors. The next Developer Meeting is end of 2025. We urgently need to find more active community members to become independent from Nova. Ideally, the community or more sponsors could carry our infrastructure costs, allowing us to offer a free desktop to everyone.