The FSF is proud to announce the newest addition to our list of fully free GNU/Linux distributions, adding its first ever small system distribution, LibreWRT. LibreWRT is a GNU/Linux distribution for computers with minimal resources, such as the Ben Nanonote and some ath9k-based wifi routers. We have actually been using LibreWRT here at the office since late last year.

The "small system distributions" designation is new category in our endorsed distributions list. One of the criteria for inclusion on the list of fully free systems has been that the system must be self-hosting. That means that you must be able to build all the software on the system using free tools included with it. That doesn't really work for small systems such as LibreWRT, which are stripped-down in order to fit the limited device capacities. While not all of the software can be built on the target device itself, you can still build the entire system using free tools available on other fully free endorsed distributions like Trisquel GNU/Linux. LibreWRT is the first fully free small system distribution, but hopefully there will be more in the future.

A beta of version 2.0 was recently released, and the project is looking for more people to test it out. In addition to becoming a tester, there are other ways to get involved with the project, such as joining the mailing list or IRC channel. So jump in, join the fun, and help us welcome the newest addition to our list of fully free GNU/Linux distributions.