Post by @stefano@mastodon.bsd.cafe

Tomorrow, Saturday, October 24, 2026, I'll be speaking at Linux Day in Modena, with a talk titled "Beyond Linux: A Journey Through the Open Source Ecosystem."

Will I talk about Linux? Of course. But I'll also talk about BSD, illumos, monocultures, and why we should never forget that there are always other paths worth exploring.

Linux proved that an alternative was possible. It would be a shame if that alternative became, in turn, a new imposition.

Because monocultures are a problem, even in the Open Source world. And because freedom isn't about everyone doing things the same way, but about being able to choose a different way.

Open Source and closed minds don't mix.

https://makeitmodena.comune.modena.it/makeitmodena/eventi/24-ottobre-2026-linux-day

#Linux #LinuxDay #IT #OwnYourData #RunBSD #BSD #FreeBSD #NetBSD #OpenBSD #illumos #LinuxDay2026

Rete Civica Monet

24 Ottobre 2026 - Linux Day

Giornata nazionale per il software libero e l’open source

#linuxday2026 #linuxday #it #illumos #runbsd #ownyourdata #freebsd #netbsd #openbsd #bsd #linux

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DHeadshot's Alt

@ddlyh@topspicy.social 1 hr. ago

@stefano
I remember looking for alternative operating systems to try 15-20 years ago and being annoyed so many turned it to just be another Linux distro. It's probably even worse now. We need more people experimenting with other OS concepts!

R.L. Dane :Debian: :FreeBSD: :OpenBSD: :NetBSD:🍵 :MiraLovesYou:

@rl_dane@polymaths.social 1 hr. ago

@ddlyh @stefano

Corporate, proprietary monocultures: suck

"Free and Open Source" monocultures: still suck

Embrace the weird. 😄

#BSD #RunBSD #Haiku #HaikuOS #Plan9 #9Front #FreeDOS #ReactOS #That_One_Other_Niche_Unix_Like_OS_I_Kinda_Like_But_Wont_Mention_Because_The_Creator_Is_Unfortunately_Politicially_Dicey_But_Probably_A_Nice_Person_Just_Seriously_Lacking_In_Awareness_Maybe_I_Dunno_Please_Dont_Shoot_Me

DHeadshot's Alt

@ddlyh@topspicy.social 60 min. ago

@rl_dane
Wait, is the Mark Williams Company dodgy then? #Coherent
@stefano

R.L. Dane :Debian: :FreeBSD: :OpenBSD: :NetBSD:🍵 :MiraLovesYou:

@rl_dane@polymaths.social 52 min. ago

@ddlyh @stefano

No, I was referring to SerenityOS.

Neat idea, and I honestly don't think the guy behind (Kling) it is an areshole, per se, but his political opinions are kinda dicey, and very understandably unpopular here.

~4 more replies

Andrew (making toys)

@ajroach42@retro.social 45 min. ago

@rl_dane @ddlyh @stefano Oh right, the only-men-use-computer guy

kaleidoscopic

@fuzzy@beige.party 3 days ago

@stefano

"Open Source and closed minds don't mix."

With all due respect: this seems somewhat inconsistent with the recently introduced rule to not promote use of AI.

"… freedom … being able to choose a different way. …".

Stefano Marinelli

@stefano@mastodon.bsd.cafe 2 days ago

@fuzzy That's a fair point, and I understand your concern.

The rule doesn't prohibit discussing AI, using it, or expressing positive opinions about it.

My concern is that much of today's AI ecosystem is controlled by a handful of corporations whose business models encourage increasing dependence on their services.

And that's exactly what my talk was about: avoiding monocultures, preserving alternatives, and remaining independent.

Freedom of choice also means being able to make a cup of tea without asking a corporate AI service how to do it.

But there's another important aspect: the community itself.

I don't want BSD Cafe to become yet another battleground.

Today, people can discuss ZFS on Linux versus ZFS on FreeBSD without attacking each other. Discussions around AI, however, often become extremely heated, with people on both sides fiercely defending their positions.

I want BSD Cafe to remain a place where people can disagree respectfully, feel welcome, and enjoy being part of the community.

Open-mindedness doesn't mean uncritical acceptance, but it certainly means respecting different opinions.

And there's something else worth remembering: BSD Cafe isn't a single-user instance. There are hundreds of people here, each with their own ideas, experiences, and expectations.

My responsibility is to listen to them, understand their concerns, and try to keep this community a peaceful, welcoming, and positive place.

Every decision will make some people happy and disappoint others. That's unavoidable.

I'm not claiming to have all the answers, and I'm always willing to reconsider things.

Unfortunately, there's no universal answer to this particular question.

I even tried typing 42, but nothing happened. 🙂

kaleidoscopic

@fuzzy@beige.party 2 days ago

@stefano I thought, silently, of many things when I moved from the Cafe.

A single-user instance was amongst my thoughts. It's a possibility, however I can't imagine it becoming a priority.

I'm more interested in spending my "IT" time on stuff that's directly related, or adjacent, to FreeBSD.

#Mastodon #FreeBSD #UNIX #Linux

kaleidoscopic

@fuzzy@beige.party 2 days ago

@stefano thank you. This is the eloquence that I admire. I hope that the talk went well.

My concern, in as few words as possible:

― a non-ambiguous four-word rule should not require an additional 350-word explanation.

Compare the 354 words at https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/about with this, which I bookmarked on 3rd October:

https://masto.ai/about

– rules 8, 9, and 10 in particular.

The beauty of rule 10:

– its four words, which require fewer than ten additional words of explanation.

If you can, please:

1. use more than four words for the Cafe's rule 12 to express your true emotions – your words as a barista

2. check that your freely expressed emotions are harmonious with a real-world cafe culture, where patrons are free to gather at tables and discuss pretty much whatever they like at a table.

In the real world: not everyone is obliged to sit within earshot of each other at a single. Hundreds of people talking at and over each other would be ridiculous.

In Mastodon: preferences include filters.