Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 16, 2026

Freespire

Freespire is a community-driven Linux distribution currently owned by PC/Open Systems LLC. It is derived from Linspire and is composed mostly of free, open source software, while providing users the choice of including proprietary software including multimedia codecs, device drivers and application software.

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Freespire
DeveloperPC/Open Systems LLC
OS familyLinux (Unix-like)
Working stateRevived/Current
Source modelOpen source (with optional proprietary components)
Latest release101 / 7 December 2023 (7 December 2023)
Repositorynone
Available inEnglish
Supported platformsx86-642
Kernel typeMonolithic kernel
Default
user interface		KDE Plasma (versions 1.8.2 onward)
LicenseFree software licenses (mostly GPL) with optional proprietary-licensed components
Official websitewww.freespire.net

Freespire is a community-driven Linux distribution currently owned by PC/Open Systems LLC. It is derived from Linspire and is composed mostly of free, open source software, while providing users the choice of including proprietary software including multimedia codecs, device drivers and application software.

Freespire 1.0 was based on Debian, while Freespire 2.0 was based on Ubuntu. Linspire was bought by Xandros, who originally planned to switch back to Debian for future Freespire releases.3

On January 1, 2018, PC/Open Systems announced it had purchased Linspire from Xandros and released Freespire 3.0. While Linspire is available for $29.99,4 Freespire 3.0 is free.5

History

In August 2005, a distribution Live CD based on Linspire's source pools named Freespire hit the web by accident.6 This distribution was created by Andrew Betts and was not produced or released by Linspire Inc. Freespire was confused by some users to be an actual product from Linspire, and at the request of Linspire the distribution adopted a development codename Squiggle and began looking for a new name. Linspire then, on the back of the generated publicity, offered users a "free Linspire" (purchase price discounted to $0) by using the coupon code "Freespire" until September 9, 2005. Squiggle OS is no longer in active development.

On April 24, 2006, Linspire announced its own project named "Freespire".7 The new Freespire distribution was announced by then Linspire President and former CEO Kevin Carmony. This follows to the model of Fedora being supported by Red Hat and the community since 2003. Novell had also started a similar community project by the name of openSUSE for its SUSE Linux product line in the second half of 2005.

Xandros acquired Linspire/Freespire in the Summer of 2008.8 Xandros had plans to keep Freespire as a community developed distribution similar to that of openSUSE and Fedora for their respective commercial distributions.

Freespire 2.0.8, released on 30 November 2007,9 and based on Ubuntu 7.04, was the final release until the distribution was revived with 3.0 in January 2018.10

Features

The distribution is a Debian-based, community-driven and -supported project tied to the commercial Linspire distribution. Freespire includes previously proprietary elements from Linspire, such as the Click N' Run (CNR) client, while other elements, which Linspire itself licenses but does not own, like the Windows Media Audio compatibility libraries, remain proprietary, closed source. Consequently, there are two versions of Freespire, one with the proprietary, closed source libraries, and one, called Freespire OSS Edition, that includes mostly open-source components. Freespire has a number of in-house programs written in Haskell and OCaml, such as its ISO image builder, its hardware detection and autoconfiguration, its package autobuilder and "Debian library", and also the programs managing the CGI.

Releases

Version Release date Notes
1.0 Release Candidate (1.0.2) 2006-07-2811 Release candidate
1.0 (1.0.13)1213 2006-08-0414 Public release based on Debian, Linux kernel 2.6.14, and KDE 3.3.215
2.0 RC (1.9.0) 2007-07-1016 Release candidate
2.017 2007-08-0718 Public release based on Ubuntu 7.04, Linux 2.6.20, and KDE 3.5.6,19 with the built-in CNR 7 plug-in
2.0.8 2007-11-30 Fixes and Beta CNR plug-in9
3.052021222324 2018-01-01 Have Linux kernel 4.10.0-42, Mozilla Firefox Quantum web-browser, and other software updates.
3.0.125 2018-01-14 Meltdown and Spectre fix.
3.0.6.526 2018-02-08 Linux kernel updated to 4.13.0-32, added new UI tweaks for feedback about distro, removed GParted, updates until February 7, 2018 are applied and more.
3.0.8 2018-03-19
4.027 2018-08-20 Migration from Ubuntu 16.4 LTS to 18.04 LTS base
4.528 2018-12-20 Security updates
4.829 2019-05-03 Various Updates
5.030 2019-10-15 Various Updates
6.0 2020-02-10 Various Updates
6.0.331 2020-06-22
7.032 2020-10-30
7.133 2020-12-28
7.534 2021-05-09
7.735 2021-07-30
8.036 2021-12-05
8.237 2022-03-02 Swap desktop from MATE to KDE Plasma 5.
9.038 2023-01-23 Swap desktop from KDE Plasma 5 to Xfce
9.539 2023-05-08 Various Updates
1040 2023-12--7 Swap desktop from Xfce to modified GNOME
See also

See also

References

References

  1. Roberto J. Dohnert (7 December 2023). "Freespire 10 Released". Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  2. "Downloads". freespire.net. 2020-01-01. Retrieved 2021-05-14.
  3. "Back to Debian: Freespire returns to Debian Roots". practical-tech.com. 2008-08-06. Retrieved 2009-03-25.
  4. "Linspire - The easiest Desktop Linux". Retrieved 2022-12-23. 1 license - Self Support $29.99 USD
  5. PC/OpenSystems LLC: Freespire 3.0 and Linspire 7.0 released
  6. FAQ Category: About Freespire and The Freespire Project - Freespire
  7. "LinuxPlanet: Linspire Announces Freespire Distribution (New Distro Comes in Free and Proprietary Flavors)". Archived from the original on 2008-09-30. Retrieved 2008-12-15.
  8. "July 2008 Linspire news release".
  9. "Freespire 2". Freespire wiki. freespire.org. 2007-11-30. Archived from the original on 2007-09-20. Retrieved 2009-03-25.
  10. "Freespire". DistroWatch.com. Retrieved 2018-04-26.
  11. "Release Notes/1.0.2 - Freespire". Wiki.freespire.org. Archived from the original on 2009-08-11. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
  12. Review: Freespire 1.0, OSNews
  13. "Free Agent: The Latest Free Linux | PCWorld". Archived from the original on 2008-07-25. Retrieved 2018-06-19.
  14. "Release Notes - Freespire". Wiki.freespire.org. Archived from the original on 2007-10-12. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
  15. Freespire 1.0: first impressions :: Linux Format :: The website of the UK's best-selling Linux magazine Archived October 1, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  16. "Freespire 2.0 Schedule - Freespire". Wiki.freespire.org. Archived from the original on 2009-06-29. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
  17. Freespire aspires, but falis to inspire | Linux.com | The source of Linux information
  18. "Download Freespire - Freespire". Wiki.freespire.org. Archived from the original on 2010-05-02. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
  19. "Freespire Roadmap - Freespire". Wiki.freespire.org. Archived from the original on 2009-07-01. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
  20. Black Lab Software Releases Freespire 3.0 & Linspire 7.0 Linux Operating Systems, Softpedia News
  21. OpenNews: Возрождение дистрибутивов Freespire и Linspire (in Russian)
  22. Lindows Linux Distro Is Back From The Dead: Linspire 7.0 And Freespire 3.0 Released, FossBytes
  23. Lindows rises from the grave! Freespire 3.0 and Linspire 7.0 Linux distros now available, BetaNews
  24. DistroWatch Weekly, Issue 749, 5 February 2018
  25. PC/OpenSystems LLC: Linspire 7.0.1 and Freespire 3.0.1 Released - Meltdown and Spectre fix
  26. PC/OpenSystems LLC: Freespire 3.0.6.5 released
  27. "Freespire: Freespire 4.0 Released". Archived from the original on August 26, 2018.
  28. Freespire 4.5 Released
  29. Freespire 4.8 Released
  30. "Freespire 5.0 Released". Archived from the original on October 19, 2019.
  31. Dohnert, Roberto J. "Freespire 6.0.3 Released". Retrieved 2020-08-24.
  32. Dohnert, Roberto J. "Freespire 7.0 Released". Retrieved 2022-01-03.
  33. Dohnert, Roberto J. "Freespire 7.1 Released". Retrieved 2022-01-03.
  34. Dohnert, Roberto J. "Freespire 7.5 released". Retrieved 2022-01-03.
  35. Dohnert, Roberto J. "Freespire 7.7 Released". Retrieved 2022-01-03.
  36. Dohnert, Roberto J. "Freespire 8.0 Released". Retrieved 2022-01-03.
  37. Download, Full Version (2022-03-02). "Freespire 8.2". Full Version Download. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
  38. ""Freespire 9.0"". Archived from the original on 2023-01-24. Retrieved 2023-01-24.
  39. "" Freespire 9.5 Released "".
  40. Dohnert, Roberto J. "Freespire 10 Released". Retrieved 2024-05-04.
External links