Your open source gift guide for 2019

It is the season for open source gifts. But what to buy? Jack Wallen has a few ideas that will definitely put a smile on the faces of the open source enthusiasts in your life.

Image: Jack Wallen

The holiday season is just around the corner, which means that you will give gifts to family and friends. But what do you do if those gifts go to fans and users of open source software? Fortunately, you don’t have to worry, because there are many options available that will certainly delight your Linux and open source friends.

And just because your recipients are open source supporters, this does not mean that every gift you give out must be released under the GPL or powered by the Linux operating system. You even have many options.

Here are my choices for the best open source gift options of the year.

SEE: Android gift guide: the best gifts in 2019 (free PDF) (TechRepublic)

PinePhone

The PinePhone is currently one of the most popular products among open source enthusiasts. Although not a flagship to date, this is a fully open-source smartphone that is supported by all major Linux phone projects. In fact, KDE recently announced that its Plasma Mobile platform now offers support for calling on the Pine Phone; although that may not sound that important, it is for those who develop the product.

The PinePhone BraveHeart edition costs $ 149.99. Give this gift to your open source enthusiast and you know for sure that you can win them (or get a kiss under the mistletoe).

SEE: More gift guides for technicians (TechRepublic on Flipboard)

System76 Thelio desktop or Purism Librem 13 laptop

Go big or go home, right? If you really want to make a splash with your open source friends or loved ones, make sure they have a desktop or laptop that is pre-installed with Linux. Believe it or not, there are many options available. Let us look at two.

If you want the best desktop machine made today, skip everything else and go directly to the System76 Thelio. Period. This machine can be specified outside of your wildest imagination. This desktop computer remains in the manuals of my open source gift buyer until someone succeeds in designing and building a superior machine, and I don’t see that happening in the near future.

When the Purism Librem 13 first arrived, it was hit pretty hard for a number of problems (bad trackpad was the biggest problem). However, the latest versions of the Librem 13 are excellent. But why would you choose this device for the Dell XPS 13 Developer edition, for example? The Librem 13 contains a special feature that many open source fans might appreciate: switches for switching off hardware. There are two physical kill switches: one for wireless and Bluetooth and one for camera and microphone. For anyone who is serious about their mobile privacy, those kill switches can be a real blessing.

SEE: The best Linux gifts to buy in 2019 (ZDNet)

Kubernetes playground

One thing you could consider is to give your open source fan the gift of a Kubernetes playground. Because Kubernetes is one of the most popular open source tools on the planet, being aware of that ecosystem would benefit everyone’s career in IT. To achieve that, you could consider getting your friend or loved one credits on the Google Cloud Platform, AWS, Azure, Linode or Rackspace. With this, your open source fan can start learning to develop and implement applications on a Kubernetes cluster.

SEE: Best Star Wars gifts for young or experienced fans in 2019 (CNET)

Distribution specific goodies

Linux fans like to show their support for their favorite distribution, so why not give your Linux fan a T-shirt to help them with that goal? There are lots of cool, Linux-specific tees on Redbubble. Some distributions, such as basic OS and Debian, sell T-shirts and other merchandising directly from their sites. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, Google is your friend.

SEE: 42 T-shirts so geeky only IT professionals will get them (TechRepublic)

Donate to an open source project

Here is a gift that goes beyond your recipient. If you know that your open source fan has a favorite project, consider making a donation to that project in their name. Almost every Linux distribution and many other open source projects have a donation button on their sites. Remember that many of these projects live and die through donations, so every cent counts. The more money these projects receive, the less trouble they have to stay afloat. Knowing a donation in their honor can help keep the light on for their favorite open source project would certainly bring all feelings to your loved one or friend.

SEE: Give InKind social platform can help people to help others during the holidays (TechRepublic)

The best keyboard

If your open source fan is a writer or a programmer, consider buying them the best keyboard on the market: the ultimate hacking keyboard. This is a fully programmable, open source, split keyboard that is as well designed as a keyboard can be. I have used countless keyboards over the years, none of which can compete with this. It is beautiful, tactile and expandable. No other keyboard on the market can be compared to the Ultimate Hacking Keyboard. Period.

Mooltipass Offline password keeper

Most open source fans are also fans of privacy and security. Your open source loving friend or family member may use a software password management, but why not upgrade them to something more secure, such as the Mooltipass Offline Password Keeper? This is a hardware-based password guard that you connect to your computer, insert your smart card, unlock it with your PIN and visit a website that requires login details. Using a Mooltipass browser plug-in, the device asks permission to send the correct references and viola! You’re logged in

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