Slashdot Mirror


Linux Fund Loses MasterCard Funding Source

An anonymous reader writes "The Linux Fund was established in 1999 to provide grants to free and open source software projects from funds raised via a credit card featuring a picture of Tux, the Linux penguin. This credit card was offered through MBNA America Bank, which was purchased in 2006 by Bank of America. Last week, LinuxFund credit card holders received mail from Bank of America informing them that the LinuxFund card would be discontinued. Linux.com has a few details about the end of the credit card including statements from executive director David Mandel, assuring that the LinuxFund will look different but will continue. In the past, the LinuxFund provided one-time grants of $500-$1,000 USD to many projects including SDL, FilmGimp, Xiph.org Foundation, CrystalSpace, K12LTSP, and Kismet. The LinuxFund stagnated in 2003, and in 2005 it was revitalized by new leaders and by 2006 provided a stable $6,000 per year contribution to a number of larger projects including Wikipedia, Blender, Debian, Gentoo, and OpenSSH." Linux.com and Slashdot are both part of OSTG.

2 of 122 comments (clear)

  1. Re:It does not matter that much... by stompum · · Score: 0, Troll

    Not every funding source is equal. I wouldn't take money from meth manufacturers to support FOSS projects and this pretty much falls in that category IMHO. CC companies have been ruining the financial lives of people the world over and esp pray on poor people. These aren't the kind of people I want to associate with and they aren't the kind of people FOSS should associate with. Good riddance to bad rubbish.

  2. illegals aliens by bug1 · · Score: 0, Troll

    Oh, and what of the legal aliens, can they have credit cards now ?

    Nobody is "illegal", fascist.