Blog

  • πŸ“» Announcing GNOME Radio 59.0

    Listen freely. Broadcast clearly. Powered by GNOME.

    We’re proud to release GNOME Radio 59.0, the latest milestone in free and open GNOME-based software for real-time radio listening and streaming on GNU/Linux.

    πŸ”— Source code: gitlab.stud.idi.ntnu.no/olekaam/radio.git

    🎧 What is GNOME Radio?

    GNOME Radio is a lightweight, GTK-based FM/DAB/Internet radio application designed for users who value freedom, privacy, and clarity in their audio experience. It integrates with the GNOME desktop and leverages GStreamer to deliver high-quality, zero-buffered streaming for real-time radio playback.

    πŸš€ What’s New in Version 59.0?

    • βœ… Updated UI with GTK4 support for better accessibility and GNOME integration
    • βœ… Improved station database handling for faster loading and cleaner browsing
    • βœ… Zero-buffer streaming engine (Zerobufferβ„’), offering near-instant audio without lag
    • βœ… Enhanced location support to help users find nearby stations using GeoClue2
    • βœ… Bug fixes and performance improvements across the board

    🌍 Who is it for?

    • Journalists needing a reliable desktop radio app
    • Students and researchers analyzing live broadcasts
    • Radio listeners who prefer FOSS over proprietary platforms
    • Developers and hackers looking to contribute to open audio ecosystems

    πŸ“¦ How to Get It

    Clone the source code:

    git clone https://gitlab.stud.idi.ntnu.no/olekaam/radio.git
    cd radio
    ./configure --prefix=$HOME/.local
    make
    make install
    $HOME/.local/bin/gnome-radio
    

    GNOME Radio builds and runs smoothly on Debian 12, Fedora 40+, and Ubuntu GNOME 24.04 LTS.

    🧠 Why it Matters

    GNOME Radio is part of a broader effort to reclaim digital freedom in media technologies. With governments and corporations increasingly centralizing media control, tools like GNOME Radio let users listen without surveillance and connect with the world on their own terms.


    πŸ‘¨β€πŸ’» Developed by Ole Aamot
    πŸ“‘ Read more and follow updates at: olekaa.wordpress.com
    πŸ†“ Free software under GNU General Public License (GPLv3+)

    Stay tuned, stay free.
    GNOME Radio – Let the airwaves stay open.

  • πŸ—£οΈ GNOME Voice 49.0 Released

    Your Voice. Your Data. Your Freedom.

    We’re excited to announce the release of GNOME Voice 49.0, the latest version of our privacy-respecting, speech-focused communication software for GNOME desktops on GNU/Linux.

    πŸ”— Source code: gitlab.stud.idi.ntnu.no/olekaam/voice.git

    πŸŽ™οΈ What is GNOME Voice?

    GNOME Voice is an open-source voice communication application built using GTK and GStreamer. It enables peer-to-peer audio messaging, live voice conversations, and secure archival of recordingsβ€”without the need for centralized servers.

    It’s designed for journalists, whistleblowers, researchers, and anyone who needs a reliable, decentralized voice platform with full control over their audio data.

    🌟 What’s New in GNOME Voice 49.0?

    • πŸ”’ End-to-end voice encryption with free codecs (Opus, FLAC)
    • πŸ—‚οΈ Organized audio message storage using Voicegram-compatible metadata
    • 🎧 Low-latency audio streaming with enhanced GStreamer pipelines
    • πŸ–₯️ Modern GTK4 interface for an intuitive, lightweight experience
    • πŸ› οΈ Flatpak-ready for easy distribution and sandboxed use

    πŸ“¦ Installation

    Clone the repository and build:

    git clone https://gitlab.stud.idi.ntnu.no/olekaam/voice.git
    cd voice
    ./configure --prefix=$HOME/.local
    make install
    $HOME/.local/bin/gnome-voice

    Tested and built on Debian 12, Fedora 40, and GNOME 45+ environments.

    🎯 Use Cases

    • πŸ•΅οΈ Investigative journalism
    • πŸ“š Oral history and interview archiving
    • πŸŽ“ Fieldwork and research documentation
    • πŸ§‘β€βš–οΈ Secure voice communication for legal and civic environments

    πŸ’‘ Why GNOME Voice?

    Unlike corporate apps that track and harvest your voice data, GNOME Voice puts you in control. Every recording stays on your device unless you choose to share it. With embedded metadata and export to archival XML, it’s also a tool for preserving oral testimony and cultural expression.


    πŸ‘¨β€πŸ’» Developed by Ole Aamot
    πŸ—žοΈ Read the blog: olekaa.wordpress.com
    πŸ”“ Licensed under GNU GPLv3+

    Speak freely. Archive wisely. Choose GNOME Voice.

  • πŸŽ™οΈGNOME Audio Locator 4.0.0

    GNOME Audio Locator 4.0.0 Released

    GNOME Audio Locator 4.0.0 is now available β€” an important milestone in the development of open-source, geolocated audio recording tools for GNU/Linux. Designed for journalists, archivists, researchers, and developers, this release expands on our commitment to digital freedom, open standards, and location-based audio documentation.


    πŸ“ What’s New in Version 4.0.0?

    • Full support for Multiple Location Audio Recording (MLAR)
    • GEO-MLAR-2025 metadata standard implemented for accurate, archival-quality geotagging
    • Real-time position capture using GeoClue2
    • GTK4-based modern user interface
    • Export to Noark5-compatible XML for public sector integration

    πŸ“„ Academic Documentation

    This release is documented in the bachelor thesis:

    πŸ“˜ NTNU BPROG Article:
    Multiple Location Audio Recording og GEO-MLAR-2025: Spesifikasjon og Implementasjon i GNOME Audio Locator 2.0.0
    by Ole Kristian Aamot, Aamot Research
    πŸ—Ž Read the full PDF


    πŸ”§ Source Code & Downloads

    πŸ“¦ Installation

    Clone the repository and build:

    git clone https://gitlab.stud.idi.ntnu.no/olekaam/gnome-audio-locator.git
    cd gnome-audio-locator
    ./configure --prefix=$HOME/.local
    make install
    $HOME/.local/bin/gnome-audio-locator


    πŸ’¬ About the Project

    GNOME Audio Locator is part of a broader effort at Aamot Research to democratize audio-based documentation tools through Free Software. Whether you are mapping sounds of protest, preserving local dialects, or contributing to open cultural archives β€” this tool was made with you in mind.

  • 🎸GarageJam 4.0.0

    GarageJam 4.0.0 Released

    GarageJam 4.0.0 is now officially released β€” an open-source music recording and jamming platform built for GNU/Linux. Whether you’re rehearsing in a garage, collaborating remotely, or experimenting with live loops, GarageJam offers musicians a powerful and minimalist toolset to create and share sound.


    πŸŽ“ Academic Foundation

    GarageJam is developed in conjunction with academic research into location-based and decentralized audio recording tools.
    πŸ“„ NTNU BPROG Thesis:
    Multiple-Location Audio Recording
    by Ole Kristian Aamot
    πŸ—Ž Read the full PDF


    πŸ”— Project Links

    πŸ“¦ Installation

    Clone the repository and build:

    git clone https://github.com/oleaamot/garagejam.git
    cd garagejam
    ./configure --prefix=$HOME/.local
    make install
    $HOME/.local/bin/garagejam


    🧠 About GarageJam

    GarageJam is part of an initiative to build free and accessible audio software for creators, educators, and sound archivists. With real-time collaboration, metadata support, and GNOME integration, it’s perfect for everyone from solo artists to university media labs.