Freedom toaster
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A Freedom Toaster is a public kiosk that will burn copies of free software onto user-provided CDs and DVDs.
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[edit] History
[edit] Functions
A Freedom Toaster kiosk is placed at a school, library, shopping center or another public-accessible location. Users bring blank optical discs to the kiosk and select the software that they would like. The kiosk will then burn the selected software onto the users' media.
The name derives from this function. "Freedom" refers to the free and open source software provided and to the cost for using the system. "Toaster" is the Linux term for an optical disc burner.
[edit] Purpose
Freedom Toaster kiosks provide a way for computer users in economically disadvantaged regions and areas with limited or no Internet access to get software. By providing this service, the people behind the Freedom Toaster hope to address the issue of the Digital Divide.
[edit] Availability
The Freedom Toaster is mostly available in South Africa and is currently supported by the Shuttleworth Foundation. The Foundation is attempting to get others to adopt the idea by providing the tools to help create, support and maintain your own Freedom Toaster.