The Free Software Song was written by Richard M. Stallman during a filksinging "bardic circle" session at a science fiction convention to the melody of traditional Bulgarian folk song "Sadi Moma". For more information visit http://www.gnu.org/music/free-software-song.html.
This cover uses the same unusual 7/8-beat as the original. Development of the song is done in an open fashion. Anyone can contribute tracks or download the audacity sources to create a private remix.
View html source of this page, section above GNU-head, if you want to send in your own track.
Download Audacity Audio Tracks
Use a bittorrent client to download the audio sources (direct link available upon request).
torrent --> FreeSoftwareSong_0.3.torrent <-- torrént
The sources are in audacity-1.3.7 format. Audacity is itself Free Software; download.
Mixdown
Just load Free_Software_Song.aup into audacity and click play. It is possible to export mixdowns as uncompressed wave-files directly from audacity.
Audacity uses PortAudio to connect to Jack so the connections here are: Audacity -> JAMin -> rezound -> system (speakers).
Mastering
Mastering of The Free Software Song is preferably made using Free Software, like JAMin.
- Export mixdown from audacity to unmastered.wav.
- Install JAMin, Jack and qjackctl.
- Start jackd through qjackctl.
- Start JAMin and load fsf_default.jam.
- Play unmastered.wav in one jack-compatible app and record mastered.wav in another. Ie audacity for playback to JAMin and rezound to record the output from JAMin. Use qjackctl to inspect how the apps are connected.
Start qjackctl first, then JAMin and audacity/rezound last. This order seems to connect the dynamic jack connections correctly. PortAudio actually show up only after playback is started and rezound recording shows up when the record button is pressed.
Encoding
Optionally encode the mastered wave file (using Free Software) into another format. The following lame command can be used to create an mp3-file (with id3-tag):
lame -m s -q 0 -b 224 --tt "Free Software Song v0.3" --ta "Albert Veli" --ty 2009 --tc "Cover of Richard Stallmans famous filk" --tg 81 mastered.wav albertveli-Free_Software_Song_v03.mp3
The ogg-file below was created with:
oggenc mastered.wav -q 6 albertveli-Free_Software_Song_v03.ogg
Listen to version 0.3
--> Enable JavaScript for audio player <--
Join us now and share the software;
You'll be free, hackers, you'll be free.
x2
Hoarders may get piles of money,
That is true, hackers, that is true.
But they cannot help their neighbors;
That's not good, hackers, that's not good.
When we have enough free software
At our call, hackers, at our call,
We'll throw out those dirty licenses
Ever more, hackers, ever more.
Join us now and share the software;
You'll be free, hackers, you'll be free.
x2
Download --> albertveli-Free_Software_Song_v03.ogg <--
Trivia
The Richard Stallman version is lyrics-only. To find out how the music might sound I spent some time listening to traditional folk music from Macedonia, neighbour to Bulgaria. Including songs like Bitola Moj Roden Kraj and Makedonsko Devojce.