A web server is a system (hardware or software) designed to satisfy the World Wide Web client’s requests. A personal web server does all this as well as putting you in control of your view of the internet, bypassing all the big guys in the tech business. Big Tech controls most of the servers (think Google, Microsoft, Apple).
With Freedombox though, you can have your own, open-source and user-friendly server for less than $100.
The Freedombox Foundation is a non-profit organization founded in 2011 led by 2011 by Columbia Law School Professor Eben Moglen. The foundation advocates in favor of free software and of internet privacy. Their effort to make the web a better place is called the ‘Pioneer Edition FreedomBox Home Server Kit’: a single board computer, powered by the open source hardware based Olimex A20-OLinuxino LIME2 board. 1GHz A20/T2 dual-core Cortex-A7 processor, dual-core Mali 400GPU, 1 gigabyte of RAM, high-speed micro SD card for storage, pre-installed FreedomBox software, 2 USB 2.0 ports, one USB-OTG port, native SATA-drive support, Gigabit Ethernet port, and lithium-polymer battery. All in a $100 package with the size of a pocket dictionary(82€ approximately). This is all you need to get your ‘private internet’ up and running.
While having a private server is quite common nowadays (think offices and businesses among others), the installation usually requires a certain degree of expertise. However, FreedomBox built-in software is designed to be used by almost anyone in the smoothest possible way and without having to be a Linux expert.
FreedomBox is designed with privacy and security in mind. It empowers regular people to host their internet services: VPN, personal websites, sharing files, encrypted messaging, a VoIP server, a metasearch engine and more. Designed for its users, it is simple, flexible and secure.
You can run its software on your own single board computer (see the list of recommended hardware on the FreedomBox Foundation’s website). It also runs on newer Raspberry Pi models.
Born in 2010 and improved constantly, FreedomBox is now an indispensable tool for Universities, villages, private homes, and whoever wishes to keep the Net free and safe throughout the world.
