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Articles, notes, and project documentationThis section contains official time-sensitive messages from ASK-Solutions. Here we publish, for example, service notices, changes in our availability and practical organisational changes that may be relevant to those involved with the foundation.
To make browsing easier, we divide the articles into three categories:
Articles about external developments in technology, policy, repair, and digital rights — with our context and practical implications. This includes opinion pieces and explainers that help readers make better-informed choices.
Updates from ASK-Solutions. This includes service notices, changes in availability and other time-sensitive announcements from the foundation.
Project notes and technical documentation around concrete work. Here we share smaller project-related articles, build logs, experiments, repairs, design notes and technical solutions that help others learn, replicate, repair and improve.
Below you’ll find our latest and recently updated articles, ranging from short updates to longer technical write-ups and project notes.
A340GC, libGC and RDDP form a closely related line of free-software development for glass cockpit displays and data exchange. A340GC provided the cockpit displays, libGC offered reusable graphics, audio and communication functionality, and RDDP enabled data exchange between software and interfaces. The components came together in the Cosmicus A340 simulator but were not limited to that application. Their modular design enabled further development and reuse with less dependence on any single simulator or proprietary protocol.
BFX and OpenBus form a continuous line of free interface-hardware development for physical inputs and outputs. BFX emerged around the F.28 simulator as a replacement for earlier interface equipment. For the Cosmicus A340 project, the design evolved into OpenBus, with much smaller, distributed boards and a shared two-wire communication bus using RDDP, alongside two power wires. The hardware, firmware and documentation were not limited to one simulator, but intended to be studied, adapted and reused.
Synology MailPlus Server 4.1.0-21778 contains two regressions affecting DKIM-only configurations: Rspamd is not started when only per-domain DKIM signing requires it, and changes to the DKIM signing Allow List do not regenerate the Rspamd signing network map. We analyse both problems and provide patches.
The Owl’s Nest is an ASK-Solutions research, development and educational project centred on a shareable model for practical learning, cooperation and knowledge transfer. It explores how knowledge and ways of working can be shared and safeguarded beyond the scope of copyright, how activities and environments relate to learning and participation, and how encounters give rise to wider social questions. The Howard Public Licence supports the model’s continuity and transferability, allowing independent operators to apply and develop it locally.
Bookkeeping is a free-software administration platform developed by ASK-Solutions for multiple entities, financial records, relations, projects, inventory and technical processes. Standard accounting packages did not readily offer the required combination of functions and integrations; bespoke ERP and CRM solutions were costly at the time and made further development dependent on suppliers. ASK-Solutions therefore designed an extensible Java client/server system with reporting, API integrations and automation, released under the AGPLv3.
Below you’ll find our latest announcements, with new items appearing here as they are published.
ASK-Solutions works on free software, documentation, hosting, web service support, repair, digital autonomy and the sharing of practical technical knowledge. Much of this work happens online, or is documented in a way that can also be useful beyond Haarlem and the Netherlands.
Holiday greetings from ASK-Solutions for 2024, reflecting on a challenging year and why privacy, freedom, ownership and Right to Repair matter more than ever.
Our ISP is migrating to a new technology. During the next few days you may experience slightly reduced availability when contacting us.
A major power grid outage in Haarlem impacted our data center and internet links, causing partial downtime. We provide live updates as services are restored.
Holiday greetings from ASK-Solutions: thank you for your support in 2022. We’ll keep defending privacy and the right to repair in 2023, plus a New Year referral promotion.
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