Freedom Toaster (2007)

The Freedom Toaster is a self-contained computer kiosk where members of the public can burn open source software and operating systems onto blank CDs. Other free digital products available at the kiosk are photographs, music and literature. The plans and software for Freedom Toasters are freely available, allowing anyone to build their own Freedom Toaster and make open source software available in their community.

The Freedom Toaster project began as a means of overcoming the difficulty in obtaining Linux and open source software due to the restrictive telecommunications environment in South Africa. With the Freedom Toaster, large pieces of software can be downloaded easily by anyone without requiring an internet connection. The name is derived from the fact that open source software offers freedom of sharing and distribution and that Linux users refer to burning CDs as “toasting”. Breadbin Interactive contracted Upfront Systems to develop the second generation of Freedom Toaster software.