Open source is not an abstract concept to me, but a fixed part of my daily work. As an IT service provider, I have been using free software for many years – and I see it as natural to give something back to the community.
This article describes how I support open source in practice, without claiming anything special, but simply as part of a functioning digital community.
Infrastructure for free software 🐧
One concrete contribution is operating my own servers that distribute free operating systems and software. This includes a torrent server used to share Linux distributions and other open-source projects.
In addition, there is a dedicated download server where the same files can be accessed directly via HTTPS: https://downloads.it-service-commander.de/
Both primarily serve to relieve central mirror servers and improve the availability of free software.
Contribution to decentralized networks ₿🧅
Alongside classic open-source software, I also support decentralized networks by operating my own nodes.
Running a Bitcoin node means validating the blockchain independently and actively contributing to the distribution of its data. This helps keep the underlying blockchain infrastructure independent of individual providers and central entities.
The node is publicly visible in the network:
https://bitnodes.io/nodes/128.140.60.104-8333/?activated=1
In addition, an own Tor node is running, which forwards traffic within the Tor network. Such nodes are essential to enable anonymous and censorship-resistant communication. Each additional node increases the stability and performance of the network.
The Tor node is publicly listed here:
https://metrics.torproject.org/rs.html#details/0050875D8D60D3C0EDC54E61DCA5FCE8BA900289
Open source in everyday use 🛠️
In practical customer environments, I also rely on open-source software wherever it makes sense. This mainly includes Linux systems, server services, and tools that are designed to be maintainable and transparent in the long term.
Using free software is not an end in itself, but a pragmatic decision: systems should remain understandable, stable, and independent.
Measurable contribution instead of big words 📊
Through this infrastructure, several terabytes of data are transferred every month – for Linux images, free software, and decentralized networks. This is not a unique selling point, but simply part of supporting open source not only by using it, but by carrying it.
Conclusion
Open source thrives on many people making small and large contributions – code, documentation, infrastructure, or simply bandwidth. My contribution mainly consists of providing systems that benefit other projects and users.
Perhaps that is the core of open source: not talking loudly about it, but simply doing it.