FreeDesktop.org Might Formally Join Forces With The X.Org Foundation

FreeDesktop.org is already effectively part of X.Org given the loose structure of FreeDesktop.org, the key members/administrators being part of both projects, and FreeDesktop.org long being the de facto hosting platform from the X.Org Server to Mesa and much more. But now they may be officially joining forces.

As a formality, the X.Org Foundation is seeking to change their foundation's by-laws to reflect that the X.Org Foundation shall also "Support free and open source projects through the freedesktop.org infrastructure. For projects outside the scope [of the X.Org Foundation] support extends to project hosting only."

Besides X.Org/Mesa/Wayland/input components being hosted by FreeDesktop.org, LibreOffice, HarfBuzz, GStreamer, SPICE, Plymouth, UPower, and many other open-source desktop projects call FreeDesktop their home. Those projects can continue being hosted by FreeDesktop.org, but their developers/members will not be granted X.Org Foundation membership unless they happen to be involved with the X.Org projects around the graphics stack.

If no major issues come up with the proposed by-laws changes, it will be put to a vote by the X.Org Foundation membership as part of next year's X.Org BoD elections.

X.Org and FreeDesktop.org are also part of Software in the Public Interest (SPI). Last month at XDC2018, Daniel Stone talked more about the co-existing state of both FD.o and X.Org: