FOSDEM 2026: A Fresh Look at GNU/Hurd’s Next Chapter

In this episode of Open Source News Elements, John dives deep into Samuel Thibault’s comprehensive update on the state of the GNU/Hurd project, as revealed at FOSDEM 2026. We explore the remarkable progress in hardware compatibility—highlighted by NetBSD’s rump drivers and new support for multi-core systems—as well as advances in porting to x86_64 and developments for AArch64. John delves into the rising number of Debian packages now building successfully, gives insight into emerging distributions like Guix/Hurd and Alpine/Hurd, and discusses the project’s vibrant community and future roadmap. Don’t miss this fascinating journey through an open-source OS’s ongoing transformation and its goal to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Linux in the years ahead.