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title: Home
ref: home
lang: en
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== Introduction to LibreMesh

LibreMesh is a modular framework for creating OpenWrt-based firmwares for wireless mesh nodes. https://github.com/libremesh/network-profiles[Several communities] around the world use LibreMesh as the foundation of their local mesh firmwares.

image:/assets/logo/logo.png["The LibreMesh logo",role="right"]

The LibreMesh project includes the development of several tools.
The **firmware** (the main piece) allow simple deployment of auto-configurable, yet versatile, multi-radio mesh networks.

[NOTE]
=========================
Check link:howitworks.html[How it Works] to see the basic architecture ideas.
Visit link:getit.html[Get it] to know how to start using it.
Read some link:docs/index.html[Documentation] to understand better how it works.
And join us in the link:communication.html[mailing lists] to follow the current discussions.
=========================

== Mesh Networks

Mesh networks are such networks where all participants (nodes) are able to route traffic from other participants. 
So there are not central points and the physical topology can be completely random.
image:/assets/img/mesh_topology.png["Mesh Topology",role="left"]
Usually mesh networks are decentralized, bottom-up organized, deployed and maintained by the people using them.
We believe this is the only way for achieving a real free network out of
control of the governments and global enterprises.


== Free Networks, Free Society

We understand that a free network as a telecommunications network should accomplish these three points:

* It is open, so anyone can connect to it if physically possible
* It is neutral, so there are not preferences for the kind, origin or destination of the data
* It is free as in freedom (libre means free as in "free speech" in Spanish)

Organizations supporting LibreMesh:

|===
| AlterMundi   | Argentina         | http://altermundi.net     | image:/assets/img/altermundi_logo.png["Altermundi",role="right"]
| FreiFunk     | Germany           | http://freifunk.net       | image:/assets/img/logo_freifunknet.png["FreiFunk",role="right"]
| FunkFeuer    | Austria           | https://www.funkfeuer.at  | image:/assets/img/0xff_logo.png["FunkFeuer",role="right"]
| Guifi    | Iberian peninsula | http://guifi.net          | image:/assets/img/guifi-logo.png["Guifi.net",role="right"]
| Ibebrasil    | Brasil | https://ibebrasil.org.br/         | 
| LibreRouter   | Global           | https://librerouter.org/   | image:/assets/img/librerouter_isologo.png["LibreRouter",role="right"]
| Ninux.org    | Italy             | http://ninux.org          | image:/assets/img/ninux_logo.png["NiNux",role="right"]
| Wakoma       | Global            | https://wakoma.co/        |
|===

Community mesh networks using Libremesh:

|===
| Antennine       | Appennino Bolognese | https://antennine.noblogs.org            | image:/assets/img/ninux_logo.png["NiNux",role="right"]
| Calafou       | Catalunia | https://calafou.org/            | 
| Coolab      | Brasil | https://www.coolab.org/           | 
| Janastu CowMesh | Rural Karnataka     | https://open.janastu.org/projects/cowmesh| 
|===

Several other community networks are using or used LibreMesh on their devices with their own customizations (network profiles), some of these are listed link:https://github.com/libremesh/network-profiles[here].

== Firmware and Embedded Device

An embedded device is a small computer. Usually the operating system running in such small computers is called Firmware.
Our way of deploying free mesh networks is by installing our own firmware to the devices (usually WiFi routers).
image:/assets/img/openwrt.png["OpenWrt",role="left"]
Our system is based on the OpenWrt project, which at the same time is based on the well known Linux operating system.
Everything we develop is **free software for a free society** so anyone can
use, copy, modify and distribute according with
link:https://www.gnu.org/licenses/agpl.html[AGPL license].

== History

The LibreMesh project (LiMe) was started in 2013 by a set of free network
activists from several cultures and different projects around the world,
willing to create a common solution for the deployment of free mesh networks.

In 2017 Shuttleworth Foundation awarded us with a
link:https://www.shuttleworthfoundation.org/fellows/peter-bloom/[Flash Grant]
image:/assets/img/Shuttleworth_Funded.jpg["Shuttleworth Flash Grant"]