# Alyssa Rosenzweig

> Software developer

**Wikidata**: [Q107548319](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q107548319)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alyssa_Rosenzweig)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/alyssa-rosenzweig

## Summary
Alyssa Rosenzweig is a Canadian software developer and free software advocate born in 2001. She is best known for founding Asahi Linux, a Linux distribution for Apple Silicon Macintosh computers, and for receiving the 2020 FSF Award for Outstanding New Free Software Contributor.

## Biography
- Born: 2001
- Nationality: Canadian
- Education: University of Toronto (2019-2023), Dougherty Valley High School (2016-2019)
- Known for: Founding Asahi Linux and free software development
- Employer(s): Independent developer
- Field(s): Software engineering, free software movement

## Contributions
Alyssa Rosenzweig founded Asahi Linux in December 2020, creating a Linux distribution specifically for Apple Silicon-based Macintosh computers. This project enabled Linux to run natively on Apple's M1 and subsequent Apple Silicon chips, which were previously unsupported by the Linux kernel. Her work involved developing drivers and kernel modifications to support Apple's proprietary hardware components. In 2020, she received the Free Software Foundation's Award for Outstanding New Free Software Contributor, recognizing her significant contributions to the free software movement. Rosenzweig has been active in the open-source community, contributing to various projects and maintaining a public presence through her website and GitHub account (alyssarosenzweig).

## FAQs
### Q: What is Alyssa Rosenzweig known for?
A: She is known for founding Asahi Linux, a Linux distribution for Apple Silicon Macintosh computers, and for receiving the 2020 FSF Award for Outstanding New Free Software Contributor.

### Q: Where did Alyssa Rosenzweig study?
A: She attended the University of Toronto starting in 2019 and graduated from Dougherty Valley High School in 2019.

### Q: What languages does Alyssa Rosenzweig speak?
A: She speaks English, Spanish, and French.

## Why They Matter
Alyssa Rosenzweig's work on Asahi Linux has been crucial in expanding Linux support to Apple Silicon hardware, which was previously a closed ecosystem. Her contributions have enabled developers and users to run Linux on M1 and later Apple Silicon Macs, fostering greater hardware freedom and choice. By receiving the FSF Award for Outstanding New Free Software Contributor, she has been recognized as an influential figure in the free software movement, inspiring other developers to work on hardware support and open-source projects. Her efforts have helped bridge the gap between proprietary hardware and open-source software, promoting the principles of software freedom and user control over computing devices.

## Notable For
- Founded Asahi Linux in December 2020
- Received the 2020 FSF Award for Outstanding New Free Software Contributor
- Developed Linux support for Apple Silicon Macintosh computers
- Active contributor to the free software movement
- Maintains a public presence through her website and GitHub account

## Body
### Early Life and Education
Alyssa Rosenzweig was born in 2001 and identifies as a trans woman. She completed her high school education at Dougherty Valley High School from September 2016 to June 2019. Rosenzweig then attended the University of Toronto, starting in September 2019.

### Career and Achievements
Rosenzweig is a software developer who has made significant contributions to the free software movement. Her most notable achievement is founding Asahi Linux in December 2020, a Linux distribution designed specifically for Apple Silicon-based Macintosh computers. This project involved developing drivers and kernel modifications to support Apple's proprietary hardware components.

In 2020, she was awarded the Free Software Foundation's Award for Outstanding New Free Software Contributor, recognizing her significant contributions to the free software movement. Rosenzweig maintains an active presence in the open-source community through her website (alyssarosenzweig.ca) and GitHub account (alyssarosenzweig).

### Technical Contributions
Rosenzweig's work on Asahi Linux has been crucial in expanding Linux support to Apple Silicon hardware. Her contributions have enabled developers and users to run Linux on M1 and later Apple Silicon Macs, fostering greater hardware freedom and choice. She has been involved in developing drivers and kernel modifications necessary for Linux to function on Apple's proprietary hardware.

### Personal Details
Rosenzweig is fluent in English, Spanish, and French. She maintains a public GPG key for secure communications and has a Google Knowledge Graph ID. Her work and personal information are documented in multiple language versions of Wikipedia, including English, French, Swedish, and Bengali.

## References

1. [Source](https://rosenzweig.io/blog/growing-up-alyssa.html)
2. [Source](https://rosenzweig.io/resume.pdf)
3. [Free Software Awards winners announced: CiviCRM, Bradley Kuhn, and Alyssa Rosenzweig. 2021](https://www.fsf.org/news/free-software-awards-winners-announced-civicrm-bradley-kuhn-and-alyssa-rosenzweig)
4. [Source](https://rosenzweig.io/gpg.pub)