LibreSQL: A privacy-focused, portable, libre DBMS

 
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Privacy-focused, portable, free/libre DBMS

Motivation

Free software is becoming prisoner of the Big tech. Projects that once belonged to the community are now controlled by corporate interests. They are no longer free, no longer fun.

GenAI is a nasty technology that is destroying the planet and our societies. Technocrats and data brokers are making millions from our personal, private, sensitive data, including health information. Mother Earth is hurting, our society is hurting and we, as a community, need to do something about it.

LibreSQL

The LibreSQL project aims to provide a modern, versatile database engine with focus on user privacy and portability.

Project highlights:

Built from scratch. LibreSQL is not a fork of any existing DBMS
Independent from Big tech and free of LLM / generative AI
Community driven: Entirely done by volunteers
Privacy focused: strong encryption by default at different levels
Portable: Run in many processor architectures, and from high-end computers to embedded, single board devices
Modular: The LibreSQL core will be small, with extra functionality provided by a 'plugin' design
Versatile: Should be able to operate as a relational database and as a document oriented engine

LibreSQL is from GNU Solidario

GNU Solidario is an NGO with 20+ years of experience delivering projects for the public good, advancing Social Medicine.
We made GNU Health, the leading, award winning Health and Hospital Information System adopted by institutions and governments around the world.

LibreSQL and GNU Health

LibreSQL is a standalone project. Anyone will be able to use it for their own needs.

LibreSQL and GNU Health are independent, yet closely related projects. Both projects are from GNU Solidario. Moreover, GNU Health will be using LibreSQL as database engine, for both technological sovereignty and for the much needed security and privacy in the health care sector.

We have included LibreSQL on our "GNU Health Alliance of Academic and Research Institutions".

Start small, dream big

My goal is to provide a simple (KISS), versatile, standard compliant DBMS engine, always keeping in mind the philosophical motives that led me to create this project. No bells and whistles in the core.
LibreSQl is not here to compete (we hate competition, anyways) with other very well established, mature projects. LibreSQL aims to provide a disruptive alternative from the technical and philosophical points of view.

Development and Documentation

The development will be hosted at Codeberg

LibreSQL kick-off meeting

The initial LibreSQL meeting and project presentation will be at the GNU Health Conference,GHCon 2026, in Gran Canaria, Spain, this December 18th. Looking forward to meeting you!

Lots of research, chaos, brainstormiing and meetings in the upcoming months. I am very excited and determined to embrace and to learn from this new challenging, beautiful chapter.

Happy Hacking!
Luis Falcón

2026 GNU Solidario // libresql@gnuhealth.org