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Munich Finally Starts to Embrace Linux

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the finally-taking-the-next-step dept.

sankyuu writes "After years of rumor and vacillation over fear of patents, the city of Munich has decided to trickle in its first 100 linux terminals. The floodgates are scheduled to fling open by 2008, when 80% of government PCs should be running Linux."

13 of 154 comments (clear)

  1. Mayor's PC among the first by rainer_d · · Score: 4, Informative

    It should be noted that Mayor Christian Ude's PC is slated to be among the first batch of systems to run the Debian-based Linux-desktop Munich will be using.

    --
    Windows 2000 - from the guys who brought us edlin
  2. additional info by Andreas+Schaefer · · Score: 5, Informative

    the standard configuration will be Debian GNU/Linux 3.1, KDE 3.5 and OpenOffice 2.
    however, the main reason for the delays and the slow roll-out are that a lot of custom applications had to be ported and for some existing client/server apps interfaces had to be created from scratch.

    cheers from Munich,
    Andreas

  3. Meanwhile, on the other side of the Rhine... by boule75 · · Score: 5, Informative
    ... some more (French, sorry) 400,000 PCs are to swith to Open Office in 2007 in the oublic sector, folowing a successfull move in the Gendarmerie (rural police, 90,000 PCs). - A summary here or in the official French annouce.

    Some Open Source headways in Europe, indeed, can clearly be seen in EU site.

    Quite heartening indeed! Maybe the big conservative companies will finaly notice this trend. I am sure Microsoft did.

    --
    I am not Remy Mouton, unfortunately: http://remy.mouton.free.fr/art/
  4. Re:Just curious by rainer_d · · Score: 4, Informative

    > Why Debian?

    See here:

    http://www.muenchen.de/Rathaus/dir/limux/english/1 47197/index.html

    OK?

    --
    Windows 2000 - from the guys who brought us edlin
  5. Re:holy not cost effective, batman! by TeknoHog · · Score: 4, Informative

    Even if the costs are same, it's better for Europeans for the money to stay in local economy, than to be flushed away to Redmond. But I'm probably just forgetting all the jobs that will be created by Vista ;)

    --
    Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.
  6. Re:Behind the scenes... by pimpimpim · · Score: 4, Informative
    I checked this news out yesterday, and read on the german project website that they already used linux on their servers since 1995. The idea to change came when it was apparent that windows NT would be stopped and new MS software would require them to start a contract forcing them to renew this contract constantly. Then, if I remember correctly, the major tested if his wife could manage to work on openoffice, which turned out pretty nicely.

    With the major and of course a majority in the city council backing this, they started a very gradual and careful way to change, with a halt since 2004 because they needed a risk analysis in the case that software patents would be installed EU-wide. The cost risk turned out to be pretty small, as for every patent there can be a workaround eventually, linux is based on code that is already known since the 60s, and some other reasons. In the mean time they made sure they had automated software install systems working, and other practical issues resolved. The big news now is that they will actually start with the first linux machines for office employees. First ones will be for office work that requires interchangeable software (word processor, etc), then more complicated office work will follow.

    --
    molmod.com - computing tips from a molecular modeling
  7. The headline is mis-leading! by bogaboga · · Score: 2, Informative
    Munich Finally Starts to Embrace Linux

    The sentence should read, "Munich Finally Starts Implementing Linux."

    The embrace happened a few years ago. It's (Linux) implementation is what has just happened. By the way...does anyone know whether it's KDE or GNOME at the forefront here?

    1. Re:The headline is mis-leading! by Chaffar · · Score: 4, Informative
      From my understanding (reading other posts in the thread) it's KDE 3.5 on Debian. Why they didn't go with Ubuntu+Gnome, I don't know.
      Because KDE is a (mostly)German project, whereas GNOME is distinctly American. According to Wikipedia: German non-profit organization (KDE e.V.) owns the trademark on "KDE", and KDE conferences often take place in Germany.
  8. Re:Just curious by el+americano · · Score: 1, Informative

    I don't see an answer there at all. (-1, Not informative)

    --
    Those are my principles. If you don't like them I have others. -Groucho Marx
  9. Re:Just curious by rainer_d · · Score: 3, Informative

    sigh.

    that site has general information about the Linux-Project and a link to this site:
    http://www.ssrc.org/wiki/POSA/index.php?title=LiMu x%E2%80%94Free_Software_for_Munich

    --
    Windows 2000 - from the guys who brought us edlin
  10. Re:Octoberfest by slart42 · · Score: 1, Informative

    [i]Probably won't be doing much migrating next month.[/i]

    Actually the Octoberfest is in September and ends Oct 3rd, so once the hangover is gone the can migrate at normal efficiency for the rest of the month.

  11. s/major/mayor by fotang · · Score: 2, Informative

    After staying in Germany, people seem to get y's and j's all mixed up...

  12. The EU is not the government of Europe by andersh · · Score: 2, Informative

    Dont mistake the EU for the government or administration of Europe. Germany is very much an independent country with its own political structure and system. The EU court is located in Luxembourg where it tries cases of unionwide importance. Everything else is left to the national governments and the local legal apparatus. The EU system is NOT like the federal government of the US (yet).