Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

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."

12 of 154 comments (clear)

  1. holy not cost effective, batman! by larry+bagina · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The current projected costs are 35 Million Euros (up from 30 Million) to convert 14,000 computers.

    2,500 Euros per computer.

    --
    Do you even lift?

    These aren't the 'roids you're looking for.

    1. Re:holy not cost effective, batman! by headkase · · Score: 4, Interesting

      They're taking a big one-time hit although. Once they've rewritten/replaced all their software and migrated their data the cost to add new units will be significantly lower.

      --
      Shh.
    2. 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.
    3. Re:holy not cost effective, batman! by ozmanjusri · · Score: 4, Insightful
      They're taking a big one-time hit although.

      I wonder how many of the custom apps they're building on Linux will also be open source, and therefore available to the next government looking to switch. It could be that Munich is taking a _really_ big hit, but each organisation which follows the same path will find it progressively easier to switch.

      I've often thought that commercial software vendors are taking an immense risk in not porting to Linux, thereby allowing the whole FOSS application stack on the platform to be developed without commercial-grade competition.

      This sort of migration could start a cascade effect, where each successful adoption catalyses the next, and there are damn few commercial software houses prepared to take advantage of that.

      --
      "I've got more toys than Teruhisa Kitahara."
  2. 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
  3. 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

  4. They Tried by RAMMS+EIN · · Score: 4, Funny

    They tried. They gave them every chance to come up with a better operating system. They even delayed the switch to Linux by many years to give them a chance. Even now, they're giving them until 2008 to get at least some share of the cake.

    But Microsoft just couldn't get Longhorn ready in time.

    --
    Please correct me if I got my facts wrong.
  5. 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/
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. Octoberfest by hey · · Score: 4, Funny

    Probably won't be doing much migrating next month.

  9. 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.