Slashdot Mirror


French Police Save Millions Switching To Ubuntu

Ynot_82 writes "The French national police force, the Gendarmerie Nationale, has spoken about their migration away from the Windows platform to Linux. Estimated to have already saved the force 50 Million Euros, the migration is due to be completed on all 90,000 workstations by 2015. Of the move, Lt. Col. Guimard had this comment: '"Moving from Microsoft XP to Vista would not have brought us many advantages and Microsoft said it would require training of users. Moving from XP to Ubuntu, however, proved very easy. The two biggest differences are the icons and the games. Games are not our priority."'"

28 of 368 comments (clear)

  1. Games are not our priority by macxcool · · Score: 5, Funny

    ... but solitaire and minesweeper are great training for stakeouts ;-)

    1. Re:Games are not our priority by Thelasko · · Score: 5, Funny

      How do they ever expect to catch Riddler?

      --
      One of our competitors trademarked the term "hypothesis". From now on, we will call them "boneheaded ideas".
    2. Re:Games are not our priority by ObsessiveMathsFreak · · Score: 5, Funny

      In fact, solitaire really is great training for using a mouse. Time and again I have seen novice computer users of all ages, who would otherwise struggle with the mouse, become quite proficient after only an hour or so playing solitaire.

      Now if they could just be gotten to stop playing solitaire afterwards, they could move on to other lessons.

      --
      May the Maths Be with you!
    3. Re:Games are not our priority by Annorax · · Score: 2, Funny

      Don't forget Nethack! The best way to learn the basics of moving around in vi. Back in the day, nethack was mesmerizing.

    4. Re:Games are not our priority by emjay88 · · Score: 2, Funny

      I still find nethack mesmerising, you insensitive clod!

      --
      1178161 is prime...
  2. Run away or I shall taunt you a second time by Teresita · · Score: 5, Funny

    You don' frighten us, Microsoft pig-dogs!

    1. Re:Run away or I shall taunt you a second time by MacColossus · · Score: 5, Funny

      They said they were looking for the Vista Grail. I told them we already have one.

    2. Re:Run away or I shall taunt you a second time by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      Fetchez la vache!

  3. Duh by spykemail · · Score: 5, Funny

    Free is cheaper. Who knew?

  4. Re:Go France! by whoever57 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Sadly, so long as corporations are allowed to lobby, the pork train will probably continue.

    Hey, it's not "pork", it's an "economic stimulus".

    --
    The real "Libtards" are the Libertarians!
  5. Allies? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    So can we now call Linux the Allies coming to save France? I didn't want to 'call' the other side of that.....

    1. Re:Allies? by morgan_greywolf · · Score: 5, Funny

      So can we now call Linux the Allies coming to save France? I didn't want to 'call' the other side of that.....

      No! No, way! You absolutely, positively are NOT going to trick me into saying that Microsoft is the Axis of Evil! Do you have any idea how fast I'd be modded down by the Microsoft fanboys? Forget it! I'm not doing it!

  6. French Police Save Millions Switching To Ubuntu? by canuck08 · · Score: 5, Funny

    "French Police Save Millions Switching To Ubuntu."

    Jesus Christ! Windows was killing millions of people in France?!?!

  7. Re:did i read that wrong? by geekoid · · Score: 4, Funny

    Yes.
    I did have to pause a moment to think millions of what? Initially I thought people.

    --
    The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
  8. Re: French Police Save Millions Switching To Ubunt by morgan_greywolf · · Score: 5, Funny

    Jesus Christ! Windows was killing millions of people in France?!?!

    Why do you think they call it the 'Blue Screen of Death'?

  9. Re: French Police Save Millions Switching To Ubunt by nixdroid · · Score: 5, Funny

    No, no, millions of _Francs_. About $1.98.

    --
    -- Consensus - 50% probability that the majority are wrong.
  10. Re: French Police Save Millions Switching To Ubunt by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    And why do you think the French sigh of exasperation is "sacre bleu"?

  11. Re: French Police Save Millions Switching To Ubunt by hansamurai · · Score: 4, Funny

    Not just in France, the summary says Euros, so people all over Europe.

  12. This just in from the ticker. French police save m by gd23ka · · Score: 2, Funny

    French Police Save Millions Switching To Ubuntu

    French Police are going door to door these past days informing citizens of the long-term health
    effects of Windows. The so far largest campaign for public health in the history of France is
    expected to continue for another week and is aiming for a coverage of over 90% of the nation's
    households. Jean Trudeaux, an elderly villager in the Bretagne recalls opening the door to officers
    early in the afternoon and being asked if he owned a computer. Acknowledging the possession of
    a computing device, Trudeaux learned of the immense cardiovascular risks associated with using
    inferior desktop software that is sold to an unsuspecting public bundled with almost every sale
    of computer hardware. At the end of the conversation with the officers, Trudeaux remarks:
    "I don't use my computer that often but that's mainly because it's such a hassle to do anything
    with it and then I get really really mad".

    While the campaign has certainly not escaped the attention of Microsoft it has also been noted
    by the medical profession world-wide. In an interview with Dr. Francois Boudoir, one of the foremost
    advancers of the field of cardiology in France the connection was quickly made between reducing the
    amount of time spent in distress to downright rage and the more than obvious benefits thus incurred
    for cardio health. "This campaign will save millions of lives in the long run and we need to look at
    this problem from more angles than just the cardiologist's perspective. This is also a quality of
    life issue."

  13. Re: French Police Save Millions Switching To Ubunt by IdleTime · · Score: 2, Funny

    You?

    --
    If you mod me down, I *will* introduce you to my sister!
  14. Re:No, that's not what they did by fm6 · · Score: 4, Funny

    The title of the article, and the title of the slashdot posting is inaccurate...

    What's your point?

  15. Read the original report - you'll feel much better by denzacar · · Score: 2, Funny

    According to Guimard the move to open source has also helped to reduce maintenance costs.
    Keeping GNU/Linux desktops up to date is much easier, he says.
    "Previously, one of us would be travelling all year just to install a new version of some anti virus application on the desktops in the Gendarmerie's outposts on the islands in French Polynesia.
    A similar operation now is finished within two weeks and does not require travelling.

    Aaah... government work.
    Not only do they find an exceptionally complicated way to solve a simple problem - they don't know when to keep their mouth shut when it goes in their favor.
    Traveling around French Polynesian islands updating anti-virus software for living?

    Why yes. It is MUCH better to sit in some windowless room instead.

    --
    Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens
  16. Re:Go France! by Darby · · Score: 2, Funny

    Hey, it's not "pork", it's an "economic stimulus".

    In a similar vein to "I economically stimulated your wife last night" ;-)

  17. Re: French Police Save Millions Switching To Ubunt by jamstar7 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Oh, shut up and eat your 'freedom fries' already

    --
    Understanding the scope of the problem is the first step on the path to true panic.
  18. *Microsoft* surrenders! by billstewart · · Score: 4, Funny

    The IBM PC was a hamster wheel, and MS-DOS smelled of Elderberries...

    And what is the air velocity of a chair thrown by a CEO?

    --

    Bill Stewart
    New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
  19. Re: French Police Save Millions Switching To Ubunt by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    No, no, millions of _Francs_. About $1.98.

    No, it's euros now days, and it's more worth than dollars :)

    Cheers

  20. save by TrueRecord · · Score: 2, Funny

    French Police Save Millions

    At first I was so glad and thought they saved millions of people.

    But I was wrong it was again about money...

  21. Re:Where is GORILLA.BAS? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Here you go then. GORILLA.BAS in flash!