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Public Services and Government Branches Compelled to Adopt Free/Libre Software

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Summary: As Free (as in freedom) software becomes the norm it is evident that proprietary software companies -- not Free/Open Source software proponents -- need to work hard to justify procurement through them

Desktop GNU/Linux is coming to more store shelves [1], even if it's being branded "Chromebook" or whatever [2]. It is abundantly clear -- and Intel agrees -- that GNU/Linux is the future of the desktop, branding questions aside. Linux/Android already dominates mobile.



It has become harder to dismiss GNU/Linux or Free software as "hype" or "passing fad". Governments are being pressured by voters to explore Free/libre options and in this process of public advocacy we see changes across Europe [3-5]. Ben Balter calls for "[o]pen standards, open formats, [and] open systems" [6] because only by freeing up data and code can the government earn trust.

There are many success stories for Free software this month. In a matter of days the movement of Free software will officially turn 30.

Related/contextual items from the news:



  1. Retail Shelf-space For GNU/Linux PCs
    I was reading a decent article about buying PCs with GNU/Linux installed. It all comes down to retail shelf-space and even in a country like Brazil where millions of GNU/Linux PCs are manufactured each year, it is difficult to find them on retail shelves.


  2. Exploring the Samsung ARM Chromebook 3G
    Back in late 2010, Google announced a "Chromebook"—a low-cost, entry-level netbook that would run Google's own operating system, ChromeOS. Google's vision of ChromeOS, although based on Linux, basically would be a giant Web browser, with all the apps on the machine running in the browser. ChromeOS would be a nearly stateless computer, with all the user's apps based in Google's cloud, running the Google Apps suite.


  3. France's Defence ministry dutiful studies free software


  4. Open source to formalise European railway specifications


  5. Touring Norway's municipalities kindles open source interest
    A two-month tour by Friprog, Norway's free and open source software resource centre group, visiting all municipal administrations, helped to raise the profile of this type of software solutions, says Morten Amundsen, the centre's director. "We turned up several applications that the administrations want to share with others; and helped broker a deal with a proprietary software supplier to support a connection with an open source application."


  6. Four tips for building better apps for government
    Government CIOs have ample resources to do a great job for their communities and citizens. They have smart, well-intentioned people working for them and more low-hanging fruit than most private-sector CIOs dream of.

    [...]

    Open. Barriers to the free-flow of information just add friction and more often than not, you just end up shooting yourself in the foot. Make open the default. Open standards, open formats, open systems. Expose process. Prefer social and cultural norms to technical constraints. Don’t lock it down unless you absolutely have to. Trust people.




Recent Techrights' Posts

Torturing Users Who Just Want to Run GNU/Linux on Their Own PC
"Linux does not want to install"
European Authorities, Already Bribed and Infiltrated by Microsoft, Won't Help You Find BigBlueButton, Jami, Ring, and Jitsi
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Moving From Content Management Systems (CMSs) to Static Site Generators (SSGs) Saves You Time, Makes You a Lot More Productive
try to reduce the cost (financial and computational) of running your site
Leak: European Patent Office (EPO) is Now Attacking Amicale Clubs
corruption has become the norm and scientists are robbed of any dignity
Oracle Fraud (or Defrauding Shareholders)
"the obvious [lie] is that watts are (wasted) electricity [and] and FLOPS are computing capacity"
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no matter how many threats we receive
 
The Register MS Still Takes Money to Hype Up "AI" in Articles by Microsoft Resellers With the Term "AI" 30+ Times in Them
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The Apache Logo News is VERY Old, Racists and 'Anti-Woke' Bigots Look for Something to Incite Other Bigots With
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Gemini and Web Links 13/09/2025: MElon's Slop Grift and "Autonomous Trains"
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Over at Tux Machines...
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Links for the day
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The Mind of the 'Hulk Hogan of UEFI'
in a nutshell
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In the news today (right now), as published in the past few hours
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Links for the day
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Links for the day
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Who asked for this anyway?
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Links 11/09/2025: Windows TCO and Russian Drones Invading Poland (EU/NATO)
Links for the day
Gemini Links 11/09/2025: xkcd, misfin, and Alhena 5.3.2
Links for the day
Repetition of Last Summer (Microsoft Breaking Dual-Boot Systems)
UEFI 9/11 is about to kick in
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The next few weeks might be... interesting
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Most people aren't even aware that this is happening or about to happen
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Today is UEFI 9/11 (9/11/2025)
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Negative media coverage isn't a fine and it does nothing to compensate Microsoft's billions of victims
Culture of silence: Ubisoft harassment convictions, Mozilla, Sylvestre Ledru & Debian make no comment
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Disable 'Secure Boot' (If It Lets You)
it doesn't put you in control
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Links for the day
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The World's Richest Ponzi Scheme (Faking Value Using Net Waste)
The higher they go the harder they fall
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And prone to breakage
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Welcome to 2025
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things continue to deteriorate
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One might say digital "security theatre"
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Over at Tux Machines...
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