Google Translation: “Over 12,000 urban PC workstations to work with the open PC workstation system Linux. The open source office suite OpenOffice.org communication are the employees of the City of Munich and used to work with LiMux has become routine.
Despite the long duration of the project, each new project milestone was followed by other municipalities and states with interest. And the interest is still undiminished.”
see Munich with over 12,000 PCs Running LiMux | Munich IT Blog: target achieved.
It did take a long time but they did break even by the time of the second avoided “upgrade” of that other OS. They didn’t break anything but dependency on M$. Congratulations, Munich!
17463
12771
206
3
2
23909 
11859 
11711 
4640 
4261 
1642 
198 
14 
2 
0 
0 
0 
Unfortunately Windows still persists in a few places. Today I wanted to return some books at the local library (which belongs to the Munich Public Library). The books are all tagged with RFID chips, so you simply have to insert them into a kind of reverse vending machine. Well, it didn’t work today. The machine spat every book back out. When I told the librarian she rebooted the computer powering the reverse vending machine, and up came the boot screen of … Windows 2000 Professional. After about five excruciating minutes the system had finally booted, but the machine still didn’t work correctly. I was in a hurry and had to leave at that point, so I don’t know what happened afterwards. I’ll try to return my books tomorrow.
Lutz D. Meier wrote, “Well, it didn’t work today. The machine spat every book back out. When I told the librarian she rebooted the computer powering the reverse vending machine, and up came the boot screen of … Windows 2000 Professional.”
So, re-re-reboots prevented re-re-rebooking?
Seriously, if you are in Munich, can you give us a report on the state of GNU/Linux there? Can an ordinary consumer buy a PC loaded with GNU/Linux from retail stores? I would expect city employees in some cases would seek out such products in the local market and stimulate interest.
Seriously, if you are in Munich, can you give us a report on the state of GNU/Linux there? Can an ordinary consumer buy a PC loaded with GNU/Linux from retail stores?
If by “retail store” you mean big electronics stores — in Munich these would be primarily Saturn and Media Markt — then, sadly, no. There’s nothing but Windows to be seen there (and Apple). There is one — yes, merely one — retail store by the name of notebooksbilliger.de where you can get computers … without Windows. But I’ve yet to see a computer anywhere in Munich that comes with a current “mainstream” Linux (Ubuntu, Mint, openSUSE, Fedora, Debian etc.) installed. They’re simply not there. Certainly, there are some specialized stores where you can have computers custom-built and Linux installed on them. But the Linux retail experience — as in: grab a computer with Linux off the shelf — is non-existent.
Lutz D. Meier pointed us to “http://www.notebooksbilliger.de/notebooks/notebooks+ohne+windows“
Cool. The site is a bit confusing. Search for Linux and find that other OS… but at least they have that link. Prices seem pretty reasonable is one needs a big PC. They do indeed have retail shelves…
http://www.notebooksbilliger.de/infocenter/section/store_munich
and Yelp
Lutz D. Meier. Lot of shipped machines at best will have the LTS version of a distribution on it.
So forget mainstream current other than LTS versions.
Really the MS idea of releasing windows every 12 months is going to upset stores.
Something sitting on a retail self a retailer does not want to have to reimage it.
The rapid release cycle is something that has kept Linux off the self and Windows on it. Lutz D. Meier I done a few ground serveys looking at retail. Interesting thing is to go around and take note of the average stock on shelf age of laptops and desktops it is about 6 months old. With the oldest on shelf being about 1.5 years.
Wait for Windows 9 MS is going to kick the retailers where it hurts. Linux is normally in custom builders because Linux people do want current OS.
Just think how many windows updates a new windows machine has to have installed before its ready to go. At least 6 months worth and that is if the one you got is new stock to the shop.
Retail + Current upto date OS does not happen. Custom yes can get current upto date os.
Robert Pogson wrote:
“So, re-re-reboots prevented re-re-rebooking?”
My wife got a new/used laptop last week. I had a friend of mine put Windows 7 on it before I loaded it with Linux so she could play this one little game she loves. When I finally got around to booting Windows for the first time it notified me that it had found new hardware and was loading the driver for it. I was somewhat perturbed by that because I didn’t believe there was any new hardware. Just a laptop with a mouse connected to it because I hate those stupid touch pads. After about 10 seconds it said it needed to reboot to finish installing the new hardware. Reboot!? It was the mouse. A Microsoft mouse. It had installed the mouse and now it needed to freakin’ reboot.
Something as insignificant as a mouse or a keyboard will be installed in the background automatically on Linux. In Windows it requires a reboot. What a dumb-ass operating system.
kozmcrae wrote, “In Windows it requires a reboot. What a dumb-ass operating system.”
In GNU/Linux everything’s nicely modular and one package trespasses on another as little as possible. That is good design. It simplifies everything, creating software, installation, upgrading, debugging, etc. That other OS was designed with no idea of good design, just make these features work any way at all… The result is such complexity that the simplest task requires extreme measures.
In the 1990s, that other OS evolved rather naturally, just adding a few new features as selling points. In this century we have seen one extreme change after another. M$ is as broken as its software and waiting for the next release or downgrading won’t fix that. Installing GNU/Linux or some other good OS is the only solution. This complexity is sufficient reason to do that. Then you can get to the restrictions of the EULA, the malware, the slowing down, and I don’t see any reasonable person choosing to stick with M$. That’s why M$ long ago bullied the OEMs by leveraging monopoly all the way to retail shelves. They had to eliminate choice to grow like weeds.
kozmcrae I have worked with windows 7 installing a mouse does not always trigger a reboot just some models. But there is a real stupid. Unplug mouse from one port into another port where it has not been and wait. Why it goes threw a complete driver search again.
Also I have seen windows 7 take 15 mins to find the fact you have plugged a USB keyboard or mouse in so they can work. I have also see this with windows 8. Input drivers of windows need some serous optimisation.
oiaohm wrote, “Input drivers of windows need some serous optimisation.”
Chuckle. That’s just painting the old barn when a new building is needed. I suggest going to GNU/Linux, the rational OS.
Yes, Windows’ USB handling is quite beyond reason. I don’t know if THAT happens anymore, but once I saw Windows (XP and Vista) create a new entry for a printer only because the printer’s USB cable was plugged into another USB port. You then had two entries for the very same printer.
Sometimes I still have to read/burn CDs/DVDs at work, and there another fantastic Windows “feature” shines: when you insert a CD/DVD Windows’ GUI still freezes occasionally until Windows has sorted out that it sucks at asynchronous I/O.