Linux

I've said this a million times, but it's definitely about time we stop spending taxes on a rogue entity across the ocean who definitely does not have our best interests in mind. I'm not convinced it's even legal and I don't understand why the legal prospects have never been brought up about this fucking situation. R&D money should not go to a foreign corporation. In addition, I (and pretty much everyone else on the planet) already paid for microsofts products and services so my government can use it (against my will), so why the fuck do they get away with setting a public price at all? It should legally be free or the governments shouldn't need to pay for it in the first place, and it should legally be open source because it's publicly funded. There are just so many problems with the entire idea of our government using Windows, Office, and their services.

They could call it Eunux!

Oh...

Someone mentioned that M365 is properly not legal. Guess what, it isn't.

The EDPS (European Data Protection Supervisor) investgated the EU-Commissions' use of M365 and found it to be illegal in march 2024. EPDS gave the Commission until December 2024 to, among other things, stop transfers of Personal Information to third countries in M365 outside the EU. Which of course made the Commission sue the EDPS. And MS to do the same..

So M365 is NOT legal to use for any Public Institution in the EU. Unless the Controller make Microsoft change their DPA, contract etc. Kinda like MS did for the Dutch government after the dutch firm Privacy Company made an in depth analysis of M365 and found numerous illegal processing etc.

Fun how Microsoft was made aware of how they acted illegal, and changed it - only for the Dutch Government...!! The rest of their Customers still have the illegal DPA, terms etc... Also fun how it is Common knowledge and IT-departments still choose to use M365, and move as much as possible there from more privacy and security oriented services.

EDPS investigation into the Commissions use of M365: https://www.edps.europa.eu/press-publications/press-news/press-releases/2024/european-commissions-use-microsoft-365-infringes-data-protection-law-eu-institutions-and-bodies_en

My point? EU-Linux is a fantastic idea! 🙂

Focus instead on enforcing standards' compliance so i can open a .docx with any program and be usable anywhere.

Then focus on enforcing FOSS software in public services but don't bother with a "european linux distro", that's just a waste of resources. There are already a great deal of distros around. Considering geopolitics i'd go with SuSe or some other EU-based distro.

While I like the idea, it’ll be incredibly tough to overcome Microsofts lobbying, one just needs to look on the history of the LiMux project.

As long as the EU doesn't reinvent the wheel, why not? I mean if they are going to fork Linux and rewrite a EU-based linux OS, this would further divide the community and make issues and security a lot more wacky... Not sure this is a good idea.

https://publiccode.eu/en/

Fucking over microsoft is always good

This is dumb. Hand over development to bureaucrats? create a set of guidelines and requirements, and allow distros to be certified, and fund development of distros that are being used.

Especially in light of Microsoft CoPilot. You do not want obvious spyware on any computer.

@JRepin

just an idea, it could be based on #NixOS , if I remember well the project was partially funded by European Research or Opensource funds.

Please correct me if I am wrong on the fundings, I say this from distant memory.

EDIT: it was just an idea, as it is not the most user-friendly distro out there...

Well, what better way to embrace FOSS than dismissing the efforts of all the existing distro maintainers? Welcome to the community, guys. Good luck building your cathedral next to the bazaar!

How about they instead work together with the distros and create a way of certifying a distro as gov-ready?

I imagine this would work out to be something similar to redhat enterprise linux, but with the EU funding it's development instead of the US

Just use Debian, it has old root, stable, still being developed, it's the base of various others distro that "enhance" it (sometimes badly).

Debian.

I'm using MX Linus AHS, based on Debian, BTW.

PSA: You can sign the petition even if you're not a European national. I registered and signed as a Canadian myself and it accepted it

To register on that website I need to agree to Privacy Policy:

Please be aware that registered petitions are public documents. This means that your identity, the number given to the petition and the personal data contained therein: (1) may be disclosed to the recipients mentioned in the paragraph above; (2) may be mentioned in public meetings held by the Committee on Petitions, and thus webstreamed (which means that they may be watched by anyone through the European Parliament website); (3) may be mentioned in the plenary session, and thus be recorded in the minutes published in the Official journal; (4) may be made available on the internet website of the European Parliament.

Do I understand it incorrectly or does it allow them to webstream my home address???

If only the GAFAMS could stop getting money from taxpayers! It would be a big start and then it would just be the individuals who would decide to support by buying their products or not.

Exists already; OpenDesk

I'd really like to see this. However I don't have high hopes when looking at the current state in Slovenia, where Microsoft is deeply rooted in all public and non public sectors, starting from schools. Most know only Windows and Word while they don't distinguish between the two and schools system doesn't give a shit about teaching anything about computers let alone non Microsoft. One of the reasons is, of course, teachers being computer illiterate or ... know only Microsoft. And so on and so forth.

Just use OpenSUSE

" Number of supporters: 141" and 375 upvotes, something doesn't add up.

Thanks but no thanks.