[CS-FSLUG] French police switch from Windows to Linux

[Fred A. Miller]

Raphaël Pinson wrote:
> Yes, this is great.
> 
> It is not actually the French police that switched to open-source
> software, but the "gendarmerie", which is slightly different. The
> gendarmerie is a part of the French army which is close to the
> population. While the police belong to the ministry of interior, while
> the gendarmerie belongs to the ministry of defense, and I think this
> plays a big role in their choice aswell, which I believe is not only
> motivated by money but also largely by security concerns. I have read
> interviews of French generals who had really understood the necessity of
> being able to access the source of every program they used in the army,
> and to not use proprietary programs made by foreign companies to manage
> important (and potentially secret) data.
> 
> The gendarmerie has become an example of a an administration using
> open-source software in France. Not only do they use them increasingly,
> but they also contribute to it. Quite a few times, they have revived
> dead open-source projects that met their needs, and contributed back
> their improvements to the community.
> 
> More than just a matter of money, the way the gendarmerie has been
> improving their IT policy in the last 10 years is an example for all the
> French administration services, and hopefully for other countries, too.

If so, I haven't heard about it, and sure would like to!! GREAT info, and
thanks!

Fred

-- 
"The fundamental premise of liberalism is the moral and
rational incapacity of the American people." ~ Fred Miller