Munich Plans to Ditch Linux and Go Back to Windows
A major setback for the Linux desktop.
The city of Munich is working on a plan to ditch LiMux, a customized Linux distribution, and go back to Microsoft products, including Windows.
The city of Munich has been using LiMux and other vendor-neutral technologies for more than a decade now. The move posed a serious challenge to Microsoft’s dominance in the market. The success of LiMux would have encouraged other cities and regional governments to move away from Microsoft’s proprietary technologies in favor of open source technologies.
Microsoft increased its lobbying efforts in Munich, which didn’t see success under the previous administration. Microsoft’s efforts started to pay off with the election of Microsoft-friendly Dieter Reiter as the mayor of the city, when the plans to ditch Linux and go back to Microsoft products returned to the table. In 2016, Microsoft opened a new headquarters in Munich to assist the new government in going back to the company’s products.
Last year, the city of Munich conducted a study through a Microsoft partner, Accenture, which concluded that many departments are facing problems with Linux and open source technologies. In the month of February 2017, the city council came up with a plan to move to Windows by 2020.
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Kali Linux Waxes Nostalgic with BackTrack Mode
For those who've used Kali Linux since its inception, the changes with the new release are sure to put a smile on your face.
-
Gnome 50 Smooths Out NVIDIA GPU Issues
Gamers rejoice, your favorite pastime just got better with Gnome 50 and NVIDIA GPUs.
-
System76 Retools Thelio Desktop
The new Thelio Mira has landed with improved performance, repairability, and front-facing ports alongside a high-quality tempered glass facade.
-
Some Linux Distros Skirt Age Verification Laws
After California introduced an age verification law recently, open source operating system developers have had to get creative with how they deal with it.
-
UN Creates Open Source Portal
In a quest to strengthen open source collaboration, the United Nations Office of Information and Communications Technology has created a new portal.
-
Latest Linux Kernel RC Contains Changes Galore
Linux kernel 7.0-rc3 includes more changes than have been made in a single release in recent history.
-
Nitrux 6.0 Now Ready to Rock Your World
The latest iteration of the Debian-based distribution includes all kinds of newness.
-
Linux Foundation Reports that Open Source Delivers Better ROI
In a report that may surprise no one in the Linux community, the Linux Foundation found that businesses are finding a 5X return on investment with open source software.
-
Keep Android Open
Google has announced that, soon, anyone looking to develop Android apps will have to first register centrally with Google.
-
Kernel 7.0 Now in Testing
Linus Torvalds has announced the first Release Candidate (RC) for the 7.x kernel is available for those who want to test it.