FOSSPicks
FOSSPicks
This month we explore the top FOSS, including an offline website browser, a human-sounding set of AI skills, and a recently open sourced IDE.
Switzerland Declares Microsoft Neutrality
The Swiss Federal Administration has revealed that it's spending around CHF9 million (about 11 million dollars) on a "sovereign workplace" based on openDesk, an open source collaboration platform designed to reduce reliance on proprietary software. The first phase will involve around 3,000 staff by the end of 2027. This isn't, however, Switzerland dramatically purging Microsoft 365 from every government computer. For now, openDesk will run alongside it, to give staff involved in critical processes an alternative.
The Swiss Armed Forces are moving somewhat faster. Swiss Cyber Command (Kommando Cyber) and its Cyber and Electromagnetic Actions sub-unit plan to move relevant personnel to openDesk by October 2026. The main issue here likely isn't that Word is no longer fit for purpose. Rather, Microsoft is subject to US law, including the Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data (CLOUD) Act, which the Swiss military could consider problematic for sensitive contexts.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
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
-
Working Exploit for a Linux Kernel Flaw Made Public
Even before a bug received its CVE identifier or an upstream fix, the local privilege escalation vulnerability exploit found its way into the wild.
-
r/opensource Bans AI-Assisted and AI-Related Projects
The de facto subreddit for all things open source has not only banned AI-related projects but also users who "don't speak English."
-
Bottlenecks Discovered by Meta Engineers Lead to Scalability Improvements
Thanks to a small group of engineers at Meta, the Linux kernel module kernfs has been improved, which has led to some serious gains.
-
PwnEscape Poses VM Vulnerability
A guest-to-host escape flaw in Linux KVM, named PwnEscape, might be yet another means of attacking Linux.
-
Linux Mint 27 Set for a Christmas Release
The developers behind Linux Mint have announced a Christmas release, and it looks like Santa's sack will be brimming with features.
-
Is Linus Torvalds Vibe Coding?
The creator of Linux has added AI into his process for Linux kernel development, and it's more than just for debugging.
-
openKylin 3.0 Released with Expanded AI Integration
The latest release features a pre-installed AI agent to help perform tasks.
-
DigitalOcean Ends Open Source Credits Program
In a change that has surprised many open source developers, DigitalOcean has decided to sunset its Open Source Credits Program.
-
Office 365 Available for Testing on Linux via Bottles
Linux users can now test the official Office 365, thanks to Mirko Brombin's work on Bottles.
-
Dutch Government Turns to Open Source for Digital Sovereignty
Following in the footsteps of other European countries, the Netherlands is looking to increase its sovereign digital infrastructure with open source software.