French police switches to Ubuntu !

[newbie2]

The gendarmerie's 70,000 desktops currently use Microsoft's Windows XP operating system. But these will progressively change over to the Linux system distributed by Ubuntu, explained Colonel Nicolas Geraud, deputy director of the gendarmerie's IT department.

"We will introduce Linux every time we have to replace a desktop computer," he said, "so this year we expect to change 5,000-8,000 to Ubuntu and then 12,000-15,000 over the next four years so that every desktop uses the Linux operating system by 2013-2014."
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iU4Lq7tOR_WVOJLZ3IeRaIH03x6w
http://standblog.org/blog/post/2008/01/30/La-Gendarmerie-Nationale-annonce-sa-migration-vers-Linux/Ubuntu

[Jadd]

That's exciting! It's great to see so many goverments accross the world embrace open source.

[frup]

difficult to understand the exact numbers from that statement but I guess we can expect 20,000 more Ubuntu machines in 4 years

[xyz]

I knew cops were OK somehow.

[hyper_ch]

the french are open minded towards Linux in general.

[DrMega]

I knew cops were OK somehow.

Off the subject somewhat but my only experience of French police was years ago when the coach I was on caught fire, and the French cops took us to their cop shop, opened two of their interview rooms up, found us some tea making facilities out their own staff room, and really went out of their way to make us as comfortable as possible while we were waiting for our fire damaged coach to be repaired:)

Back on subject, I think this is really positive news for Ubuntu and open source in general.

[Samhain13]

The community just gets bigger and bigger! This is great news. :D

[kevdog]

Newsflash

Ubuntu brings home the bacon!

[mybunche]

That's great news. I wonder if they would put up on ubuntu home page.

[fuscia]

let's hope there's not a coinciding increase in their crime rate.

[LaRoza]

let's hope there's not a coinciding increase in their crime rate.

If there is, we can rest easy knowing the servers can handle it.

[Sporkman]

let's hope there's not a coinciding increase in their crime rate.

...soon we'll be seeing reports of operatives who look suspiciously like northwest American MBA holders moving about France, slipping money to local gangs & thugs....

[seventhc]

I wonder if they will all register with "The Ubuntu Counter". :P
http://ubuntucounter.geekosophical.net/index.php

[Mr. Picklesworth]

I find the attraction of non-English users most impressive. Open source and Linux are definitely very much English, and the work that goes into localization and internationalization is amazing. I think the support for translations in GNOME and KDE is the best in the world, since the user interface is using completely relative coordinates, which means a string can be made as long as we want yet still fit. Compare that to the competition, where it is not uncommon to see text which does not fit in its parent window even in English, and it makes a lot of sense that they would be looking to switch.

Kudos to the people who take time to translate Ubuntu into French, without whom the Gendarmerie would probably not have cared.

[Lord Illidan]

Cool..I always wanted to give an infraction to a policeman :D

[steveneddy]

This is really good reading.

French police deal blow to Microsoft (http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iU4Lq7tOR_WVOJLZ3IeRaIH03x6w)



The gendarmerie's 70,000 desktops currently use Microsoft's Windows XP operating system. But these will progressively change over to the Linux system distributed by Ubuntu, explained Colonel Nicolas Geraud, deputy director of the gendarmerie's IT department.




He also added that "the Linux interface is ahead of other operating systems currently on the market for professional use."




Vista, for example, Microsoft's latest operating system, is being spurned by consumers


Thought I would share.

:popcorn:

[jan quark]

its aaaalways good to have the police on your side :lolflag:

[jflaker]

ALL Government needs to cut spending. Cutting out 70,000 Microsoft licenses is a GREAT START

[Linuxratty]

It is indeed...people are starting to catch the wave...I like it!
Go Linux!

[days_of_ruin]

Lets hope the dont do malicious sudo command:lolflag:

[LaRoza]

Cool..I always wanted to give an infraction to a policeman :D

I would reverse it.

(I am have a degree in Criminal Justice, and know a bit about policework, they don't need that kind of aggravation)

[steveneddy]

Well - I thought it was a pretty good article.

[p_quarles]

Similar threads merged.

[DjBones]

not to be a negative nancy, but you think that something as mission critical as a police agency would have used something a bit more stable than Ubuntu, which is just Debian Unstable with some bandages lol

[LaRoza]

not to be a negative nancy, but you think that something as mission critical as a police agency would have used something a bit more stable than Ubuntu, which is just Debian Unstable with some bandages lol

Considering they were using Windows....

[jstableford]

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iU4Lq7tOR_WVOJLZ3IeRaIH03x6w
http://standblog.org/blog/post/2008/01/30/La-Gendarmerie-Nationale-annonce-sa-migration-vers-Linux/Ubuntu

I never thought I'd be able to say "French", "Police", and "respect" in the same sentence, but whoa! C'est la vie!!

[jstableford]

not to be a negative nancy, but you think that something as mission critical as a police agency would have used something a bit more stable than Ubuntu, which is just Debian Unstable with some bandages lol

If I were about to rob a bank, I would hope the local police force were running XP over just about any other OS out there... I'd also hope they were driving '84 Ford Escorts and packing Saturday Night Specials

[LaRoza]

If I were about to rob a bank, I would hope the local police force were running XP over just about any other OS out there... I'd also hope they were driving '84 Ford Escorts and packing Saturday Night Specials

It would be better if they were running Vista. Not to be anti-Microsoft, but I wouldn't trust that OS (and don't) in the least bit.

[hyper_ch]

I find the attraction of non-English users most impressive. Open source and Linux are definitely very much English, and the work that goes into localization and internationalization is amazing.

Why do you think Open source and LInux are definitivly very much english???

[p_quarles]

Why do you think Open source and LInux are definitivly very much english???
Last I checked, GNU and BSD both began in the U.S., and Linux began in Finland. Since then, it's become pretty international in every way. So, no, I don't see anything particularly English about it either. The developers are scattered across the globe.

[DjBones]

haha let me just restate that i didn't think windows of all OS was a better choice,
of course any version of linux is more stable lol

just maybe a more specialized distro for a police station, rather than one running.. er.. compiz by default :wink:

[hyper_ch]

just maybe a more specialized distro for a police station, rather than one running.. er.. compiz by default :wink:
Copuntu?

[gn2]

I would reverse it.

(I am have a degree in Criminal Justice, and know a bit about policework, they don't need that kind of aggravation)

I am a former Police Constable and can say that you need not worry, the big scriptwriter in the sky always gives the Police the best lines, so they're well able to look out for themselves!

[Midwest-Linux]

Windows 0 - Ubuntu 8,000

Here is another big win for Ubuntu...I mean big. The French police plan to change over 8,000 of their computers to Ubuntu this year and 12,000 to 15,000 next year. I wonder how Ballmer will spin this?

http://news.portalit.net/fullnews_no-more-windows-for-the-french-police_789.html

[bufsabre666]

I wonder how Ballmer will spin this?


why would they need to, remember windows had less bug fixes than ubuntu, so it must be more secure ;-)

[newbie2]

why would they need to, remember windows had less bug fixes than ubuntu, so it must be more secure ;-)
read this : http://opsamericas.com/?p=565
:rolleyes:

[bufsabre666]

read this : http://opsamericas.com/?p=565
:rolleyes:

read this: http://gizmodo.com/348437/microsoft-says-vista-more-secure-than-xp-osx-and-linux

all the proof i need, i believe everything large corporations tell me, microsoft has less bug fixes must be better ;-)

[Mr. Picklesworth]

read this: http://gizmodo.com/348437/microsoft-says-vista-more-secure-than-xp-osx-and-linux

all the proof i need, i believe everything large corporations tell me, microsoft has less bug fixes must be better ;-)

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=678019

Fixed ;)

[m@dm@x]

I really don't think this is a good advertisement for Linux.

[arpanaut]

I really don't think this is a good advertisement for Linux.

HUH?
You got something to hide?

:lolflag:

[Midwest-Linux]

Same story but check out the title...

French spit on Windows XP and embrace Linux

http://tech.blorge.com/Structure:%20/2008/02/02/french-spit-on-windows-xp-and-embrace-linux/

The article goes on to say that "Meanwhile Bill Gates was trying to hand out more “free” training on Microsoft products in Paris." and "Gates may be retiring just in time."

[Presto123]

I like this from the article:


but is now an easy-to-use system aimed at average users.