Top Secret: Open Source Study 2 in Vienna
Along with Munich, Vienna is regarded as a forerunner in the field of open source projects in the German-speaking region of Europe. Now it seems, the Capital of Austria is having second thoughts.
Vienna's Wienux Project, just like its neighbors in Munich, was supposed to implement the change from Windows to free software in the city's municipal councils. However, unlike Munich, the change-over in Vienna is a purely voluntary affair, and to date only 1000 of the 32000 administrative PCs actually run on free software. Last year, 700 PCs in Vienna's kindergartens were programmed with Windows Vista because the administration had ordered a language-learning software that can only run on Vista.
That Wienux was initiated at all is partly thanks to the "Study Open Source Software" (STOSS) from 2004. The study (PDF in German language), which analyzed the use and cost of open source software in Viennese city councils, welcomed the implementation of free software and recommended, because of the rapid growth in Linux, a further study in 2006, before deciding the next step.
Now, with the STOSS 2 supposedly completed, the results are being kept secret, despite written confirmation from city councilor Schicker in June 2009 in a letter to Green Party member Marie Ringler, that the results of the study would be made public.
Reasons for the secrecy are, according to press-speaker Martin Schipany, " extremely sensitive details" that "can't be allowed to fall into the hands of the competition." Austria's main public broadcaster ORF has reported that with "competition" Schipany doesn't mean other cities like Munich or Paris, he's referring to rival software.
So for now it remains a mystery exactly what Vienna's councilors are hiding from the public. The fact that open source software is perfectly suitable for use in the city's administration, or the opposite?
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
-
Fedora Asahi 40 Remix Available for Macs with Apple Silicon
If you've been anticipating KDE's Plasma 6 for your Apple Silicon-powered Mac, then you're in luck.
-
Red Hat Adds New Deployment Option for Enterprise Linux Platforms
Red Hat has re-imagined enterprise Linux for an AI future with Image Mode.
-
OSJH and LPI Release 2024 Open Source Pros Job Survey Results
See what open source professionals look for in a new role.
-
Proton 9.0-1 Released to Improve Gaming with Steam
The latest release of Proton 9 adds several improvements and fixes an issue that has been problematic for Linux users.
-
So Long Neofetch and Thanks for the Info
Today is a day that every Linux user who enjoys bragging about their system(s) will mourn, as Neofetch has come to an end.
-
Ubuntu 24.04 Comes with a “Flaw"
If you're thinking you might want to upgrade from your current Ubuntu release to the latest, there's something you might want to consider before doing so.
-
Canonical Releases Ubuntu 24.04
After a brief pause because of the XZ vulnerability, Ubuntu 24.04 is now available for install.
-
Linux Servers Targeted by Akira Ransomware
A group of bad actors who have already extorted $42 million have their sights set on the Linux platform.
-
TUXEDO Computers Unveils Linux Laptop Featuring AMD Ryzen CPU
This latest release is the first laptop to include the new CPU from Ryzen and Linux preinstalled.
-
XZ Gets the All-Clear
The back door xz vulnerability has been officially reverted for Fedora 40 and versions 38 and 39 were never affected.