Could not find a List of FOSS software used in the Limux Client (Images, Adress-Management,etc.). If someone has a LINK I would appreciate.
On Wed, Nov 20, 2013 at 12:08 PM, Chris R (GenGen) <[email protected]>wrote: > Nice! > I really hope other learn from Munich and follow > > > On Wed, Nov 20, 2013 at 8:13 AM, <[email protected]> wrote: > >> >> >> Interesting article from TechRepublic: >> >> http://www.techrepublic.com/article/how-munich-rejected-steve-ballmer-and-kicked-microsoft-out-of-the-city/?tag=nl.e098&s_cid=e098&ttag=e098&ftag=TRE126e25f >> [1] >> >> HOW MUNICH REJECTED STEVE BALLMER AND KICKED MICROSOFT OUT OF THE >> CITY >> >> By Nick Heath [2] >> >> Breaking up with Microsoft is hard to do. Just >> ask Peter Hofmann, the man leading the City of Munich's project to ditch >> Windows and Office in favour of open source alternatives. >> >> The project >> took close to a decade to complete, has seen the city wrestle with legal >> uncertainties and earned Munich a visit from Microsoft CEO Steve >> Ballmer, whose pleas to the mayor of Germany's third largest city not to >> switch fell on deaf ears. >> >> Munich says the move to open source has >> saved it more than EUR10m, a claimcontested by Microsoft [3], yet >> Hofmann says the point of making the switch was never about money, but >> about freedom. >> >> "If you are only doing a migration because you think it >> saves you money there's always somebody who tells you afterwards that >> you didn't calculate it properly," he said. >> >> > "Our main goal was to >> become independent." Peter Hoffman, project lead >> >> "That was the >> experience of a lot of open source-based projects that have failed," >> Hofmann noted. They were only cost-driven and when the organisation got >> more money or somebody else said 'The costs are wrong' then the main >> reason for doing it had broken away. That was never the main goal within >> the City of Munich. Our main goal was to become independent." >> >> Munich >> is used to forging its own path. The city runs its own schools and is >> one of the few socialist, rather than conservative governments, in >> Bavaria. >> >> Peter Hofmann speaks about Munich's open source migration at >> the Linux Tag conference in Berlin. >> Image: Stefan Krempl >> >> Becoming >> independent meant Munich freeing itself from closed, proprietary >> software, more specifically the Microsoft Windows NT operating system >> and the Microsoft Office suite, and a host of other locked-down >> technologies the city relied on in 2002. >> >> The decision to ditch >> Microsoft was also born of necessity. In 2002 the council knew official >> support for Windows NT, the OS used on 14,000 staff machines at the >> council, would soon run out. The council ordered a study of the merits >> of switching to XP and Office versus a GNU/Linux OS, OpenOffice and >> other free software. >> >> As well as being tied to Windows upgrades, Munich >> faced becoming more tightly locked into the Microsoft ecosystem with >> each passing year, Hofmann said. >> >> "Windows has developed from a pure >> PC-centred operating system, like Windows 3.11 was, to a whole >> infrastructure. If you're staying with Microsoft you're getting more and >> more overwhelmed to update and change your whole IT infrastructure [to >> fit with Microsoft]," according to Hofmann, whether that be introducing >> a Microsoft Active Directory system or running a key management server. >> >> >> > "If you're staying with Microsoft you're getting more and more >> overwhelmed to update and change your whole IT infrastructure." Peter >> Hoffman >> >> Free software was ruled the better choice by Munich's ruling >> body, principally because it would free the council from dependence on >> any one vendor and future-proof the council's technology stack via open >> protocols, interfaces and data formats. >> >> The prospect of such a high >> profile loss, and other organisations following Munich's lead, spurred >> Microsoft to mount a last ditch campaign to win the authority back. A >> senior sales executive at the time told general managers in EMEA "under >> NO circumstances lose against Linux [4]." Steve Ballmer himself took >> time out of a skiing holiday to make a revised offer in March 2003, >> followed two months later by Microsoft knocking millions of Euros off >> the price of sticking with Windows and Office. >> >> The lobbying failed to >> change Munich's mind, and in June 2004 the council gave the go-ahead to >> begin the migration from NT and Office 97/2000 to a Linux-based OS, a >> custom-version of OpenOffice, as well as a variety of free software, >> such as the Mozilla Firefox browser, Mozilla Thunderbird e-mail client >> and the Gimp photo editing software. It became known as the LiMux >> project, after the name for the custom Linux OS the council was rolling >> out. >> >> MAKING SENSE OF THE IT ZOO >> >> Nine years is a long time for a >> desktop migration by anyone's standards, but the LiMux project was >> always going to be more than a simple transition. >> >> Microsoft CEO Steve >> Ballmer came to Munich and made the case for sticking with Microsoft >> software. >> Image: James Martin/CNET >> >> Originally planned as a soft roll >> out that would be complete by 2011, the project was extended when it >> became clear that the migration to free software would be more >> challenging than first thought. >> >> The complexity came down to the way IT >> was managed at Munich: twenty two different units handling IT for >> different parts of the council and each with differences in the Windows >> clients and other software they used, varying patch levels and no common >> directory, user, system or hardware management. >> >> "[The council] had 22 >> different units with their own IT, with totally different kinds of >> systems for the networking, operating and user directories. It was all a >> big zoo," said Hofmann, adding there was no detailed overview of the >> hardware each user relied upon or the software they needed to do their >> job. >> >> Without a clear picture of its IT estate, Munich found it was >> taking too long to deal with unexpected problems thrown up when rolling >> out LiMux. >> >> "If you set up an old PC with the new system you'd start >> recognising 'Whoops, that isn't there or there's hardware that needs to >> be reconfigured' and at that stage that's clearly too late. You have to >> know what's going on before you roll it out." "We p >> >> > migration and the >> development of our LiMux client in parallel." Peter Hoffman >> > >> > Munich >> chose to standardise p >> capturing each department's infrastructure and >> requirements and for testing and release management, at the cost of >> adding several years to the project's completion date. >> >> "That took a >> large amount of time to get over these heterogeneous systems," said >> Hofmann. >> >> A single unit was put in charge of maintaining and supporting >> the LiMux client, as well as implementing and providing common tools for >> user and system management. >> >> The nature of the project had changed, >> from a desktop migration to cleaning up much of Munich's IT >> infrastructure and the way it was managed - a move in keeping with the >> council's motto for the project: "Quality over time". >> >> In spite of the >> delay in completing the project, Hofmann said the authority had always >> planned to take its time. >> >> "We never planned to carry out a big bang >> migration. From the start we planned a slow migration, carrying out the >> migration and the development of our LiMux client in parallel." >> >> Munich >> focused on The IT Evolution as the logo for its custom Linux platform. >> >> >> The time taken to complete the project is one of many reasons that >> Microsoft has attacked Munich's move to LiMux. Areport criticising the >> project [5], produced by HP for Microsoft, claimed the Redmond software >> giant could migrate 50 to 500 desktop PCs per day if upgrading to a >> Microsoft OS and office, suite compared to the eight per day it said was >> being achieved under the LiMux project. >> >> However, by Hofmann's >> reckoning, that slow and steady migration is one of the reasons the >> project has largely managed to stay within its budget with minimal >> disruption. The project finished within budget in October 2013, with >> more than 14,800 staff migrated to using Limux and more than 15,000 to >> OpenOffice. >> >> RETOOLING FOR LINUX >> >> A myriad technical challenges emerged >> as Munich tried to reconfigure an infrastructure littered with >> proprietary formats and protocols to play nicely with LiMux and free >> software. >> >> Large chunks of the software used by the council were built >> using Microsoft technologies. For example, a sizeable proportion of >> Microsoft Office macros were written in Microsoft's programming language >> Visual Basic, while other departments were tied to Internet Explorer by >> a dependence on ActiveX. This preponderance of lock-in interfaces was >> described as "awful" in 2010 by then deputy head of the LiMux project >> Florian Schiessl. >> >> This screenshot of LiMux shows the major >> customization that Munich has done to Ubuntu. >> >> As would be expected, >> the council has had to shell out a chunk of change on getting >> applications to work on LiMux - a custom-build of the Ubuntu flavor of >> Linux - some EUR774,000 as of last year. >> >> At the time the migration >> started, the council used about 300 common office software programs, >> such as web browsers and e-mail clients, and 170 specialised apps >> tailored to different roles performed by the council. These specialised >> apps ranged from large-scale IT systems down to macros and templates >> linked to Microsoft Office. >> >> Understandably, migrating these apps to >> run on the LiMux OS is one of the areas where choosing LiMux over >> Windows cost Munich, with the work on migrating apps to LiMux costing >> EUR200,000 more than porting them to a newer version of Windows. >> >> >> Offsetting that is the estimated EUR6.8 million savings the council >> says it had made as of last year from not having to licence a new >> Microsoft OS and office suite. >> >> The lion's share of Munich's >> applications, about 90 per cent, are accessible via LiMux. Most have >> been ported, while others are running as web apps, inside virtualised >> containers or via terminal servers. >> >> A small number of apps have proven >> impossible to port, make accessible or switch away from - particularly >> software whose use is mandated by the German government - and have to be >> run directly on Windows machines. >> >> While the council has weaned itself >> off the majority of Microsoft technologies, Munich still experiences >> friction where it rubs against proprietary software in widespread use >> elsewhere. "We thought from the start we would have other organ >> >> > y." >> Peter Hoffman >> > >> > One of the main complaints from Munich staff using >> LiMux and OpenOffice is a >> ibilities with Microsoft Office. Documents, >> spreadsheets and other files display some fonts, pictures and layouts >> differently in OpenOffice than in Microsoft Office, and changes to some >> documents are not properly logged. >> >> Munich hopes to ease some of these >> problems by moving all its OpenOffice users to LibreOffice, a process >> which will get underway at the end of this year. Munich has worked with >> other users of LibreOffice, including authorities in the German city of >> Freiburg and the Austrian capital Vienna, to pay for updates to >> LibreOffice that should improve interoperability with Microsoft's office >> suite. >> >> The complexity of moving from proprietary software after years >> of being a Microsoft shop might explain why more organisations haven't >> followed in Munich's footsteps, and why some, like the German >> municipality of Freiburg, have given up on their own shift to open >> source. Last year Freiburg scrapped plans to move to OpenOffice claiming >> it would have cost up to EUR250 per seat to resolve interoperability >> issues. >> >> "We thought from the start we would have other organisations >> follow us but it's really not easy," said Hofmann. >> >> COST >> >> Hofmann's >> warning against justifying the jump to free software on cost alone seems >> well-grounded given how hotly Microsoft has contested costings for the >> programme. >> >> Microsoft claims that, by its estimation, the LiMux project >> would have cost considerably more than Munich has said. The HP report >> for Microsoft put the project's price at EUR60.6m, far more than the >> EUR17m Microsoft claimed it would have cost to shift to Windows XP and a >> newer version of Microsoft Office. >> >> Munich stands by its assertion that >> it has cost the council less to drop Microsoft than it would have to >> have stuck with it, and says Microsoft's figures are based on bogus >> assumptions. >> >> The final cost will be released at the end of 2013, but >> in August 2013 Munich said it had cost EUR23m to shift to LiMux and >> OpenOffice. Munich says this is far less than the estimated EUR34m it >> said it would have cost to upgrade to Windows 7 and newer versions of >> Microsoft Office. >> >> Where does the truth lie? Well Munich makes a good >> case for why much of the work carried out during the LiMux project would >> have been necessary if the council had decided to opt for a newer >> version of Windows, and how it has saved money on top. >> >> By choosing to >> swap to LiMux and OpenOffice Munich was able to keep using its old PCs >> for longer, something that Hofmann said would not have been possible if >> it had chosen some of the recent versions of Microsoft Office and >> Windows 7. >> >> Extending the lifespan of its PCs in this way had saved the >> council some EUR4.6m as of last year, according to its official figures. >> >> >> And by Munich's reckoning, the same standardisation of the council's >> tech infrastructure and administration would have eventually been >> necessary whatever the OS and office suite chosen, said Hofmann. >> >> >> Training thousands of the council's staff to use a new OS and software >> is another area where Munich believes the council would have faced >> equivalent costs for both Microsoft and LiMux - claiming it would have >> set them back EUR1.69m regardless of the system. >> >> "If we would have >> switched to Microsoft Office, the costs for the e-learning platform >> would have been the same, and the new GUI for MS Office would have >> required the same amount of training," said Hofmann. >> >> "[In fact] the >> GUI in OpenOffice is much more like MS Office 2000 than the new MS >> Office GUI." >> >> Similarly the EUR6.1m bill for personnel to oversee the >> migration process would have remained the same regardless of whether the >> council moved to LiMux or a future Windows OS, in Munich's estimation. >> Currently up to 18 people work at any one time work on development and >> maintenance tasks relating to the operating system and office software >> for LiMux and Windows. >> >> FREEDOM TO WORK >> >> While many businesses might >> balk at the thought of not having a support contract to pick up the >> pieces when their OS and office software goes wrong, Munich feels far >> from adrift, said Hofmann. >> >> Victory Gate is a symbol of the City of >> Munich. Its Linux migration declared victory in October 2013. >> Image: >> iStockphoto/tzeiler >> >> A team of just 25 people at Munich develop, roll >> out and provide final support for the Ubuntu-based LiMux client. A >> larger number of people look after the everyday administration of the >> city's PCs but far fewer than the 1,000 people cited in the Microsoft/HP >> report as implementing the LiMux project. >> >> The authority doesn't have a >> support deal for the LiMux client, but instead handles support itself >> with the help of various free software communities, such as those >> supporting Ubuntu, KDE, LibreOffice and OpenOffice. >> >> "We are using the >> community way of support," said Hofmann. "We are finding it to be >> effective, mostly." >> >> The model is allowing the council to help develop >> the software it uses in order that it better suit its needs. >> >> "If >> you're only a customer with a support contract, it doesn't give you the >> ability to change how things are put into Ubuntu or LibreOffice," said >> Hofmann. >> >> "That becomes more possible when you work with the >> community." "We are using the community way of support." Peter Hoffman >> >> >> The same staff >> >> > the last level of support, Hofmann said, adding the >> authority prizes the fr >> to work out how to resolve problems on its own. >> >> >> "We had an issue with OpenOffice in the past and a support contract >> wouldn't have helped us because nobody else has this sort of problem, so >> we would have had the choice to live with it or forget about it," said >> Hofmann. >> >> Instead Munich paid a company to resolve the issue for them, >> and put the patch upstream. >> >> "The only downside is there's no-one to >> blame when things do go wrong, but what's the advantage of that?" >> Hofmann said. >> >> WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD? >> >> Now that the migration to >> LiMux is complete, Munich plans to continue developing LiMux (the next >> version is due out in summer 2014) and continue to incorporate changes >> made to the Ubuntu LTS release it's based upon. The authority will also >> continue to identify opportunities to migrate other apps to run on the >> LiMux client so it can further reduce its Microsoft footprint. >> >> >> Picturesque Munich is regularly ranked as one of the world's most >> liveable cities. >> Image: iStockphoto/Björn Kindler >> >> Now that Munich is >> on a path to freeing itself from proprietary ties, Hofmann says he sees >> no compelling reason for the authority to ever go back. >> >> "We saw from >> the start that if you're only relying on one contributor to supply your >> operating system, your office system and your infrastructure, you're >> stuck with it. You have to do what your contributor tells you to. If >> they say 'There's no longer support for your office version', you have >> to buy and implement a new one. You're no longer able to make those >> kinds of decisions by yourself." >> >> He is hopeful that Munich will show >> other large organisations that it is possible to make the jump to free >> software and, while it is a difficult and time-consuming process, making >> it happen doesn't mean shutting down your IT. >> >> "It's the best thing you >> can do. I've been asked 'How come you say you're up and running when >> Microsoft says you're already dead'," he said. >> >> Hofmann's response: "It >> is possible to do an open source migration and still have the citizens >> not left alone. We're far from being dead." >> >> Links: >> ------ >> [1] >> >> http://www.techrepublic.com/article/how-munich-rejected-steve-ballmer-and-kicked-microsoft-out-of-the-city/?tag=nl.e098&s_cid=e098&ttag=e098&ftag=TRE126e25f<http://www.techrepublic.com/article/how-munich-rejected-steve-ballmer-and-kicked-microsoft-out-of-the-city/?tag=nl.e098&s_cid=e098&ttag=e098&ftag=TRE126e25f> >> [2] >> http://www.techrepublic.com/search/?q=nick%20heath >> [3] >> >> http://www.zdnet.com/no-microsoft-open-source-software-really-is-cheaper-insists-munich-7000010918/ >> [4] >> >> http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/industries/technology/2003-07-13-microsoft-linux-munich_x.htm >> [5] >> >> http://www.scribd.com/doc/122167337/Studie-OSS-Strategie-der-Stadt-Munchen-v1-0-Zusammenfassung >> > >
