this post was submitted on 13 Apr 2024
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Back then I read an article about how M$ is crippling the ability of other office packets to read their docx and xslx formats which are supposed to be open formats, but in reality are written in a way never to be fully integrated by competing products. More information about their pseudo open standard: https://fsfe.org/activities/msooxml/msooxml.en.html
Munich in the past have used Linux PCs for quite some time until eventually switching back to windows. Back then they were citing the same incompatibilities to open and read and display M$ office files correctly. So Microsoft is definitely abusing their position as a market leader and trying to cripple competition as much as they can.
Maybe it's just me, but I don't think documents require a lot of new features.
There was criticism at the time, but the people who had to work with it every day. welcomed it after a very short time. The end of the Limux project happened all by itself, because Munich's mayor is an MS fan boy and said so openly at the time. It was not because of technical problems or anything else. It was just a huge kindergarten child.
https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/collection/open-source-observatory-osor/document/limux-it-evolution-open-source-success-story-never
It didn't end
They actually flip flop a lot.
2006: Migration to LiMux begins
2008: 1200 out of 14,000 have migrated to the LiMux environment
2013: Over 15,000 LiMux PC-workstations (of about 18,000 workstations)
2016: Microsoft moves german HQ to Münich
2017: Dumping Linux https://www.linuxinsider.com/story/munich-city-government-to-dump-linux-desktop-84307.html
2020: Going back to Linux https://www.zdnet.com/article/linux-not-windows-why-munich-is-shifting-back-from-microsoft-to-open-source-again/
2023: Microsoft opens new Experience Center in Münich https://www.munich-business.eu/meldungen/neues-microsoft-experience-center-emea.html
2023: Analysing what needs to be done to switch to Win10 before new vote https://www.tweaksforgeeks.com/ditching-linux-for-windows-after-wannacry-is-too-risky-for-munich-green-party-warns/
https://lemmy.world/comment/7251741
Notice the "Microsft does X" bits and the reactions.
Totally not quid pro quo.
Anti Commercial-AI license
The software etc. continues to run. But as an official project of the state, Limux is dead and so are the subsidies etc. How far it will still be maintained is questionable. However, this does not mean that the topic of Linux and Open Source has become irrelevant. But even now, with the future plans, I strongly assume that something like this will happen again. But who cares.. But it's only the taxpayer who has to pay for it anyway...
For the downvoters. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/LiMux
LiMux Client version 6.0 is based on Kubuntu 18, KDE 5.44, GIMP 2.10, LibreOffice 5.2.8, WollMux 18, Google Chrome 80 and Firefox 60 ESR and 68; Okular is used as a PDF viewer instead of Adobe Reader, which was discontinued for Linux.[44] Like the previous versions, it was not multi-session capable. First rollout was done in April 2019 and is estimated to be fully rolled out in 2020.
Official LiMux URL. https://www.muenchen.de/rathaus/Stadtverwaltung/Direktorium/IT-Beauftragte/LiMux.html
If they abuse their monopoly it sounds like the DMA should be applied.
So fine them and require all governemtn documents and legal documents of anybkind to be in a true open format. Its only a compatibility problem if people continue to use their format.
Iso allowing itself to be coopted into fast tracking standarizing ooxml in 2008 continues to be horrible. Ms can point and say: see ooxml is a true open format.
The problem isn't even ooxml, it's that MS themselves don't always follow the standard
That too that there are 3 different .docx does nothing for standardization
In the past, some people have expressed dissatisfaction when I've sent them files in .odt format. However, it's the superior format in terms of support and functionality, so I always make them aware of that and of the fact that I will never use some shitty ms product....
That's unlikely to happen in every country where they're popular. Microsoft can just be like "oh you're gonna fine us? We'll pull out and you guys will be completely fucked. Have fun!"
They got into the enterprise sector so early that most offices wouldn't function without Microsoft products/support.
If they retreated from the German market out of spite I could see the government voiding their rights and patents. Can't have rights to things you dont offer here. Then they'd end up with sanctioned piracy of their stuff. I dont think Microsoft would be that idiotic.
Don't threaten me with a good time! /s :)
They don't need to fine them in every country. Just in Germany. If they pull our of Germany, they need to pull out of the EU. They are not doing that. They will make their document open, for real.