Danish Ministry Replaces Windows and Microsoft Office with Linux and LibreOffice (heise.de)

Article summary

The Danish Ministry of Digital Affairs is replacing Microsoft Windows and Office with Linux and LibreOffice. This move is part of a new digitalization strategy prioritizing the country's digital sovereignty. The change is expected to be completed by the fall, with half of the ministry's employees switching to Linux and LibreOffice this summer. The decision is also driven by a desire to reduce dependence on US tech companies.

Main themes

• Linux adoption
• Digital sovereignty
• Office software alternatives
• User experience
• Software ecosystem
• Digitalization strategy
• Dependence on US tech companies

What commenters say

• Linux is now ready for the desktop and has been for a long time, making it a viable alternative to Windows.
• LibreOffice has a worse user experience than Microsoft Office, particularly in terms of templates and document themes.
• Some users prefer LibreOffice over Microsoft Office due to its ability to handle non-US date formats and language settings.
• There is no reasonable substitute for Excel for advanced users, but Google Sheets and LibreOffice can be sufficient for basic users.
• The software ecosystem around Linux is still lacking, particularly in terms of security software and specialized applications.
• Office suites are becoming anachronistic, and online offerings or alternative formats like markdown and LaTeX may be more suitable for document creation.
• The choice of office software should not be driven by template availability, but rather by the needs of the organization and its users.
• OnlyOffice is a potential alternative to LibreOffice, but its openness and trustworthiness have been questioned due to its Russian origins and unclear build process.