Plans to transition schools to Ubuntu and Debian Linux

Grenoble, France’s 16th largest city, is committed to the use of free software. This type of ICT solutions facilitaties the sharing of knowledge, empowers citizens and institutions and helps to cut costs, the city said in a statement. The city also sees free software as one of the tools to increase citizen participation.

On 8 December, the city announced its membership of April, the French free software advocacy group. Joining the group allows Grenoble “to build on its expertise and its network of members”, the statement quotes assistant mayor Laurence Comparat.

Educate the users

Comparat is in charge of the city’s free software and open data programmes. The politician was elected in 2014. Asked for a recent example of the Grenoble’s use of open source, she points to plans to transition schools to using Ubuntu Linux desktops and Debian Linux servers. This switch is planned to begin next year and be completed in 2018.

According to the statement, Grenoble has an active free software community. That includes local chapters of OpenStreetMap, Wikimedia and the Dauphiné free software guild. In October, assistant mayor Comparat invited another group, GreLibre, to organise a Linux install party in the town hall.

More information:

Statement by the city of Grenoble (PDF, in French)

Announcement by April (in French)

Linux et logiciels libres des écoles de Grenoble (presentation, in French)