HOME GROWN

A proof of concept distro for the EU public sector

- By Bruce Byfield

Linux distributions are created for many reasons. Some are developed out of a preference for a particular application or desktop environment; others are created for specific tasks such music composition, graphic arts, education, or security and privacy. Still others are intended for Windows compatibility or aimed at beginners. Some are frankly experimental or designed for do-it-yourselfers.

The recent publicity about EU OS is a reminder of a more rarely seen distribution: what might be called the policy distro, whose goal is to standardize the IT structure of a government and its departments (Figure 1). The idea dates back to the earliest days of Linux, when free software was often touted as a means of bridging the digital divide between the technological democracies of Europe and North America and developing nations, but it has usually received spotty attention at best, partly because it is more of a political than technical concern, but mostly because the success of policy distros has often been limited.

EU OS is a community-led project that hopes to eventually be adopted by the European Union (EU). Although far from the first attempt at a policy distribution, EU OS describes itself as a “proof of concept.” The challenge lies in proving “that an admin team can manage users and their data, software and devices with or without Active Directory and without Microsoft Windows within a migration period of rather two years than 20 years” [1]. The time frame is apparently a reference to LiMux, the on-again, off-again attempt to switch the city of Munich to free software that began in 2004. EU OS's goal is to produce a coherent policy for the adaptation of free software that will be accepted by Code Europa EU [2], the code development platform for open source projects shared by the EU institutions. The project also adds, without any details, that it is “in touch with the public administration on member state and EU level” [1].