New app from my friend Max Mellman, an iOS piano app with multiple keyboards, sounds, and built-in music player for playing along with tracks. I Love a Piano: iloveapiano.app/
Read a book review on my timeline that didn't mention the title or author.
Went to reply in confusion because the book sounded interesting, and realised the details were in the content warning and I have those completely disabled in my client.
Please don't use content warnings like email subject lines.
France is rolling out Visio, a homegrown secure videoconferencing platform, to all government employees by 2027.
The move aims to replace American tools like Teams, Zoom and Webex that currently fragment public administration communications and create security vulnerabilities.
The platform already has 40,000 regular users and is being deployed to 200,000 agents. Major institutions like CNRS are switching over this quarter, with CNRS replacing Zoom for its 34,000 staff and 120,000 affiliated researchers by late March.
Visio runs on French sovereign cloud infrastructure certified by ANSSI, uses AI transcription technology from French startup Pyannote, and will add real-time subtitling from French AI lab Kyutai by summer 2026. Beyond security and digital sovereignty, the switch generates real savings of about 1 million euros per year for every 100,000 users leaving paid license solutions.
Minister David Amiel frames this as essential to protecting sensitive government data and scientific exchanges from exposure to non-European actors while supporting French tech companies.
1/3 France's "software bundle" isn't brand-new codeβit's a carefully curated stack of existing, mature free and open-source software (FOSS) being integrated and supported at national and municipal levels.
France isn't experimentingβthey've been doing this successfully for 20 years. The French Gendarmerie (national police, 100,000+ employees) pioneered this approach:
TIMELINE: β’ 2005: Migrated from MS Office to OpenOffice β’ 2008: Started Ubuntu desktop deployment (GendBuntu) β’ 2014: Majority migration complete β’ 2024: 97% of workstations running Linux (103,164 computers!)
FINANCIAL IMPACT: β’ β¬2 million/year in licensing cost savings β’ Additional savings from eliminating 4,500 servers β’ Total 2004-2008: ~β¬50 million saved
STRATEGIC INVESTMENT: In October 2025, France became the FIRST national government to officially partner with the Matrix Foundationβnot just using it, but funding its development and participating in strategic decisions. This ensures the protocol evolves to meet European government needs.
So when we say France is "building bundles," they're really packaging, hardening, and supporting mature upstream FOSS (Linux, PostgreSQL, Matrix, etc.) with French hosting, governance, and integrationβnot reinventing everything from scratch.
SUCCESS FACTORS (proven by Lyon & Gendarmerie): β’ Strong political backing at highest levels β’ Adequate budget & realistic timeline β’ Comprehensive training programs β’ Willingness to maintain hybrid systems during transition β’ Local/regional procurement (Lyon: 100% French contractors)
CURRENT MOMENTUM: Denmark, Germany (Schleswig-Holstein), Netherlands, Italy, and Slovenia are all pursuing similar digital sovereignty initiatives through FOSS
Bottom line: #France proves that digital sovereignty through open source works at massive scale (103K+ workstations). They're not reinventing wheelsβthey're making smart use of mature, proven technology with European hosting and governance.
Another reason why I wish more appliances still had physical buttons and knobs, aside from the obvious tactile one, is that it's an easy way for you to have a personal default setting.
My countertop dishwasher for example has only touch buttons. They are a pain to trigger, especially with wet hands, and it always starts at the energy- and water-saving programme, so helpfully named "1", which takes about 2 hours. Whereas I prefer the short programme, which takes only 30 minutes, since it's the only programme that doesn't include a drying cycle, and it usually cleans well-enough. I usually prefer to just open the door afterwards, pull the rack out on top of it, and let it air-dry while its contents are still hot. It's programme 3 though, so I'll have to press that programme-select button twice. every... single... time...
Whereas if the programme-select was just a physical knob, I could just leave it on programme 3. I also like to always have it start with a 5-minute steam, which could also just be a physical switch, instead of a non-tactile area I have to press every time. Hell, make it a knob that sets the duration of the steam session.
Even better; instead of mildly different predefined programmes, give me a whole bunch of knobs for pre-wash temperature and duration, main programme temperature and duration, rinse cycle. Put a nice, user-replaceable, LED above each of them that indicates which cycle it's currently in, and one shared countdown timer display, and I'm a happy camper.
Here's an interesting thought to ponder. Flying is generally regarded as the safest transport method for human transportation. However, the modern jetliner flies at altitudes that under normal circumstances, humans could never survive. It's only thanks to things such as cabin pressurization, that even allows that to work. But I wonder, who was the first person or group of people that decided that it would even be possible to pressurize a cabin and allow humans to fly at much much higher altitudes? How did the idea that flying it altitudes above 30,000 feet would even be possible? Just some random thoughts I had as I enjoy my evening.
Alright, today I'm open to new names for NV Speech Player. I don't need to ask for permission to rename since it's GPLV2, it's actually a bigger problem if my fork is confused with the official one. So I intend to break all my links. (I'll update them to the new files in my places on posts.) SpeechPlayer-2025-V3 will become the "defacto" version, with multilingual support removed. It will be renamed to just SpeechPlayer-2025 after. This will keep distinction between the two flavors and avoid people from thinking the one I'm forking is like the official NVAccess one. Name ideas so far that sound not bad: Pulse Player, Sonant Player, Voxera Player
@clv1 hmm. Then the confusion I think becomes with the ESpeak SpeechPlayer since that got merged into their open-source branch. But it's also important that people don't just wake up suddenly to a new synthesizer name after updating that is completely different and they're going "huh? No speechplayer?" LOL. Tricky one.
On another topic, just created another phoneme: X (capital). the differences to the x (small) are: _isVoiced: true fricationAmplitude: 0.5 voiceAmplitude: 0.3 Then in pt-br.yaml: - from: x to: X
I think this could help you. Rather than waiting, if you want the editor where you can add some of those rule-based fields to any phoneme, grab it here. This will go away as a link later after the next release. eurpod.com/nvspPhonemeEditor.eβ¦
@clv1 lol, OK. The easiest one, that keeps the same naming and prefix style, is Neo Speech Player. Not NV. It's subtle enough for a Nuance but not big enough that it's a new sounding synth name.
@nick hm, mostly to keep their original form of it alive for those who still prefer the Sawtooth wave (not pulsed cosign) and the UK sound of that build. If I would take the repo over, my refreshes / overrides that original sound.
Sentimental though that is, I argue that taking it over would grant your project even more legitimacy and NVAccess backing, thus possible funding sources. I recognize you don't need them now, but why close windows if you don't have to?
@nick hmm. "Official" though means inheriting expectations about support, review, release cadence, and compatibility. A fork lets me move fast, break/reshape things, and make opinionated choices (like big sound-model changes) without people assuming NV Access signed off. If it sits under an NV Access org or looks "official," users may read that as endorsement. That can be uncomfortable for NV Access if theyβre not actively resourcing it. We're already changing core synthesis behavior (waveform, packs, tooling). Thatβs exactly the point where "new project, with credit" is usually healthier than "official continuation."
@nick That's definitely fair, support expectations does sound weaker when it's been abandoned for so long. But the moment you revive it, expectations snap back into existence. People donβt judge by the last commit date; they judge by the badge that says "official". Abandoned projects still have reputational gravity like that.
@nick Branding trumps time. If it was under an NV Access banner, people would expect NV Access involvement, endorsement, and polish. Not worth the pressure on yourself or on them.
Forking is a standard open source practice and seems fully appropriate in this case, although I'm not convinced you really need to rename the project.
see I wasn't really either, until I realized that I've now reshaped all three stages of the pipeline. The player (wave generator) itself, the IPA rules engine, and the way we talk to phonemizers (a bit loosened from Espeak's coupling.) If the fork diverged less keeping the "NV" name is OK, but with the trademark thing I didn't even know NVAccess has and this I think I got a bit sold on it.
@nick This build has not caught up to the UK sound of that build yeah, it sounds all kinds of off, weirdly mixed phonemes into it, although I guess some UK accents do that. It sounds like it's using American Γ¦ in places.
Ich habe erstaunlicherweise recht viel Zeit mit der Recherche zur #epa verbracht und kann die Apotheken Umschau als aktuellste Quelle zu dem Thema empfehlen.
Have you checked it over for accessibility yet? Seems like Loops doesn't have that licked on other platforms, I'm hoping iOS might be a first step in the right direction...
Nichts wirklich ABSOLUT NICHTS ist lΓ€cherlicher als Konservative, die sich ΓΌber vom Schneewetter vΓΆllig ΓΌberforderten ΓPNV und BahnausfΓ€lle beschweren.
IHR habt dieses Land so lange regiert wie keine andere Partei. IHR habt den Staat absichtlich heruntergewirtschaftet, ihm die Mittel entzogen seinen Aufgaben nachzukommen. IHR habt das Privatisierungsdesaster der Bahn maΓgeblich angestoΓen.
Das was IHR da drauΓen seht ist nichts anderes als die FrΓΌchte eurer "Arbeit".
Well, it's official. I can finally kick good old crappy Adobe Reader to the curb. In comes Foxit PDF reader, as they've enabled accessibility support. Plus, I have found a portable version of it and it even lets you fill out PDF forms. So Adobe go bye bye and now I have something that is actually quite snappy to use. Yay! portableapps.com/apps/office/fβ¦
Foxit Reader is a free PDF document viewer and creator with a rich feature set. Whether you're a consumer, business, government agency, or educational organization, you need to read, create, sign, and annotate (comment on) PDF documents and fill out β¦
Interesting. I love paperback except that it seems that lines in pdf documents are too short. I love that balabolka can somewhat process the text and make lines more consistent.
Oh, intriguing. Does the JAWS virtual cursor or NVDA browse mode automatically work with Foxit Reader, or do you have to do something else like bring up the document in a web view?
@matt Nope, it works right out of the box. I did encounter some sort of "hey, try this", window, but escape got rid of it and I was in my PDF document.
The company I worked for in 2004 was installing that on all their computers back then. At the time, it was completely inaccessible, which sort of went against the mission of the company. Good times.
"LakiesitystÀ on kritisoitu siitÀ, ettÀ se on liian yksinkertaistettu vastaus teknologian kielteisiin vaikutuksiin. Esimerkiksi maanantaina yhdeksÀn lastensuojelujÀrjestâÀ kehotti kansanedustajia asettamaan alustat vastuuseen, ei kieltÀmÀÀn lapsia sosiaalisesta mediasta."
aikuiset helppojen ratkaisujen ÀÀrellÀ... Kuinkahan paljon nÀissÀ absoluuttisissa kielloissa on lopulta kyse siitÀ, ettÀ monille aikuisille ja erityisesti poliitikoille ajatus siitÀ, ettÀ he joutuisivat ehkÀ itse rajoittamaan omaa somenkÀyttâÀÀn tai jopa lopettamaan sen, on liikaa? On helpompaa yrittÀÀ vaan rajata lapset ja nuoret pois kuin vastuuttaa alustoja toimimaan eettisemmin.
So, for example, Narrator will support RHVoice, because it is a 64-bit capable synthesizer. Anothing which ships 32-bit dlls will never work. Microsoft abandons x86 altogether on the x64 platform.
Vielleicht kann mir hier jemensch helfen: Gibt es eine MΓΆglihckeit, bei Windows dafΓΌr zu sorgen, dass ein AudiogerΓ€t als Lautsprecher und nicht als KopfhΓΆrer systemseitig erkannt wird?
Hintergrund: Mein Dienstlaptop wirft auf alles, was als KopfhΓΆrer erkannt wird, nervige Raumklangeffekte, obwohl im OS dahingehend alles ausgeschaltet ist. Jetzt habe ich einen USB-C Dongle auf 3,5 mm Klinke verbunden. Was ich dort anschlieΓe, wird als Lautsprecher von Windows erkannt und bekommt keinen Pseudoraumklang verpasst. Da ich mit Screenreader arbeite, ergibt sich dadurch ein extrem viel entspannteres ArbeitsgefΓΌhl! Nachteil ist allerdings, dass mein Dienstheadset via USB-C als KopfhΓΆrer erkannt und folglich mit den Audioeffekten beworfen wird. Ich wΓΌrde es aber gern nutzen.
Kann ich angeschlossene und als KopfhΓΆrer erkannte AudiogerΓ€te, wie das Dienstheadset zu Lautsprechern umdeklarieren? Bonuspunkte, wenn das ohne Adminrechte geht. Danke!
Ich wΓΌrde mal schauen ob du einen Audiotreiber finden kannst, bei dem du ΓΌber eine extra Software soΓΆche Dinge einstellen kannst. Audioeffekte, wie Equalizer, Surroundsound etc. stelle ich bei meinen Headsets eigentlich immer ΓΌber die Treiber ein, nie ΓΌber Windows. Von welcher Marke ist denn das USB-Headset?
@cp_fruct Danke fΓΌr deine Antwort. Ich habe gefunden, dass WaveMax Audio fΓΌr die Effekte verantwortlich ist. Es lΓ€sst sich allerdings nicht ΓΆffnen und selbst von Adminseite nicht deinstallieren. Scheint mit dem Audiotreiber verbacken zu sein. Daher die Idee, ob man Windows einfach vorgaukeln kann, dass es sich um Lautsprecher handelt. Denn dann treten die Effekte nicht auf.
Ist mir jetzt nichts bekannt. Hab aber am Wochenende wieder Zugang zu einem Windows-Rechner und kann dir dann nachschauen ob ich da was finde. WΓΌrde sonst mal bei der Internetrecherche mit WaveMax und dann evtl mit dem genauen Headset Modell anfangen zu suchen π€
@cp_fruct Danke fΓΌr die Antwort! Ich bin zumindest schon mal so weit, dass es nicht am spezifischen Headset liegt. Auch, wenn ich die interne Soundkarte (Klinkenstecker) anschlieΓe, bekommt es die Effekte eingespielt. Sobald ein angeschlossenes GerΓ€t (Wie gerade durch den USB-C Dac), treten keinerlei Audioeffekte auf.
Ich weiΓ nicht, ob ich es richtig verstanden habe: Bei "meinem" Windows ist es so: Wenn ich ein Headset einstecke, ΓΆffnet sich ein Dialog, wo man auswΓ€hlen kann, ob es sich um KopfhΓΆrer oder ein Headset handelt.
Wenn alles intern nichts hilft kannst du ja mal versuchen ein billiges externes USB Audiointerface anzuschliessen und die KopfhΓΆrer damit verbinden. Ein m-audio 1kanal oder ein gebrauchtes focusrite scarlett z.B.
@T1_Su Das behebt den Fehler jedenfalls fΓΌr die dort angeschlossenen GerΓ€te. Mein Workaround derzeit ist ein USB-Dac, der hier noch in der Schublade lag. Das Headset, das von der arbeit bereitgestellt wird, hat allerdings nur die MΓΆglichkeit sich via Bluetooth oder direkt ΓΌber USB-C zu verbinden. Beide Verbindungsarten bekommen diesen schlecht gemachten Raumklang. Und das ist tatsΓ€chlich der exakt gleiche effekt, den man bekommt, wenn der KopfhΓΆrer (modellunabhΓ€ngig) in die 3,5 mm Buchse am Laptop gesteckt wird.
Ich habe fΓΌr mein Headset zum Zocken die Audio Enhancement Features unter Settings>System>Sound, dann auf den Pfeil beim AudiogerΓ€t und unter der Γberschrift 'advanced Settings' die Audio Enhancements deaktiviert. Funktioniert. Seitdem hΓΆre ich GerΓ€usche von wo sie wirklich kommen.
@pitch Ich wΓΌnschte, das wΓΌrde bei mir auch funktionieren. In den Audioeinstellungen habe ich sΓ€mtliche "Verbesserungen" und Raumklangeffekte deaktiviert. Leider ohne Erfolg. Das Einzige, das derzeit hilft ist, einen USB-C-Dac zu verwenden und privat genutzte KopfhΓΆrer damit zu verbinden.
@deep470 Es ist ein Fujitsu Lifebook. Dienste kann ich leider nicht beenden. Rechteproblem. Hatte das aber den Admin mal machen lassen. Entweder fand er nicht alle laufenden Dienste, die damit zusammenhΓ€ngen oder da hatte sich etwas hart verselbststΓ€ndigt. Beides Optionen, die ich fΓΌr mΓΆglich halte.
ich wΓΌrde es am ehesten ΓΌber das "alte" Soundeinstellungssystem versuchen. Das haben sie leider etwas versteckt, kann aber definitiv mehr feinere einstellungen als das neue. Du findest es, wenn du bei den Einstellungen ΓΌber System > Sound und dann fast ganz unten den Link "weitere Soundeinstellungen" suchen. Du kannst natΓΌrlich auch noch den Mixer benutzen und ggf. findest du sogar irgend wo eine Option diese Effekte komplett ab zu schalten. Die findest du ΓΌblicherweise via System > Sound > Lautsprecher / KopfhΓΆrer auswΓ€hlen da gibt es unter "Erweiterte Einstellungen" die "Audioverbesserungen" und den "Raumklang" das sollte beides auf aus stehen.
@mohs Danke fΓΌr deine Antwort. Das habe ich leider schon versucht. Sowohl die Audioverbesserungen als auch die Raumklangoptionen sind deaktiviert. Anscheinend ist mit dem Audiotreiber Wavemax Audio halb kaputt mitinstalliert worden. Das lΓ€sst sich aber weder ΓΆffnen noch komplett deaktivieren oder deinstallieren. Das habe ich mit unserer IT schon versucht.
@mohs Theoretisch sollte das gehen. Allerdings fΓΌhrte das leider auch nicht dazu, dass die Effekte weg blieben. Und ich habe leider nur sehr begrenzte Rechte auf dem GerΓ€t.
das auch ausgeschaltet? support.microsoft.com/de-de/wi⦠Normalerweise kommt das vom Treiber selbst. Wenn das Headset einen USB-class compliant driver mode hat, kânnte es helfen den Headset Treiber zu deinstallieren, dann sollte Windows Fallback auf class compliant eigentlich durchführen. Aber das ist hakelig, braucht Adminrechte und ich hab das seit Windows 8 nicht mehr gemacht :/
Bei der #Union kann man live miterleben, wie mΓΌffelnde alte MΓ€nner nach vielen Jahren aus ihrem Hobbykeller ins Tageslicht stolpern und denken, hey, ich hΓ€tte da noch eine Idee, die ich mich bisher nicht auszusprechen traute, aber wir kΓΆnnten ja [beliebige Verschlechterung fΓΌr andere Leute]!
@Friendica Support Habe gestern meine #Friendica Stable auf "Blutwurz" geupdated (ich musste diesen schΓΆnen Namen jetzt einfach mal schreiben)
Ich nutzte das #bookface scheme unter Frio. github.com/randompenguin1/bookβ¦ Dabei ist mir aufgefallen, dass das ich in DesktopgrΓΆΓe einen kleinen DarstellungsschΓΆnheitsfehler habe. Da steht oben jetzt einmal in english "compose" und daneben noch mal in Deutsch, "neuer Beitrag" (siehe Screenshot!). Wie kann ich das vielleicht fixen?
I think it will disappear if you update Bookface. There's a (previous) stable version of Bookface, and a version for RC. I think you should use the RC version now.
@Marcus @wolf That's right, I had completely forgotten about that. It has been fixed in Branch 2025.07-rc, along with several other bugs that appeared in connection with 2025.07-rc.
Meet @debian at @fosdem2026 next weekend! Our booth will be at building H level 1. And Andreas Tille, the current Debian Project Leader, will give a talk titled 32 years of Debian: how a do-ocracy keeps evolving fosdem.org/2026/schedule/event⦠#debian #fosdem #fosdem2026 #01
now I'm picturing you *wearing* all eight T-shirts, layered, and distributing them to the FOSDEM crowd by ripping each one off and throwing them into the crowd like a pro wrestler.
(I am a very normal person, I'm not sure why you're asking.)
I gave Delta a shot, and seriously, it's fantastic β super easy and much quicker than Signal. I mentioned Delta to my friend, and all he had to do was scan the barcode to get connected and start chatting with me. He sent me a video and exclaimed, "This sends so fast, way better than Signal!"
You have to either call it apps or networks/protocols, but the current information is incorrect. "Matrix" is not an app, but the network/protocol. "Element" is one client for it (like e.g. Cinny or the Element based Schildi). Either way you have to merge Element + Matrix.
@redcrew I have this question too. I subscribe to paid mail and calendar and would prefer to use your Drive too, so have waited. But I am almost ready for the final switch away from Microsoft soon, so it seems Tuta Drive is not going to be an option, if still no actual release date.
Signal is not an ideal option as it is centralised and requires a phone number to sign up for. And it does not hide users' social activities and steals its users' metadata. And there is no free software client available in F-Droid for signal, so this is a software freedom issue too. Threema is even worse, it charges for a fee and even doesn't offer stronger privacy and security than XMPP.
Element is actually just a client of Matrix, instead of a protocol for messaging. And Element is a corporate project too. Matrix is a awesome modern messaging protocol, but you may use clients such as SchildiChat, FluffyChat and Cinny instead of Element.
Additionally, you are focused on promoting commercial and corporate projects that puts profits instead of users first, but leave those community projects which really cares about us proletarian computer users out. This is unethical and unjust. I recommend XMPP, Delta Chat and SimpleX for people's privacy and freedom sake.
I just finished the slides for our talk on UnifiedPush (@unifiedpush) at FOSDEM 2026! Come see Simon (@S1m) and me in the FOSS on Mobile devroom this Saturday at 16:00.
When you google something, and google comes up with all kinds of squek. So here's the question since I heard of #FastPlayer on Mastodon, and since google is being a squekteh: Where can Fastplayer be found?
It is I, creater of Fastplay, here to save the squekday! Squekplay I mean Fastplay, can be squeked I mean found, here! github.com/masonasons/FastPlay⦠also feel free to squek I mean follow @MewProjects for more squek I mean updates about Fastplay
The correct name of the app is FastPlay, not Fastplayer. It's a portable app, which you can get from the following link: github.com/masonasons/FastPlayβ¦
Yep. Sometimes here it's been like, the more I need the appointment, the higher the chance of that sneaking up. I don't have any solutions really, just letting you know you're not mad. Or at least, you're not the only one who is... whatever that is.
A long one, but that's pretty common for Hindustani Classical. This is a recording from 1974 of Surbahar (essentially bass sitar) playing rΔg yaman. This serene evening rΔg is similar to lydian, though with rules. AlΔp Jor Jhala refers to distinct sections. The alΔp is a slow free-rhythm exploration of the rΔg, jor/jod () introduces a steady rhythm, and jhala introduces a more lively rhythm (a constant pattering of melodic raindrops). #Music #Ethnomusicology #WorldMusic youtube.com/watch?v=AdnGWrpQTkβ¦
Raga Yaman ( 33.00 )Alap, Jor & JhalaImrat Khan - SurbaharFrom " Live in Munchen, Germany, 1974Recorded from LP to CassetteBy the joining of Alap & Jor to Jh...
@menelion Itβs such a full and complex sound, right? Yes, A-flat lydian pretty much, though thatβs a loose equivalentt. Each rΔg has a note hierarchy, ascending and descending patterns, key phrases, etc. Iβve sometimes called them self-contained compositions rather than modes.
Yes, I need to learn more about Indian music, I love listening to it but I'm pretty much ignorant of the meaning of all the modes. It was especially amazing when Imrat Khan made the lower string sing in the 2nd octave, like really healing sounds.
@menelion Hindustani and Carnatic music theory are interesting different worlds to explore. Iβve mainly done rhythm theory though, but I understand the basics of rΔg. Perhaps useful to know. The melody is mainly happening on one string. For reference, the surbahar usually has a scale length of 95-100cm. The instrumentβs overall length can be more like 130cm. Itβs a beast!
We are doing another curl + distro online meeting this spring in what now has become an established annual tradition. A two-hour discussion, meeting, workshop for curl developers and curl distro maintainers.
I'm in the train from Nice to Brussels through Paris, for the #xmpp summit 28 + one day of #fosdem (saturday). Come say hi at the @xmpp booth if you feel like meeting.
R. Scott (i47i)
in reply to R. Scott (i47i) • • •1/3
France's "software bundle" isn't brand-new codeβit's a carefully curated stack of existing, mature free and open-source software (FOSS) being integrated and supported at national and municipal levels.
LYON EXAMPLE (June 2025):
LyonβFrance's 3rd largest city with 10,000 government employeesβis replacing Microsoft's entire stack with proven FOSS:
β’ Windows β Linux (Ubuntu-based)
β’ Microsoft Office β OnlyOffice (AGPL license, developed by Latvian firm Ascensio)
β’ SQL Server β PostgreSQL
β’ Microsoft 365 β Territoire NumΓ©rique Ouvert (TNO) collaboration platform
NATIONAL LEVEL - "La Suite numΓ©rique":
France's national digital suite assembles existing open components:
β’ Tchap: Matrix-based secure messaging (600,000+ public agents using it)
β’ Grist: Collaborative spreadsheets/databases (Apache 2.0)
β’ Docs: Real-time collaborative editing (built on BlockNote, developed with Germany)
β’ Meet: Video conferencing (LiveKit)
β’ Webinaire: Webinar platform (BigBlueButton)
All hosted in France, all open standards, single sign-on via ProConnect.
Lyon details:
interoperable-europe.ec.europaβ¦
La Suite:
lasuite.numerique.gouv.fr/en
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The municipality of Lyon moves towards open source
Alvaro Vilas GomezR. Scott (i47i)
in reply to R. Scott (i47i) • • •2/3
THE PROVEN TRACK RECORD:
France isn't experimentingβthey've been doing this successfully for 20 years. The French Gendarmerie (national police, 100,000+ employees) pioneered this approach:
TIMELINE:
β’ 2005: Migrated from MS Office to OpenOffice
β’ 2008: Started Ubuntu desktop deployment (GendBuntu)
β’ 2014: Majority migration complete
β’ 2024: 97% of workstations running Linux (103,164 computers!)
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
β’ β¬2 million/year in licensing cost savings
β’ Additional savings from eliminating 4,500 servers
β’ Total 2004-2008: ~β¬50 million saved
STRATEGIC INVESTMENT:
In October 2025, France became the FIRST national government to officially partner with the Matrix Foundationβnot just using it, but funding its development and participating in strategic decisions. This ensures the protocol evolves to meet European government needs.
So when we say France is "building bundles," they're really packaging, hardening, and supporting mature upstream FOSS (Linux, PostgreSQL, Matrix, etc.) with French hosting, governance, and integrationβnot reinventing everything from scratch.
GendBuntu: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GendBuntβ¦
Gendarmerie case study: canonical.com/blog/la-gendarmeβ¦
#Matrix
(2/3)
Linux distribution for French police
Contributors to Wikimedia projects (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.)R. Scott (i47i)
in reply to R. Scott (i47i) • • •3/3
HOW EASY IS IT TO MOVE FROM MICROSOFT?
TECHNICALLY: Very feasible. Strong FOSS alternatives exist for everything:
Windows β Linux (Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora)
Office β OnlyOffice, LibreOffice
Exchange/Teams β Matrix/Element, Nextcloud
SQL Server β PostgreSQL, MariaDB
Benefits: No per-seat licenses, data sovereignty, transparent security, longer hardware life, no forced obsolescence.
THE REAL CHALLENGE: Organizational, not technical
Legacy Windows-only apps & VBA macros (need rewriting or VMs)
User retraining & change management (people lose muscle memory)
Political will & leadership commitment (critical!)
External partner expectations (.docx, Outlook, Teams)
SUCCESS FACTORS (proven by Lyon & Gendarmerie):
β’ Strong political backing at highest levels
β’ Adequate budget & realistic timeline
β’ Comprehensive training programs
β’ Willingness to maintain hybrid systems during transition
β’ Local/regional procurement (Lyon: 100% French contractors)
CURRENT MOMENTUM:
Denmark, Germany (Schleswig-Holstein), Netherlands, Italy, and Slovenia are all pursuing similar digital sovereignty initiatives through FOSS
Bottom line: #France proves that digital sovereignty through open source works at massive scale (103K+ workstations). They're not reinventing wheelsβthey're making smart use of mature, proven technology with European hosting and governance.
Lyon Register article: theregister.com/2025/06/26/lyoβ¦
#OpenSource #DigitalSovereignty #Linux #FOSS #France #Lyon #PublicSector #Ubuntu #Matrix #GendBuntu #Europe #Microsoft
(3/3)
French city of Lyon ditching Microsoft for open source office and collab tools
Simon Sharwood (The Register)