The IT department at the French National Assembly should improve its support for Linux, says National Assembly Deputy Sergio Coronado. In a letter to the Assembly’s president, he objects to the lack of software updates and absence of technical support for deputies that use Linux on their computers.
In the French Assembly, the use of Ubuntu Linux is an option since 2007. However, according to Deputy Coronado, a lack of updates and support is making it nearly impossible to use. One example is “Anaïs”, the Assembly’s new web service for registering visitors, which is causing incompatibilities, he told French IT news site NextImpact last week.
NextImpact writes that Coronado presents himself as the "only Deputy" to use the free software operating system on his Assembly workstation. He encounters multiple problems daily, he says.
His call for better support for the use of free software is seconded by Deputy Isabelle Attard, one of her assistants confirms via Twitter. “Of course, throughout her mandate, Deputy Attard has proposed legislation to promote the use of free and open source software in public administration. Because of this, higher education and research are also to give priority to free software.”
Coronado wants the assembly to improve its support for free software. He says he is supported by Article 16 of the new Digital Law (République numérique), which instructs public administrations “to have control over, and ensure the independence and sustainability of their IT systems”. He says the Assembly should set the right example. “Using free software is a political choice”, he told NextImpact.
More information:
NextImpact news item (in French)
OSOR news item
OSOR news item
OSOR news item