Swiss schools celebrate free software by using Linux

From this September schools all over Switzerland will run only Linux’s OS Ubuntu due to government’s guidelines. The new motto of the Department of Public Instruction is “Long Live Free Software”, reports Christopher Dawson from Zdnet. Already 9000 computers in Swiss schools have been dual-booting Windows and Ubuntu, since the schools want to be prepared.

The switch to Ubuntu is beneficial for both officials and students, says a spokesperson from the Department of Public instruction. Officials save a lot of money and students will be able to run the same programs at home as they do on school, since they’re all free.

The guidelines by the government might increase the market share of Linux in Switzerland, since parents will probably install Ubuntu at home as well. The reason most people haven’t considering switching to a different OS is that everything but Windows seems ‘alternative’ and ‘strange’. Yet if the principal of a school sends a letter that Ubuntu is the next big thing, switching doesn’t seem all that weird again. One thing is for sure, the Swiss Linux community will be pretty busy with assisting people by installing their beloved OS.