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Dutch government to replace Microsoft Windows with NixOS-based operating system
The government of the Netherlands plans to replace Microsoft's Windows and other software with a custom Linux-based operating system and IT suite named DAWO (_Digitaal Autonome Werkomgeving Overheid_).
> De Nederlandse overheid maakt een eigen digitale werkomgeving op basis van de Nederlandse Linux-distributie NixOS. De blauwdruk voor de Digitaal Autonome Werkomgeving Overheid (DAWO) bestaat niet alleen uit een besturingssysteem, maar ook uit een kantoorpakket, samenwerkingsapps, clouddiensten en beheertools. De ontwikkelaars erachter geven Tweakers een kijkje in de keuken.
If U.S. threats to occupy Greenland had European countries thinking about digital sovereignty, the Trump Administration forced the issue itself by imposing sanctions against the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Microsoft reportedly cut off email and other services to its lead prosecutor, a "kill switch" that convinced officials across the continent of the need to move to infrastructure beyond U.S. control.
DAWO is based on NixOS, a popular variant of Linux led by a Dutch team and originating in a package manager created at Utrecht University. DAWO will include apps for office work, cloud storage, backups and other aspects of IT administration, and developers hope to launch a stable version in 2027.
The Danish, Swiss and French governments has also embarked on plans to localize their tech, with France also using NixOS as the base for custom development.
> The French Direction interministérielle du numérique (DINUM) is migrating 250 of its employees to Linux-based workstations by the end of the year, using NixOS. This initiative, which began with technical administrators using a system called Securix, has expanded to include general users with a project named Bureautix. The goal is to foster wider adoption of Linux within the state administration, following successful tests on about 40 Securix and 30 Bureautix workstations, alongside 50 PCs from a previous Linux test. This internal migration aims to simplify compatibility issues, particularly for web-based applications, and is part of a broader state plan to reduce digital dependencies. Other administrations, such as the Gendarmerie and DGFiP, are already advanced in their use of Linux. A working group launched in April is focusing on generalizing Linux adoption across public services, with a plan for reducing digital dependencies expected by late summer. This effort also considers extending the lifespan of machines through the use of refurbished hardware.
It is finally the year of Linux on the Desktop!
