German state moving 30k PCs to LibreOffice

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Scope of the migration

  • It’s not all of Germany but the state of Schleswig‑Holstein, with ~30k PCs.
  • LibreOffice is only one pillar; the official plan also includes:
    • Moving from Windows to Linux.
    • Replacing SharePoint/Exchange/Outlook with Nextcloud, Open‑Xchange/Thunderbird and AD connectors.
    • Building an open‑source directory service to replace Active Directory.
    • Auditing specialized line‑of‑business apps for compatibility.
    • Implementing an open‑source telephony solution.

Motivations: sovereignty, cost, vendor lock‑in

  • Strong emphasis on “digital sovereignty”: keeping data under EU control, avoiding dependence on US cloud vendors and potential legal conflicts (GDPR, US extraterritorial laws).
  • License and extended‑support costs for Windows/Office seen as high and rising.
  • Some argue even if it’s not cheaper in the first decade, independence and leverage over vendors are worth it; money can go to local OSS companies instead of overseas licenses.

Lessons from earlier German attempts

  • Munich’s LiMux project is referenced repeatedly:
    • Widely viewed as a mix of technical underfunding, political reversal, and heavy Microsoft lobbying/consulting influence.
    • Hardware age, underpowered IT staff, problematic Java “fachverfahren” apps, and immature OpenOffice/LibreOffice of that era cited as real issues.
    • Others stress the rollback was largely political, not purely technical.
  • Several commenters note a pattern: public announcements to move to OSS, partial rollout, then retreat back to Microsoft after pressure or discounts.

Usability, training, and compatibility

  • Concern: training thousands of staff on Linux/LibreOffice, Excel/VBA macros breaking, lack of Microsoft Project equivalents, and document formatting drift.
  • Counterpoint: most office users rely on a small subset of features; Mint‑style desktops can be very close to Windows; people also adapt regularly to Microsoft’s own UI overhauls.
  • Some users find LibreOffice perfectly usable; others complain about performance (especially Calc), equation editor, and UI feel.

Ecosystem, collaboration, and EU angle

  • Mention of German OSS stacks like Phoenix and openDesk (Nextcloud, Collabora, Matrix, etc.).
  • Debate over many parallel national projects vs a coordinated, well‑funded EU platform; concerns about both duplication and over‑centralization.
  • Some hope this move forces more systematic investment into LibreOffice and related projects.

Skepticism and outlook

  • Several predict another eventual rollback to Microsoft.
  • Others see growing legal and geopolitical pressure (data protection rulings, cloud distrust) making this attempt more durable than past ones.