Danish Ministry Replaces Windows and Microsoft Office with Linux and LibreOffice

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Linux on the desktop

  • Many commenters argue Linux has been “ready for the desktop” for years, citing KDE-based distros as smoother and less bloated than modern Windows.
  • Several describe Windows as having regressed (ads, telemetry, unstable updates), making Linux comparatively attractive.
  • Others note that while the OS is fine, the real barrier is application ecosystem and integration (security tools, niche/proprietary software, enterprise auth).

LibreOffice vs Microsoft Office

  • Strong split: some say LibreOffice Writer is “good enough” or even better than Word; others call LibreOffice “terrible” and unusable at scale.
  • Key weaknesses cited: outdated UI/UX, poor templates/themes, compatibility glitches with complex .docx/.pptx, weak Excel replacement (especially for heavy spreadsheet and VBA use).
  • Some propose OnlyOffice as a better clone of MS Office, but others raise trust concerns (Russian origins, opaque build process).
  • Real-time co-editing is seen as a major missing feature compared to Office 365/Google Workspace, though Collabora/ZetaOffice are mentioned as partial solutions.

Scope and motives of the Danish move

  • The current decision applies to a small ministry (≈80 staff), not the larger agencies; larger Danish municipalities are planning similar shifts, which would be more impactful.
  • Commenters link the move to broader European efforts (e.g., Austria, Schleswig-Holstein) to reduce dependency on US vendors.
  • Several see geopolitical and sanctions risk (Trump, ICC email shutdown, Greenland dispute) as key drivers for moving off Microsoft.

Infrastructure and enterprise management

  • Multiple posts stress that replacing Office/Windows is the easy part; replacing Azure AD/Entra, Intune, Exchange, Teams, OneDrive, SSO, and device management is hard.
  • Some predict failure due to rushed timelines, weak planning, and lack of training, expecting users to fall back to RDP/Office VMs or revert in a few years.
  • Others point to existing Linux management and IdM stacks (FreeIPA, Keycloak, Salt/Puppet/Ansible, vendor tools like Red Hat IPA/SUSE Manager) and argue it’s feasible if treated as a serious, long-term program.

Cost, funding, and sovereignty

  • License savings are seen as potentially huge; several argue that even a fraction of current Microsoft spend could fund substantial FOSS development and local jobs.
  • Others warn that “just throw money at OSS” isn’t enough; success needs clear governance, requirements, and sustained organizational capacity.
  • There’s broad agreement that more public funding of open source is desirable, but disagreement on whether governments will actually reinvest savings.

Predictions and risks

  • Some expect the move to be mostly a bargaining chip to negotiate lower Microsoft prices, citing previous European reversals (e.g., Munich).
  • Others see it as a necessary first step toward European digital sovereignty, even if the initial rollout is messy.
  • Security opinions diverge: one side claims Linux desktop’s model is weaker than Windows in enterprise; others counter that real-world ransomware patterns suggest the opposite, but no consensus emerges.