BOSS: An initiative by the Govt of India

[netfreak]

Its a good thing if they can force Govt Organizations to adopt "Indian" Linux.

 

[Sushubh]

and u would waste time and money on retraining them to get them working on linux and its applications... not a good solution.

 

[netfreak]

Now a days if office systems are:1. Web based2. Work with Mozilla / OperaThen Linux /Windows does not matter for average office user.

 

[kindofblue]

Now a days if office systems are:

1. Web based
2. Work with Mozilla / Opera

Then Linux /Windows does not matter for average office user.

Either that, or processes need to be extremely well defined. If the workflow is known and well set, it's easy to identify solutions and train people; but if it is slightly open ended, as is the case in many Indian offices, it might become difficult to implement a linux based solution due to its (perceived) lack of standardization.

 

[netfreak]

Yaa it wont work for every office Worker, at least not the ones who need all capabilities of Excel to analyze data.But lets see an example of buying/renting a house. I visited local registrar's office for:1. A clerk scanned all pages of agreement2. Move to Another clerk, she points out webcam at you and takes your fingerprint on fingerprint reader3. She enters basic demografic details of both persons4. You get printouts with your fingerprint + photo + property detailsThis is a fairly straight-forward process. Ad if Linux drivers are available for High-Speed scanner/Webcam/Fingerprint reader/Printers then it can be a web based system. This is the process clerks will be repeating 100 times a day.

 

[Sushubh]

well the existing software they use are all windows based. they would need to get linux applications for that. and for that they would need to create a standardized linux platform... and then they would need linux admins... the problem is quite big. they would have to do it all over india if the data is maintained centrally...

 

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[netfreak]

Even now DB is central in MH. You can look up Your Voter ID / 9-12 extract (similar to Khasra in North India) . When I migrated here, did not have to visit govt office to get registered for voting, did online at

Chief Electoral Officer, Maharashtra

And you can check land papers online before buying / renting.

http://mahabhulekh.mumbai.nic.in:8080/


So, these Windows Apps must be talking to some kind of server. Hopefully Linux becomes "costly enough" to make it interesting to politicians [Read : Commission/Cut/Bribe]

 

[Sushubh]

hah i see no possibility that red hat would be paying bribes to get the government to move to linux ;Dmicrosoft would be ready with more moolah

 

[netfreak]

Never underestimate marketing types BTW Red Hat costs more then Windows if you include same day onsite support.

 

[Sushubh]

hah. that's true. support for linux is expensive and i believe unix administrators in india would be expensive compared to windows administrators?sometimes i do feel that linux would have been a bit more popular amongst stupid people if it was not exactly free.duh. what a stupid statement to make.