Linux in Munich

At CeBIT, Florian Schießl reported on his experience with the LiMux project, which migrates desktops at Munich's municipal authorities to Linux. Schießl reported on the introduction of open source applications and on standardized Linux basic clients. Some 38 percent of costs were due to staff training – a major item, but definitely a meaningful investment in competency. Training is being monitored by the University of Munich, and the city's eLearning offerings won the 2007 Eurela Award. TÜV-It certified the usability of the Linux client.

Open Source Inventors

The motto of 20-year-old inventor Pascal Schmitt's exhibit was "Please touch." Schmitt presented a light table with a multi-touch screen (Figure 2) and matching applications, all of his own design. The inventor used Linux and other open source tools for his project. Unlike other touch screens, the multi-touch screen detects touching with multiple fingers, which makes it multi-user capable.

Figure 2: Inventor Pascal Schmitt presented a light table with multi-touch functionality.

Because normal touch screens cannot handle multiple mouse pointers, Schmitt has developed custom applications, including a mind-mapping program and an onscreen keyboard.