I don't know who could answer your questions specifically. Perhaps other LinuxFr readers will have more ideas. I'll try to send my answers to you by email, in case you don't read this, but I'm stuck under Windows right now.
1. I don't really have an idea. Linux was available early. If I remember correctly, Pearl was selling hard drives (500 MB!) with Linux 1.0 (or 0.99) preinstalled, sometime around 1994. When did we see Linux magazines in stores? Don't remember. I'd say around 1998 you could find Linux distros as bonus CDs in some computer journals.
2. LUGs, yes. First Jeudis, etc. Mais je manque d'infos dessus. I don't think there's a Linux TV or radio show; you don't hear much about Linux there. There are Linux afficionados in lots of schools, that's a way some get started. There are IRC channels, newsgroups, or sites such as this one.
3. Don't know. Microsoft leads, I think.
4. Some companies use it, but there's no rule of thumb. I know some enthusiastic people who use it for simple, unexpensive servers. I know at least one major retailer has launched a study on the usability of Linux in their business. It's only a study, though. Several ISP or other big internet names use it, especially Free.fr, who is Debian based, and a leading ISP.
5. I think it's mostly Linux fans right now. But again, I'm not an authority.
6. I think some agencies are using it, but nothing big, and no official policy. There's a push, though, so perhaps things will change.
7. There might be a few, but I'm not in a position to anwser.
8. Linux and other open source software are generally well translated in French. You can look at the size of the KDE French translation, it is one of the biggest. Similarly, when you look at the GNU i18n project (I don't remember the name), France and Germany are usually tied for the first place in terms of the number of translated packages. Globally, France quite leads in terms of software localization.
9. I guess it's about the same as elsewhere. Mandrake is French, and is probably bigger than elsewhere.
10. No idea.
11. On the top of my head, there's one of the authors of KVim, a port of Vim to KDE (having Vim as a browser text-area editor... my dream come true). Lots of others, but can't name them immediately.
12. No idea.
13. No idea.
14. Global infrastructure is okay, I think, though thousands will probably jump upon me for saying that. Phone is available everywhere, though somewhat pricey. DSL is quite strong, stronger than cable at least, and benefits from some competition now. Usual DSL is 512 kbps down, 128 kbps up.
# Re: Article focusing on Linux in France - help needed
Posté par Boa Treize (site web personnel) . En réponse au journal Article focusing on Linux in France - help needed. Évalué à 1.
1. I don't really have an idea. Linux was available early. If I remember correctly, Pearl was selling hard drives (500 MB!) with Linux 1.0 (or 0.99) preinstalled, sometime around 1994. When did we see Linux magazines in stores? Don't remember. I'd say around 1998 you could find Linux distros as bonus CDs in some computer journals.
2. LUGs, yes. First Jeudis, etc. Mais je manque d'infos dessus. I don't think there's a Linux TV or radio show; you don't hear much about Linux there. There are Linux afficionados in lots of schools, that's a way some get started. There are IRC channels, newsgroups, or sites such as this one.
3. Don't know. Microsoft leads, I think.
4. Some companies use it, but there's no rule of thumb. I know some enthusiastic people who use it for simple, unexpensive servers. I know at least one major retailer has launched a study on the usability of Linux in their business. It's only a study, though. Several ISP or other big internet names use it, especially Free.fr, who is Debian based, and a leading ISP.
5. I think it's mostly Linux fans right now. But again, I'm not an authority.
6. I think some agencies are using it, but nothing big, and no official policy. There's a push, though, so perhaps things will change.
7. There might be a few, but I'm not in a position to anwser.
8. Linux and other open source software are generally well translated in French. You can look at the size of the KDE French translation, it is one of the biggest. Similarly, when you look at the GNU i18n project (I don't remember the name), France and Germany are usually tied for the first place in terms of the number of translated packages. Globally, France quite leads in terms of software localization.
9. I guess it's about the same as elsewhere. Mandrake is French, and is probably bigger than elsewhere.
10. No idea.
11. On the top of my head, there's one of the authors of KVim, a port of Vim to KDE (having Vim as a browser text-area editor... my dream come true). Lots of others, but can't name them immediately.
12. No idea.
13. No idea.
14. Global infrastructure is okay, I think, though thousands will probably jump upon me for saying that. Phone is available everywhere, though somewhat pricey. DSL is quite strong, stronger than cable at least, and benefits from some competition now. Usual DSL is 512 kbps down, 128 kbps up.
15. No idea.
16. No idea. :)
Back to work, finally.