Article focusing on Linux in France

Hello,

I am about to write a serie of articles focusing on a Linux position in a various countries to be published at

http://www.linuxzone.cz

Do you think, it would be possible to provide me information regarding to a set of prepared questions to be emailed to a responsible person with a sufficent view about the situation? I hope we can find someone who has a good ovevriew about the global position of Linux in your country. I mean, education, private companies, homes, favourite distributions, government,
the most known projects originating country, some fresh information including the forecast for the near future, description of LUGs....

ANSWERS ON EMAIL pandor@linuxzone.cz are welcome

Milan Gigel - Independent Linux Writer

So here comes a set of questions regarding to your country. Thanks a lot in advance for your kindly help. The answers will be used to form agregate article focusing this field. An additional questions may follow. The total length of the final article will fit from 8 to 15kb. So please include some detailed information.

1. What was the starting stage of raising popularity of Linux in your country? When the process started and how was it like?

2. What are the opportunities of supporting Linux users? I mean if there are any active LUGs - what is its main role, interesting Linux portals, any seminars, cons, active mailing lists or so. Is it possible to hear some news focusing on Linux on a TV or radio broadcast? What about newbies and starters, is there enough place to support them too?

3. What is the position of Linux in the education process and in the academic field? If you compare it to a Microsoft position in education system, are there any changes last time leading to a raise of knowledge regarding to Linux?

4. What about linux in companies in the position of the base backend? Is it commonly used just for the access to an internet, or is it commonly used also in a position of fileservers, application servers and so?

5. What is the situation like on the desktop field? Is Linux used here just among the Linux fans, or is it possible to see some extensive implementations? If possible some examples naming ompanies using it?

6. What about usage of linux on a government fied? Is it already implemented here, or is this only idea of the far future. Are there running any research projects focusing to this field?

7. As for the commercial applications focusing on a production field and accounting. Are there any accessible products fitting needs of your country? Are there any commercial companies developing applications targeting Linux field?

8. What about localisation field of Linux? Are there any running projects bringing users possibility to use linux using their native language?

9. Which distributions are the most popular in your country on the server and on the desktop field? Can you name some which raised in your country?

10. How many Linux users are expected in a percent amount to reside your country? What are their experience levels like?

11. I hope there is a lot of specialists and developers in your country. Can you name some of them with a short description of their projects and focus?

12. What about upcomming changes on the Linux field in your country? Will the situation switch to a better state in the near future? Which fields will it impact?

13. Is there active approach to an expansion of linux on all the fields in your country? What about any running projects?

14. As for the internet connections. Is the global infrastructure wee designed? Wheach means of data transpor are commonly used in the users homes? dialup, isdn, commuted line, wifi....?

15. Any specialities regarding to linux and linux users in your country?

16. Anything else to add here from your point of view? We want to introduce your country from the Linux side.

Thanks in advance for a kindly help.

Milan