US sanctions force The Netherlands off Microsoft and toward alternative NixOS

silverFork

It is more like self imposed sanction against US made products. There are now tons of open source operating systems and applications that can replace Microsoft products, which are basically some old programs. The replacements cost vastly less for use and support.

andrewstuart

Good thing the Netherlands isn’t the most critical single node for advanced chip equipment, cause that could become awkward. Oh wait, it is. But it’s ok because Us President has made it clear the the USA doesn’t need anything Europe has. So, not a problem.

PorciiVorbesc

I still don't get why EU governments and agencies don't standardize around an already existing industry proven OS the EU already has domestically, which is SUSE, and need to each go reinventing the wheel their own way, which leads to higher costs and more fragmentation across the EU. I heard the reason was that NL doesn't know if SUSE will be sold off again and might end up in the hands of some US PE, but here's the thing, you're the government, you can just block the sale of companies related to sovereign national security like those making operating systems. You can just do things when you want to. You literally have that power. Exercise it for once FFS.

MadrasThorn

Trump attacking the Netherlands means transatlanticism is really dead. I think this has a lot to do with how the case against Putin was built and Trump used his influence to disrupt it.

p-e-w

No problem. After the next election in the Netherlands, Microsoft only needs to promise to build a local headquarters there and the future government will roll back to Windows at twice the previous cost, which is exactly what happened in Munich.

HelloUsername

Related: " Dutch governments builds alternative for Microsoft based on NixOS (dawo.community)" 25.sep.2026 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49841563 581 comments

guidoiaquinti

Several International Criminal Court (ICC) judges have been unable to access their bank accounts or receive routine salary payments and financial transfers due to financial blockages triggered by United States sanctions. In the country where they live

paulvnickerson

They didn't have to go with NixOS...

andsoitis

The more countries trade with each other and depend on each other, the better things are for peace and human advancement. The zero-sum mindset that's de rigueur at the moment needs to die soon or the world that we'll inhabit is gonna suck.

pelagicAustral

How is that a sanction? seems like a blessing instead.

nullify88

Hopefully this will cause Denmark and its banks to issue more Dankort cards

danielsamuels

> [...] its chief prosecutor lost access to Microsoft services, including email > [...] the program was aimed at refreshing the technologies used by the Dutch government in such a way that it would no longer be in a situation where it could lose access to critical systems at the whim of a foreign country How does switching desktop OS help you retain access to email and payment services, neither of which care about your OS?

SillyUsername

Some people might consider not having access to Windows 11 as a blessing in disguise when businesses are "forced" to move from Windows 10, now they can see there are other viable options.

mg794613

Never again America. All your negotiation power across the world, gone, because of one Orange person. And not because he secretly took power, because you elected him, twice.

madhacker

FAFO America

Danox

Move on you won’t miss Microsoft and you will find new opportunities.

righthand

As a US citizen and FOSS lover, I am absolutely pleased about this. Tearing down and tearing out US tech giants will only be good for computing in the long run.

oytis

European bureaucracy has a thing for weird technology - Scala, Flatpak, now NixOS. But still better than being dependent on proprietary software not made in Europe

mezeek

NixOS... for now. Couldn't have come at a worst time for the US and best for the rest of us. With Omachy (or however you write it), building decent OSes is about to be much easier.

Zigurd

More than half of US tech industry revenue comes from outside the US. Tech industry CEOs kowtow to an administration that is destroying US soft power and trust in US technology. How smart was that decision? When and how does that decision get reconsidered?