Shaun Schutte

Testing the compatibility of all eGov services with Free Software client systems and helping governments reach a 100% Open Standards compliance

The main goal of the eGov Testing Machine, which is referred to as the Free Software Client Reference System is to implement an automatic testing tool using Free Software to test eGovernment services to ensure everything is working under GNU/Linux systems, from smart cards used for authentication to online services that can be accessed by FOSS browsers. This is to help the local government and potentially other governments in Europe to reach a 100% Open Standards compliance. An automated testing machine has been developed using tools such as Selenium and Sikuli that can perform tests online without user interaction. Online services are systematically tested and user reports are generated which can be viewed online to identify any potential problems. These test results can then be used to solve issues that may arise when using FOSS.

South Tyrol, which is an autonomous province located in the very north of Italy bordering on Austria and Switzerland, has recently implemented eGov services that are available to all citizens. A project called the Free Software Client Reference System has been started to test these online services and to make sure that the citizens of South Tyrol are not forced to own a proprietary operating system or that citizens are forced to buy proprietary software to access all eGoverment services.

This system uses virtual machines and open source automated testing tools. One scenario could have the following workflow:

Virtual machines get started automatically → User gets logged in → Browser gets started → Browser navigates to test site → Sikuli performs login with a smart card → Sikuli get stopped and Selenium gets started → Test Suites are run → Reports generated → Machine shutdown.

Providing governments with FOSS tools to test their own systems has a more strategic role. It is essential in supporting local governments to work with communities surrounding FOSS and to help with existing projects. The Free Software Client Reference System is a project that does exactly this by building testing systems based on Free Software, furthermore it is being funded by the local government which is a great opportunity to create synergies between the public administration, FOSS communities in the area and hopefully connecting even more areas on a national and international level.

Governments on a local and European level work to create eGovernment services that are accessible to all citizens, independent from the operating system and applications they use. This means providing forms that are in an open format and that can be used with FOSS tools. Providing forms and documents in proprietary formats makes it difficult for FOSS users to make use of the full potential of the services that are offered online. The Free Software Client Reference System is a tool used to help local governments ensure that all the services that are provided to citizens are compatible with FOSS. The goal here is to ensure that every citizen does not need to own a proprietary system to access eGovernment services.