North Korea’s Linux Distribution: Red Star OS

[MaindotC]

North Korea’s “secret cyber-weapon”: brand new Red Star OS

Not only does North Korea have “its own Internet” – a national information network independent from the US-based Internet regulator – it also has an operating system, developed under by order of Kim Jong-il.
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Russian student Mikhail, who studies in the Kim Il-sung University and writes a blog from the Russian embassy in Pyongyang, has recently purchased the Red Star Operating System (OS) and tested it. Courtesy of Mikhail, RT gives you an opportunity to take glimpse at IT life of world’s most closed country.

The Red Star is a Linux-based OS developed by North Korean IT specialists last year. Readme file, which goes with the install disc, even gives a quote from Kim Jong-il about how important for DPRK is to have its own Linux-based operating system compatible with Korean traditions.

The version tested by Mikhail is the latest build, which, according to locals, still needs polishing. The OS is not popular (yet?), with most people who need one preferring Windows XP and Windows Vista.

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Mikhail bought his copy for about $5 in an information center 5 minutes walk from the university dorm. Interestingly, no permission is required for it, which is probably explained by the regulation of the sale of computers.

The system has server and client versions, and apps can be bought separately at twice the price.

Read More w/ Pics Here (http://rt.com/Top_News/2010-03-01/north-korea-cyber-weapon.html)

[themarker0]

Wow. All i can say. :/

[Tristam Green]

Ha, yeah I saw this on Engadget this morning. Cracked me up.

It actually has Firefox 3.6, though it will only connect to NK's BBS page.

[mickie.kext]

So, lets see if FLOSS is compatible with communism. I bet they will not contribute their technology to mainline kernel, even though they are communists.

[phrostbyte]

So, lets see if FLOSS is compatible with communism. I bet they will not contribute their technology to mainline kernel, even though they are communists.

That won't stop people from saying "Linux is communism!".

Never mind that one of the largest governmental contributors to both Linux and open source strangely happens to be the US Department of Defense. =D>

[Tristam Green]

So, lets see if FLOSS is compatible with communism. I bet they will not contribute their technology to mainline kernel, even though they are communists.

You do have to take what you're thinking with a grain of salt though.

This isn't just "some random Communist nation", this is North Korea, lol. One of, if not *the* most isolated nations on planet Earth, and it's mostly self-induced.

But, I'm bordering on political topics, so I'll leave it at that.

[cariboo]

We're getting close to politics here, please keep the discussion on topic.

[Kdar]

I saw it yesterday too.

haha only thing I am supporting N. Korea for :)

Open Source rocks :D

[MaindotC]

I didn't really see anything impressive in the pics. I guess I should expect that obviously they won't disclose what custom applications they're developing for Red Star OS, but it seems odd that they'd show off puzzle games.

[samh785]

That won't stop people from saying "Linux is communism!".

Never mind that one of the largest governmental contributors to both Linux and open source strangely happens to be the US Department of Defense. =D>
The whole idea of open source software melds better with a communist ideology than a capitalist one IMO. The only reason that calling something 'communist' is a negative is because the average person in a capitalist society has a warped viewpoint due to the high levels of anti-communist propaganda that is perpetuated there.

[NCLI]

So, lets see if FLOSS is compatible with communism. I bet they will not contribute their technology to mainline kernel, even though they are communists.

Neither China or North Korea are communist!!! They both have huge, controlling governments, and to say the money is shared evenly would be a joke!!! ](*,) Communism is about empowering the people and sharing the resources equally, instead of being based on on social standing and what kind of job you have. What we see in China and North Korea is a little socialism(socialism!=communism) mixed with A LOT of fascist nationalism.

Sorry, it just pisses off real communists like me when dictatorships like these(The USSR wasn't much better actually) claim to be communist, but are nothing like it.

[days_of_ruin]

The whole idea of open source software melds better with a communist ideology than a capitalist one IMO. The only reason that calling something 'communist' is a negative is because the average person in a capitalist society has a warped viewpoint due to the high levels of anti-communist propaganda that is perpetuated there.

In b4 lock.

[Simon17]

That won't stop people from saying "Linux is communism!".


Well the Nazis used Windows.

[samh785]

neither china or north korea are communist!!! They both have huge, controlling governments, and to say the money is shared evenly would be a joke!!! ](*,)

sorry, it just pisses off real communists like me when dictatorships like these claim to be communist, but are nothing like it.
+1

[agnes]

:KS
Cuba also has one, Nova OS.

Funny note: If you look at the date in the systray of Red Star. It says the year is 99, because they have their own calendar, which started the year KJI was born (1912) :KS

I further wonder what the use is of Red Star. North Koreans only have a few hours electricity a day, and I don't think they will use that for home computing. It will probably run on university computers and such.

I wonder if they accept GPL.

[NCLI]

:KS
Cuba also has one, Nova OS.

Funny note: If you look at the date in the systray of Red Star. It says the year is 99, because they have their own calendar, which started the year KJI was born (1912) :KS

I further wonder what the use is of Red Star. North Koreans only have a few hours electricity a day, and I don't think they will use that for home computing. It will probably run on university computers and such.

I wonder if they accept GPL.

I don't think N Korea has any respect for licenses ;)

[Simon17]

I don't think N Korea has any respect for licenses ;)

The full source is available on the DPRK internet. (Why do people INSIST on calling the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, "North Korea"?)

[agnes]

edit: answer to question that was here, in the meantime was posted before this post

[Kdar]

Cuba have it's own too
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=6719476

[26venger]

does the government use linux for computer security?

[Directive 4]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8604912.stm


Details of a home-grown computer operating system developed by North Korea have emerged.



Linux-based but is heavily influenced by Microsoft with versions of the software giant's Office programmes

It runs only in the Korean language and takes 15 minutes to install, reports said.
It has games, an e-mail system known as Pigeon and a Mozilla's Firefox internet browser - which has the North Korean government website as a home page.



The US government has banned the uploading and downloading of open source code to residents of a handful of countries on its sanctions list, which includes North Korea.


epic!!!

[Mr. Picklesworth]

It has games, an e-mail system known as Pigeon

e-mail system known as Pigeon

e-mail system

Pigeon
*Double facepalm*

It's Pidgin.

PIDGIN (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pidgin)!!!!

And it does instant messaging, not email. Sheesh...

[sydbat]

The US government has banned the uploading and downloading of open source code to residents of a handful of countries on its sanctions list, which includes North Korea.Anyone else see the...um...irony of this??

[Bölvaður]

*Double facepalm*

It's Pidgin.

PIDGIN (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pidgin)!!!!

And it does instant messaging, not email. Sheesh...

the article had this:

Pigeon mail

and here is the original with some nice screenshots (because we love screenshots)
http://ashen-rus.livejournal.com/4300.html

[Directive 4]

*Double facepalm*

It's Pidgin.

PIDGIN (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pidgin)!!!!

And it does instant messaging, not email. Sheesh...


yeah, you'll have to take that one up with the bbc :wink:



Anyone else see the...um...irony of this??

yesh. this one is pretty funny. like the song says, freedom isn't free, ...




the article had this:


and here is the original with some nice screenshots (because we love screenshots)
http://ashen-rus.livejournal.com/4300.html


man tux with the ak cracks me up, i wonder should i make it my avatar.?

prob not :lolflag:

[dragos240]

Hmm..... There was an thread about this about 2 months ago.

[PneumaticTed]

Just a quick correction on some dates:
Dear Leader, Kim Jong-il was born in 1942, he clearly isn't 99
Kim Il-sung on the other hand was in fact born in 1912 hence the 99.

DPRK isn't necessarily "communist," obsessed with self-sufficiency (which they don't do a very good job maintaining) they made up their own version of communism called Juche

Anyway does anyone know if this DPRK distro has any ties to the Argentinian Red Star distro?

[loell]

thread merged.

[Directive 4]

*Double facepalm*

It's Pidgin.

PIDGIN (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pidgin)!!!!

And it does instant messaging, not email. Sheesh...


maybe instead of all those quotes you could try to read the link:wink:

[Daisuke_Aramaki]

*Double facepalm*

It's Pidgin.

PIDGIN (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pidgin)!!!!

And it does instant messaging, not email. Sheesh...

Fail! Don't assume you know everything.

[madnessjack]

Linux-based but is heavily influenced by Microsoft with versions of the software giant's Office programmes
Wt? looks like open office to me