Russia to fund Linux-Based Windows Alternative

[neu5eeCh]

Interesting little story here:

http://www.unixmen.com/to-reduce-its-dependence-on-microsoft-russia-invest-49-million-dollars-to-develop-a-linux-based-windows-alternative/

Although I'm not sure why they wouldn't just choose from among the Linux distributions already available (and there are some good Russian ones among them). As the case may be, that's good news. It means closed source software makers could be forced, finally, to develop software for Linux. If an entire government switches to Linux, are companies like Google (ironically) and Adobe (and others) going to continue to pretend like Linux doesn't exist?

[Mikeb85]

Lots of governments (even the American one) use Linux to varying degrees... Linux usage is also fairly high in eastern Europe already. Good news, just not anything groundbreaking...

[neu5eeCh]

Lots of governments (even the American one) use Linux to varying degrees... Linux usage is also fairly high in eastern Europe already. Good news, just not anything groundbreaking...

As far as I know, it's the first time any government has specifically said they're doing so as an alternative to Windows. To be honest, I'm surprised that China, paranoid as it is, hasn't moved its technology off of Windows. My understanding though, is that both China and Russia are privy to Windows source code as a condition to selling the product in their country (for obvious reasons). Nevertheless, that doesn't guarantee that Microsoft might not be prompted by the US Government to code in some back doors.

[buzzingrobot]

This might open a market for Russian vendors, but I don't see it influencing other markets. Linux is widely seen as a market that won't pay for anything and demands source code on top of that. Businesses aren't going to let the competition see their source.

[perspectoff]

As far as I know, it's the first time any government has specifically said they're doing so as an alternative to Windows. To be honest, I'm surprised that China, paranoid as it is, hasn't moved its technology off of Windows. My understanding though, is that both China and Russia are privy to Windows source code as a condition to selling the product in their country (for obvious reasons). Nevertheless, that doesn't guarantee that Microsoft might not be prompted by the US Government to code in some back doors.

French Parliament went to Kubuntu in 2007.

[Bandit]

As far as I know, it's the first time any government has specifically said they're doing so as an alternative to Windows. To be honest, I'm surprised that China, paranoid as it is, hasn't moved its technology off of Windows. My understanding though, is that both China and Russia are privy to Windows source code as a condition to selling the product in their country (for obvious reasons). Nevertheless, that doesn't guarantee that Microsoft might not be prompted by the US Government to code in some back doors.

I thought China had Red Flag or Red Sun Linux.. Something like that, that they use primarly in the Gov area. IDK. I just got home so I may be wrong.

[qamelian]

I thought China had Red Flag or Red Sun Linux.. Something like that, that they use primarly in the Gov area. IDK. I just got home so I may be wrong.
Yup, China has Red Flag, and North Korea has Red Star Linux.

[neu5eeCh]

I thought China had Red Flag or Red Sun Linux.. Something like that, that they use primarly in the Gov area. IDK. I just got home so I may be wrong.

Wikipedia:




As of 3 December 2008, it has been reported that Internet cafes in Nanchang (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanchang), since November 2008, have been required to install the Red Flag Linux as a replacement for pirated versions of the popular Microsoft Windows operating system, or switch to legitimate copies of Microsoft Windows. Radio Free Asia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_Free_Asia) however said that Chinese internet cafes were being required to switch to Red Flag Linux even if they were using genuine copies of the Windows OS.[2] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Flag_Linux#cite_note-1)[3] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Flag_Linux#cite_note-2)[4] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Flag_Linux#cite_note-3) This system is provided with a non-expiring support contract at the cost of 5000 yuan for all machines in the cafe. An official spokesperson for Red Flag Linux clarified by stating that the announcement were targeted to the server-side not the gaming-intensive client-side computers, and that in the original announcement, Microsoft Windows and Red Flag Linux were simply recommended platforms as they have been tested by the Bureau of Culture.

[weasel fierce]

This might open a market for Russian vendors, but I don't see it influencing other markets. Linux is widely seen as a market that won't pay for anything and demands source code on top of that. Businesses aren't going to let the competition see their source.

IBM? Intel?