Red Flag Linux: Real, and Reviewed

Over at NewsForge (NewsForge is part of OSDN, as is Slashdot), Roblimo has posted his impressions of the long-awaited, much-ridiculed Red Flag Linux (English version). It may not be a big seller outside of the Chinese-speaking world (despite the available English-language install), but it's not a hoax, and it's available as an ISO for download. Update from Roblimo: I did not write the NewsForge Red Flag review. Matt Michie deserves all credit for this excellent work.

Comments

sob

[wrinkledshirt]

For reasons I couldn't determine, Red Flag was installing slower than Tux on a Sunday evening after gorging himself with fish.

We need better jokes.

one thousand million Linux users, a cool billion

[Anonymous Coward]

Since Red Flag Linux is becoming the official software standard for China,
it is safe to say:

``1000 million Chinese can't be wrong ...''

Now we can get back at those pirates

[Waffle Iron]

Upload this OS onto every warez site and file sharing network on the Internet. Put it on disks and sell it for $1 at flea markets. Let's see how they like their stuff copied!

(oh wait...)

Re:Ummmm anyone dig on that site?

[iNiTiUM]

errr my mistake this is the one
not sure if its a good or bad idea considering the no root password on install thing.

Two words...

[martyb]

That's right, they don't set a root password, and seem to expect users will be running as root right from the start. That's surely not the best way to introduce a newbie into best practices.

Two words: CODE RED!

abbreviated version of the review

[Anonymous Coward]

Red Flag Linux is made by Chinese Communists. Open Source software is not communist. The intriguing thing about Red Flag Linux is that it has been packaged specifically to suit the IT needs of the People's Republic of China. I know a little Kanji (which is called Hanzi in Chinese, but I don't know that) because I watch anime, but I'm going to install the English language version, because it seems like the least appropriate but most expedient way to review a Chinese distribution of Linux.

The installer is slow. Incidentally, I'm running it in a VMware window. I wish I knew why the installer is so slow! Now the installer has crashed! I bet I could bring my system back up without rebooting if I knew how.

This looks like Red Hat! I'll poke around in the menus. This looks like Red Hat! I'll use it for another five minutes, and then finalize my opinion. This looks like Red Hat!

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Redflag, internet ready microwave oven.

[dsb3]

The internet ready microwave oven is well on it's way to going in my shopping cart.

I also like the way the "NEW" icon on their homepage is a hyperlink to ... the NEW icon.

This just in!

[Eponymous, Showered]

Major Linux Innovations in Communist Asia

PYONGYANG, NORTH KOREA -- Following closely on the heels of the recent successes in the Chinese information industry, known to have invoked advanced commands such as:

cd /
find . | sed -e s/Hat/Flag/g

the North Korean Ministry of Information and Technology has announced its own groundbreaking Linux distribution bearing the state's official endorsement - Plebian GNU/Linux.

Also believed to be in the pipeline are other state sponsored distributions, including Yellow Snake, Handbrake, RuSE, and Blackware Linux.

Linux does not have a chance in China.

[Anonymous Coward]

Most Chinese support the idea of stealing software. Hence, to this day, mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan collectively are considered the software piracy capital of the world.

When a Chinese can get Windows for free, why would he get Linux?

One of the strongest arguments for Linux is that it is free. Hence, Linux has been gaining market share against Windows and Solaris in the West -- particularly, the USA.

The Chinese just do not have the same notion of right and wrong that we Americans have.

This gives . . .

[McChump]

. . . the phrase "hacked by Chinese" a whole new meaning!