China, Japan To Utilize Linux More Often

DIY News writes "Japan aims to switch some government computers to the free Linux operating system and reduce its dependence on Microsoft Windows. Japan is drawing up guidelines for its ministries recommending open source software such as Linux as an "important option" in government procurement, said an official at the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications." Relatedly, an anonymous reader writes "China will install a total of 141,624 new Linux desktops as school computers this year, according to an article at DesktopLinux.com. The PCs are ticketed for the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Education, for an educational program called the School-to-School Project. They will run Sun Wah Linux's Debian-based RAYS LX. The installation is claimed to be the largest procurement project in China's education history. Go Tux!"

Comments

Great, More Chinese Linux Hackers now.

[Anonymous Coward]

Will this produce more Chinese Linux hackers now.

I've already had to block numerious china blocks.

User friendlyness

[Nikolai Ivanoff]

I'm glad to hear that a large number af linux desktops are being installed over there. Maybe it'll help developers to make linux more user friendly.

Re:User friendlyness

[Stevyn]

yeah I know what you mean. Every time I run "make menuconfig" I'm like "linux is NOT ready for the desktop!"

It's not linux that makes things difficult, I find it's usually the programs coded in one toolkit running on a DE with another toolkit that don't always work well with each other. I never realized how nice a consistent and useful "open dialog box" was until I used programs using different tool kits. That inconsistency adds to the difficulty in teaching people how to use linux distros.

For example, kioslaves is great with connecting hardware that you didn't have to put an entry into fstab to use it. However, you may not be able to easily access that hardware using a program that was not coded using qt.

Too Bad...

[Redfriar]

... the FOSS community couldn't build in subversive functionality allowing all of those Chinese school-children to read up on things like 'Freedom' and 'Liberty'. Using all of the Linux goodness for further oppression of the Chinese people seems wrong and wasteful.

Re:Too Bad...

[Anonymous Coward]

If it's left configured to the default Debian repositories they can apt-get install anarchism ;) (very good read, by the way).

Re:Too Bad...

[B11]

Certainly the spirit of GNU/Linux is freedom, but the Chinese government has a habit of taking things and molding it to suit their economic interests and removing things which may not be in the government's political interest.

See: Great Firewall of China. They've embraced the internet, but on their terms. It's likely that Chinese Linux will also follow suit.

The more the merrier

[Anonymous Coward]

Well here's hoping that the more Europe and Asia adopt linux on the desktop it will influence government and companies here in the states.

boost!

[sdirrim]

It would be great for Japan to start making desktops for Linux... Linux is getting a well earned boost.

They can..

[matt me]

Surely they can read the GPL.

Effect upon US Economy

[Distinguished Hero]

Coincidentally, the US' trade deficit continues to rise. Not surprising considering the only things still made in the US that other people want are shitty movies and software. With most of the software being replaced by open source software, and shitty American movies (and software) being openly pirated, you guys will have no source of revenue. You'll be stuck giving each other massages, suing each other, and selling houses to each other, all the while, allowing foreign nationals to amass large reserves of your currency. The idea of a service only economy (no manufacturing) combined with disdain for intellectual property rights, really doesn't leave you guys with anything to export.
As the saying goes, you've made your bed; I hope you enjoy sleeping in it.

Re:Effect upon US Economy

[civilizedINTENSITY]

Well but "services" includes financial services, too. So go ahead and manufacture, just don't forget to make your mortgage payments on time. Oh and those pesky license fees for those manufacturing processes. Engineering is a "service", too.

Use, not utilize.

[stienman]

China, Japan To Utilize Linux More Often

Utilize means to use something for a purpose which it was not intended or designed for.

You would use a hammer to hit a nail into an object. But you might instead utilize your shoe to hit the nail into the object.

Utilize - to create utility where there is none.

The upshot is - I'm surprisingly curious to know in what way they are going to utilize Linux. As far as I can tell, not only can linux do everything, it was explicity designed to do everything, and therefore, by definition, cannot possibly be utilized, only used.

</tongue in cheek>

-Adam

Re:Use, not utilize.

[civilizedINTENSITY]

Actually, it means:

To put to use, especially to find a profitable or practical use for. See Synonyms at use.

Re:Use, not utilize.

[Xarius]

They are going to utilize it to play games! Something Linux is not supposed to be able to do! ;)

</tongue even further in cheek>

I do not agree with parent BUT

[SmallFurryCreature]

I think you need to be informed that the financial services in the US are for a large part in foreign hands. Check who really does own your bank/insurance company/investment house.

The US is in hog to the rest of the world. For now this works for everybody. When it doesn't. Well, we will just see won't we?

I know just that at the moment the US is powerfull because of high-tech weapons but exactly where are the parts for these weapons made nowadays?

Re:I do not agree with parent BUT

[technoextreme]

I know just that at the moment the US is powerfull because of high-tech weapons but exactly where are the parts for these weapons made nowadays?

I would have to say in the United States. At least I can tell you with 90% assurance that a lot of the military technology has been designed by Americans. It seems that a prerequisite for getting a job with a company that works with the DOD is being an American.

Let the China bashing start

[charlesesl]

Somehow I see this is going to be another China bashing article in which racist white man will discuss how the Chinese goverment is going to use linux to oppress the people.

This is can only be a good thing.

[Xarius]

If Microsoft did the same thing as you suggest, there would be a great gnashing of teeth and wailing and self-flaggelation in regards to "insidious business practices" and whatnot.

If the Chinese people don't like it, they can do something about it. It's called revolution and it's happened countless times throughout history. With the increasing capitalistic nature of China the totalitarianism won't stand up for too long.

Contrast that with America, where capitalism seems to be stagnating a little and there is a shadowy totalitarianist element emerging.

Bottom line: Let's all be happy that OSS is seeing nothing but increased adoption, especially by economic heavyweights like China and Japan.

As To Japan

[mercedo]

Unfortunately I don't have enough knowledge to evaluate whether this is a good movement.