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Red Flag Linux Forced On Chinese Internet Cafes

Posted by timothy on from the billions-and-billions-served dept.

iamhigh writes "Reports are popping up that Chinese Internet Cafes are being required to switch to Red Flag Linux. Red Flag is China's biggest Linux distro and recently received headlines for their Olympic Edition release. The regulations, effective Nov. 5th, are aimed at combating piracy and require only that cafes install either a legal version of Windows or Red Flag. However, Radio Free Asia says that cafes are being forced to install Red Flag even if they have legal versions of Windows. Obviously questions about spying and surveillance have arisen, with no comment from the Chinese Government."

18 of 295 comments (clear)

  1. Finally by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    The year of Linux on the desktop, right?

    1. Re:Finally by VeNoM0619 · · Score: 5, Funny

      There will NEVER be the year of the Linux in China...

      --
      Disclaimer: I am not god.
      We may not be created equal
      But we can be treated equal.
    2. Re:Finally by MBGMorden · · Score: 4, Funny

      Every time I hear this meme I imagine it being part of the opening voiceover for Season 3 of Babylon 5.


      It was the year of fire... the year of destruction... the year we took back what was ours. It was the year of rebirth... the year of great sadness... the year of pain... and the year of joy. It was a new age. It was the end of history. It was the year everything changed. It was the year of Linux on the desktop. The year is 2261. The place: Babylon 5.

      --
      "People who think they know everything are very annoying to those of us who do."-Mark Twain
    3. Re:Finally by mdm-adph · · Score: 3, Funny

      I checked all 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac -- couldn't find the Year of Linux, sorry.

      --
      It is by my will alone my thoughts acquire motion; it is by the juice of the coffee bean that the thoughts acquire speed
    4. Re:Finally by mad_robot · · Score: 5, Funny

      Note there will never be a year of the Windows or OS X either.

      *cough* Tiger *cough*

      --
      U1NCaVpYUWdlVzkxSUhkcGMyZ2dlVzkx SUdoaFpHNG5kQ0JpYjNSb1pYSmxaQT09
    5. Re:Finally by AuMatar · · Score: 5, Funny

      So, we just name the next Ubuntu Malignant Monkey or Dancing Dog. Problem solved.

      --
      I still have more fans than freaks. WTF is wrong with you people?
    6. Re:Finally by Sloppy · · Score: 4, Funny
      You're on the internet. You ought to know better. There are dorks here.

      Every time I hear this meme I imagine it being part of the opening voiceover for Season 3 of Babylon 5.

      It was the year of fire...

      That's Season 4! (And no, I'm not telling you the combination to Captain Kirk's safe.)

      --
      As copyright owner of this comment, I authorize everyone to defeat any technological measure which limits access to it.
    7. Re:Finally by Jataro · · Score: 2, Funny

      The next possibilities are mouse or monkey. So it would be for year 2010. Unfortunately 2010 is the year of the Tiger.

      2013 Is the year of the Snake AND should be an "S" release.

      Sexy Snake - The year of Linux on the desktop!

  2. Fitting Name by cabjf · · Score: 5, Funny

    A red flag should go up when you are forced to use an operating system designated by the government.

  3. In other news by goombah99 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Windows market share suddenly drops below 50%

    --
    Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
  4. Re:Well, One Thing is for Sure .... by mdm-adph · · Score: 4, Funny

    Why does the Chinese government want to keep it secret that inside each living, breathing person, is a skeleton waiting to get out and start swinging around a comically huge sword?

    --
    It is by my will alone my thoughts acquire motion; it is by the juice of the coffee bean that the thoughts acquire speed
  5. Didn't this... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    ...raise any red flags for anyone?

  6. Re:Another motive by Paradigm_Complex · · Score: 4, Funny

    If I were some American government then I would prefer people to use Linux, too. Sadly I'm not an American government.

    --
    "A witty saying proves nothing." - Voltaire
  7. Oh Sweet Irony by quantaman · · Score: 3, Funny

    That's going to be a lot of new Linux users.

    Imagine Linux on the desktop taking off due to support from a totalitarian regime!

    Btw. does anyone know if Red Flag contributes any code back to the community? It would be interesting if they've submitted any of their changes to KDE, Gnome, or OpenSSH...

    --
    I stole this Sig
  8. Re:It's a silo. Anyone can set one up. by Samah · · Score: 4, Funny

    But you'll probably get cleaved and die unless you have 25000+ hp. :)

    --
    Homonyms are fun!
    You're driving your car, but they're riding their bikes there.
  9. Re:Manpower. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Expect lots of perl code, then.

  10. Re:No danger whatsoever by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Linux: so fucking bad you have to force it on others using legislation, and even then they don't want of it!

    This should officially make it the communist OS!

  11. Re:This is stupid. by neomunk · · Score: 2, Funny

    Under the line that says "Guest Troll from 1998" would be my guess.