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North Korea's Own OS, Red Star

Posted by timothy on from the linux-is-sometimes-for-communists dept.

klaasb writes "North Korea's self-developed computer operating system, named 'Red Star,' was brought to light for the first time by a Russian satellite broadcaster yesterday. North Korea's top IT experts began developing the Red Star in 2006, but its composition and operation mechanisms were unknown until the internet version of the Russia Today TV program featured the system, citing the blog of a Russian student who goes to the Kim Il-sung University in Pyongyang."

35 of 316 comments (clear)

  1. Yes! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    If you're a true lover of freedom, this distro is just for you!

    1. Re:Yes! by sopssa · · Score: 4, Funny

      The Red Star is based on Linux

      *ducks*

    2. Re:Yes! by Fluffeh · · Score: 5, Funny

      Personally I wonder if the Blue Screen of Death is replaced with a Red Screen of Dissention.

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      Moved to http://soylentnews.org/. You are invited to join us too!
    3. Re:Yes! by DesScorp · · Score: 3, Funny

      Personally I wonder if the Blue Screen of Death is replaced with a Red Screen of Dissention.

      No, it's the Red Screen of Death. This is North Korea, after all. "Take that, Hans Brix!"

      --
      Life is hard, and the world is cruel
    4. Re:Yes! by PK+Tech+Guy · · Score: 2, Funny

      Kim Jong Il's 1st computer program: "Herro World".

    5. Re:Yes! by yossarianuk · · Score: 2, Funny

      Everybody knows that penguins are imperialists

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_Penguin

  2. 2010: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    The year of the linux desktop has finally come, to North Korea.

    1. Re:2010: by Arthur+Grumbine · · Score: 4, Funny

      In Korea, only old people use Windows. Then they get arrested for promoting capitalism.

      --
      Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure everything I just said is completely wrong.
    2. Re:2010: by aztektum · · Score: 5, Funny

      Shouldn't it be GNU/Red Star Linux?

      --
      :: aztek ::
      No sig for you!!
    3. Re:2010: by h4rr4r · · Score: 3, Funny

      As long as there is a grownup OS underneath does it really matter?

    4. Re:2010: by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 4, Funny

      Communism. My idea!

    5. Re:2010: by Jeian · · Score: 4, Funny

      All 10 cars, yes.

  3. The unanswered question... by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Is that a 2-bit or 8-bit operating system?

    1. Re:The unanswered question... by absurdist · · Score: 5, Funny

      An 8-bit operating system for a 2-bit country?

    2. Re:The unanswered question... by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 3, Funny

      It's analog. Since they don't have electricity, the computer in question is hydraulic, with power provided by the operator via pedals. ~

  4. Re:...can't...stop...myself... by binarylarry · · Score: 4, Funny

    In Democratic People's Republic of Korea, computer back door removes you!

    --
    Mod me down, my New Earth Global Warmingist friends!
  5. Re:So, when by Michael+Kristopeit · · Score: 5, Funny

    ICBM

  6. I might have had something to say but... by maeka · · Score: 5, Funny

    The article in its entirety:
    Russian student back from North Korea had purchased a $5 OS disc and a $10 application disc. Based on Linux, looks like Korean version of Windows.

    Nothing else.

    .
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    .

    crickets

  7. Glorious Leader has truly given us a blessing by Kyru · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm surprised there isn't a press release telling us Kim Jong-Il programmed the majority of the OS himself in his spare time, it is the type of thing the Glorious Leader usually does.

    1. Re:Glorious Leader has truly given us a blessing by damn_registrars · · Score: 5, Funny

      I'm surprised there isn't a press release telling us Kim Jong-Il programmed the majority of the OS himself in his spare time, it is the type of thing the Glorious Leader usually does.

      Only the majority? You don't seem to know Kim Jong-Il very well. Considering he has his people tell us he is a world-record golfer, an avid fighter pilot (in spite of being afraid of flying), and capable of memorizing entire phone books, they wouldn't stop at majority. They would tell us that he gloriously wrote the entire Linux kernel, which he then selflessly shared with Linus Torvalds.

      And then they would go back a step further and say that he is also the original author of Unix itself. By the end of the week he would also be the father of the transistor and semiconductor.

      --
      Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
  8. Re:A firewall is the least of the problems by Sponge+Bath · · Score: 4, Funny

    Most of North Korea doesn't even have electricity.

    Lies! All North Korean citizens have personal fusion reactors to power Dear Leader's triumph over Western aggressors.

  9. Re:Ironic by dgatwood · · Score: 4, Funny

    Well, the obvious joke would be... "Communist country, communist OS."

    Sorry. Couldn't resist. Some jokes are just too easy.

    --

    Check out my sci-fi/humor trilogy at PatriotsBooks.

  10. Re:Ironic by maxwell+demon · · Score: 5, Funny

    Well, they both fell for the propaganda that Free Software is communist.

    --
    The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
  11. Interesting... by stakovahflow · · Score: 2, Funny

    Do they have the goofy M$ search assistant dog?

    Just curious there...

    --Stak

    --
    Holy happy hippy crap!
  12. Re:A firewall is the least of the problems by Nadaka · · Score: 3, Funny

    Without electricity they could use the firewall to keep warm in the winter.

  13. It's based in GNU Hurd . . . by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 3, Funny

    . . . but the only app is Duke Nukem Forever.

    --
    Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
  14. Re:So, when by FatdogHaiku · · Score: 2, Funny

    can we start expecting contributions to the kernel?

    Sorry comrade, it is now called "the Colonel".

    --
    You have the right to remain sentient. If you give up the right to remain sentient, you will be elected to public office
  15. Born on a rainbow star by e2d2 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Falling from the heavens like a rainbow star, the operating system appeared as a spirit of the people, willing itself into being to fight the evil west and spread true communist freedom to all people.

  16. Re:So, when by maxwell+demon · · Score: 5, Funny

    I hear the patches will be real killers.

    --
    The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
  17. Re:I prefer brown starfish by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Ah, I miss being 14.

    Oh, please - a year isn't that long a time.

  18. Re:Dissent by zygotic+mitosis · · Score: 2, Funny

    May I direct you here?

  19. Re:So, when by Opportunist · · Score: 2, Funny

    Judging by what the system looks like, he's under direct command of General Protection Fault.

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  20. And best of all.. by Noland150 · · Score: 4, Funny

    It has a nifty daemon that keeps system clocks set back by 50 years.

  21. Re:A firewall is the least of the problems by russotto · · Score: 4, Funny

    Are they really that fucked?

    There are "bright spots" visible by satellite within North Korea. They are believed to correspond to enclaves of the wealthy elites. What's that you ask? How can they have "wealthy elites" within a Marxist utopian state? You may be nearing an answer to your own question.

    A simple "yes" would have been fine.

  22. Re:Dissent by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    I tried clicking your link and all I got was this: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=whoosh