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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."

21 of 316 comments (clear)

  1. 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 shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 4, Funny

      Communism. My idea!

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

      All 10 cars, yes.

  2. 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?

  3. 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!
  4. Re:So, when by Michael+Kristopeit · · Score: 5, Funny

    ICBM

  5. 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

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

    The Red Star is based on Linux

    *ducks*

  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: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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  9. 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.

  10. 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.

  11. 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.
  12. 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.

  13. 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.
  14. And best of all.. by Noland150 · · Score: 4, Funny

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

  15. 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.