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OSNews: http://www.osnews.com/story/22960/North_Korea_Develops_Its_Own_Linux_Distribution Exploring the Future of Computing en-us Copyright 2001-2013, David Adams adam+nospam@osnews.com Fri, 24 May 2013 20:19:53 GMT http://www.osnews.com/images/osnews.gif OSNews.com http://www.osnews.com They're selling it? http://www.osnews.com/thread?412256 http://www.osnews.com/thread?412256 Does North Korea violate the GPL by selling a linux distro?

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:38:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Ventajou) Comments RE: They're selling it? http://www.osnews.com/thread?412257 http://www.osnews.com/thread?412257

Does North Korea violate the GPL by selling a linux distro?

Of course not. GPL only requires you to provide means to acquire the source for people buying the distro. The distro probably also has proprietary components.

(cf. RHEL) Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:43:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (vivainio) Comments Damn it! http://www.osnews.com/thread?412258 http://www.osnews.com/thread?412258 Then Ballmer was right, Linux is communistic! Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:45:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Boldie) Comments The puppet regime? http://www.osnews.com/thread?412259 http://www.osnews.com/thread?412259 So the commie puppet regime of N Korea continues again to enslaved the working class. Their aim of taking over the worl by stolen code and malware will not go un-noticed by free thinking peoples.

Just saying it like they do on the voice of north korea. Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:47:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (jefro) Comments Comment by neticspace http://www.osnews.com/thread?412262 http://www.osnews.com/thread?412262 North Korea is also famous for making Silver Star Baduk (go/weiqi game program).

While at it, I'm not surprised that North Korea will have a major tech boom, likely European software companies outsource North Korea. Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:59:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (neticspace) Comments xandros anyone? http://www.osnews.com/thread?412263 http://www.osnews.com/thread?412263 reminds me of xandros, but with a different goal.

who would have thought those WMD's george bush kept talking about were hiding inside that adorable penguin this whole time. awwww *boom*Edited 2010-03-04 21:07 UTC Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:59:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (poundsmack) Comments 5 differences between NKLinux and XP http://www.osnews.com/thread?412264 http://www.osnews.com/thread?412264 1. My Computer has been renamed to Our Computer
2. A very powerful email client is included, but it has no send button
3. Every computer includes a free Web Cam
4. Comes with the Peoples Genuine Advantage application, that verifies if you are a legitimate copy
5. Contains free programs written by Kim Il-sung himself, such as gcc and emacs Thu, 04 Mar 2010 21:01:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (fretinator) Comments RE: xandros anyone? http://www.osnews.com/thread?412265 http://www.osnews.com/thread?412265 I know they both have the goal of World Domination... Thu, 04 Mar 2010 21:16:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (fretinator) Comments at least... http://www.osnews.com/thread?412266 http://www.osnews.com/thread?412266 ...there's now an answer to the thorny problem of how to get a supported distro that uses KDE 3.5 as its primary desktop: move to North Korea! Thu, 04 Mar 2010 21:21:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (AdamW) Comments Comment by ssa2204 http://www.osnews.com/thread?412267 http://www.osnews.com/thread?412267 Can anyone in NK even afford a computer? Does anyone even have one outside of the elites in the party? Something tells me this is NOT for the workers of the revolution, and knowing NK god only knows what weird idea is behind this. Thu, 04 Mar 2010 21:23:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (ssa2204) Comments RE: Comment by ssa2204 http://www.osnews.com/thread?412268 http://www.osnews.com/thread?412268 This answers some parts of your question.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwangmyong_%28intranet%29

Internet is not used by the general public, except for banking in the Chinese branch of a North Korean bank.Edited 2010-03-04 21:34 UTC Thu, 04 Mar 2010 21:32:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (neticspace) Comments RE: Damn it! http://www.osnews.com/thread?412273 http://www.osnews.com/thread?412273 Exactly! That's why Windows XP and Vista are more popular there. Thu, 04 Mar 2010 22:17:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (DigitalAxis) Comments RE[2]: They're selling it? http://www.osnews.com/thread?412274 http://www.osnews.com/thread?412274 I'm going to bet the source is available to the Eternal President, and that's all the people will ever need to know. Thu, 04 Mar 2010 22:24:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (DigitalAxis) Comments RE: Comment by ssa2204 http://www.osnews.com/thread?412281 http://www.osnews.com/thread?412281 a great many trade embargoes exist against N Korea, so selling PCs to them is not very easy, wonder what kind of hardware they have managed to get...

Remember when the G4 powermac couldn't be sold abroad because it counted as a supercomputer and therefore a weapon? Those were the days.... Thu, 04 Mar 2010 23:46:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Adurbe) Comments Comment by ballmerlikesgoogle http://www.osnews.com/thread?412288 http://www.osnews.com/thread?412288 I would have to imagine if it were built by North Korean "coders" I would not be surprised if it was setup to keep an "eye" on who ever uses it.

So much for "freedom".....

Sigh.... Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:27:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (ballmerlikesgoogle) Comments RE: Comment by ballmerlikesgoogle http://www.osnews.com/thread?412290 http://www.osnews.com/thread?412290 I like you nickname. ;-) Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:44:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Lennie) Comments Not as outdated as I thought http://www.osnews.com/thread?412291 http://www.osnews.com/thread?412291 When I noticed KDE 3.x I thought it was oudated, but it came with Firefox 3.6. So it can't be that outdated. Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:46:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Lennie) Comments RE: Comment by ssa2204 http://www.osnews.com/thread?412292 http://www.osnews.com/thread?412292 I once saw on tv, sort of a documentary about north korea's internet cafes. They are illegal but popular among ppl so ppl save money to go there to play rainbow six and so. They sat down on plastic chairs without back (lol). It was a few years back already when I saw the programme while I was in S. Korea. So.. they, at least a small number of pppl might be able to access computers I guess. But not as freely as we do, of course. Fri, 05 Mar 2010 01:02:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (t3RRa) Comments Nova http://www.osnews.com/thread?412297 http://www.osnews.com/thread?412297 N Korea's not the first communist country to develop it's own Linux didn't / isn't Cuba developing Nova as the official state OS? Fri, 05 Mar 2010 03:22:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Gone fishing) Comments RE: Nova http://www.osnews.com/thread?412306 http://www.osnews.com/thread?412306 Don't know about Nova, but Red Flag is a Chinese distribution (isn't the official one of the country ?). Fri, 05 Mar 2010 07:27:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (lord_rob) Comments License http://www.osnews.com/thread?412307 http://www.osnews.com/thread?412307 I can't help but wonder if they made any changes to KDE, Firefox, or any other underlying component to this distribution. If they did, given the way that regime likes to spy, they probably aren't releasing those modifications and they could be committing some serious license violations as a result. Fri, 05 Mar 2010 07:32:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (darknexus) Comments RE: License http://www.osnews.com/thread?412309 http://www.osnews.com/thread?412309 license violations? get the security council to pass a resolution. I really doubt NK would care about the license

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 08:39:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (MamiyaOtaru) Comments Great! http://www.osnews.com/thread?412310 http://www.osnews.com/thread?412310 That's really great, now they only have to get computers and they're all set. Fri, 05 Mar 2010 08:44:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (pandronic) Comments RE[2]: License http://www.osnews.com/thread?412311 http://www.osnews.com/thread?412311 AFAIK, if the country does not care about the license, you cannot sue ppl in that country whether they mistreat the license. So.. they might not contribute back the modifications even if there's any. Well, one thing just came up into my mind.. that since the government keeps internet access from majority of ppl in the country, I wonder if the developer of the distro got access to the internet at all. To build the distro he or she might got enough resource (source code and etc) from internet under permission though, to contribute back... well I don't think that the government would allow the internet access for that purpose. Fri, 05 Mar 2010 09:02:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (t3RRa) Comments RE[2]: License http://www.osnews.com/thread?412318 http://www.osnews.com/thread?412318 Didn't say they would care, just my curious mind asking the question. Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:44:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (darknexus) Comments I wonder... http://www.osnews.com/thread?412326 http://www.osnews.com/thread?412326 If like with "Space Gundam V" (a Macross ripoff of sorts) they'll claim they invented Linux without outside help before Linus did. Fri, 05 Mar 2010 12:28:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (deathshadow) Comments RE: Great! http://www.osnews.com/thread?412330 http://www.osnews.com/thread?412330 Too bad that Linux doesn't run on Z80 processors. Maybe they will be able to build their own version of 80286 in 10 years, though. Fri, 05 Mar 2010 12:39:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (twitterfire) Comments errors in the system http://www.osnews.com/thread?412340 http://www.osnews.com/thread?412340 North Korea Linux is like the Nazi-movement; they used the democratic principles to take over, than they abolished it. Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:05:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (darwinOS) Comments RE: Nova http://www.osnews.com/thread?412344 http://www.osnews.com/thread?412344 Very strange naming a product aimed at Spanish speaking people and using the name No va. Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:40:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Budd) Comments RE[2]: Nova http://www.osnews.com/thread?412351 http://www.osnews.com/thread?412351 True, would have thought they'd have learned that lesson. One car company tried that--think it was Chevy--and it didn't go over too well. Fri, 05 Mar 2010 15:04:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (darknexus) Comments RE[2]: Comment - Lenovo, Acer, Asus http://www.osnews.com/thread?412357 http://www.osnews.com/thread?412357 I suspect any of the Chinese manufacturers can chip to North Korea. Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:00:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (jabbotts) Comments RE: License - not likely the worst infraction http://www.osnews.com/thread?412358 http://www.osnews.com/thread?412358 Violating GPL is hardly the worst license violation one could find in North Korea. They have had a very active counterfeiting black market industry for years and as of 2009 or 2008 data, where the best currency counterfeiters in the world; usually 100$ bills. Counterfeit cigarette are big too though China has general dominated that commodity.

McMafia
ISBN - 10:0887842046
ISBN - 13:9780887842047 Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:07:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (jabbotts) Comments RE[2]: Great! http://www.osnews.com/thread?412364 http://www.osnews.com/thread?412364 I think you mean 6502. The Z-80 is a bit high-tech for them.

Though both are too mainstream - more likely to rip off something obscure like a hibachi 6803. Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:33:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (deathshadow) Comments RE: 5 differences between NKLinux and XP http://www.osnews.com/thread?412374 http://www.osnews.com/thread?412374 HAHAHH, Good one

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:57:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Timii) Comments RE: 5 differences between NKLinux and XP http://www.osnews.com/thread?412381 http://www.osnews.com/thread?412381 At this time, Score 43, is this a new record?Edited 2010-03-05 18:42 UTC Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:42:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Bending Unit) Comments Maybe tune in. http://www.osnews.com/thread?412396 http://www.osnews.com/thread?412396 North Korea was correctly named as an axis of evil member. Anyone who has lived in that region for a few years would know exactly how they think and act. Take a few hours to listen to the official radio of north korea. Might not like what you hear.

The truth is the people are some of the poorest in the world. The leaders have an iron fist and boot at their throats. The leaders have extorted monies from the west to prevent nuclear arms race and have turned that wealth back into keeping the leaders in luxury and fine are.

There can be nothing good to come out of North Korea making an OS. Most likely they are trying to horn in on the scams like some of the other commie nations and a few African schemes. Might as well hack the west is their opinion. Fri, 05 Mar 2010 20:32:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (jefro) Comments Comment by Vanger http://www.osnews.com/thread?412398 http://www.osnews.com/thread?412398 The only thing more pathetic than 30 commenters trying to make a poor joke is Thom making any decision about their country.

OS news, anyone? Fri, 05 Mar 2010 20:45:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Vanger) Comments RE[2]: Great! http://www.osnews.com/thread?412432 http://www.osnews.com/thread?412432 Doesn't the Z80 need electricity? Sat, 06 Mar 2010 00:29:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (pandronic) Comments North Korean Linux Disks http://www.osnews.com/thread?412470 http://www.osnews.com/thread?412470 I have some questions about these disks.

1) Does the ink used to label the disks transfer easily, staining everything it comes into contact with?

2) Does the disk shrink to half its size if you attempt to wash it or even just get it wet?

3) Does the metal platter inside the disk start to rust out a few months after you get it? Sat, 06 Mar 2010 11:13:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (mikeinohio) Comments RE[3]: Great! http://www.osnews.com/thread?412504 http://www.osnews.com/thread?412504 LOL Sat, 06 Mar 2010 20:03:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (helf) Comments RE: Comment by neticspace http://www.osnews.com/thread?412563 http://www.osnews.com/thread?412563 I'm rather familiar with the economic/social situation in N. Korea and that seems highly doubtful to me for the foreseeable future. Sun, 07 Mar 2010 03:57:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (asdf) Comments Three apps that cannot be uninstalled http://www.osnews.com/thread?412580 http://www.osnews.com/thread?412580 The Pyongyang Fortres firewall provides enhanced security and assures that you get the latest patches and don't access malicious websites.

And Woodpecker antivirus app looks for suspicious HTML, DOC, ODT, and TXT files to remove them quickly before you get infected with inappropriate information.

There is also an alternative for Apple's iWork Suite called "weWork Sickle III edition" which automatically shares your work with the NK Department of Homeland Security. Sun, 07 Mar 2010 07:27:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (usr0) Comments RE[2]: They're selling it? http://www.osnews.com/thread?412583 http://www.osnews.com/thread?412583

Of course not. GPL only requires you to provide means to acquire the source for people buying the distro. The distro probably also has proprietary components.

Good luck getting the sources from North Korea.

Oh the irony

. Sun, 07 Mar 2010 08:34:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (strcpy) Comments Ya knew it was coming to this... http://www.osnews.com/thread?412721 http://www.osnews.com/thread?412721

North Korea Linux is like the Nazi-movement; they used the democratic principles to take over, than they abolished it.

This thread is a successful invocation of Godwin's law:

"As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin%27s_law Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:17:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (ctubutis) Comments