Cuba launches its own Linux variant, Fidel reportedly cool with it
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted February 12th 2009 3:29PM
posted February 12th 2009 3:29PM
It hasn't been a year since Cuba lifted the ban on PCs for the majority of its citizens, and now it looks like ou neighbor to the south has been giving some serious thought to the implications of open source operating systems. To this end, the nation has recently announced Nova -- its own Linux variant -- at a conference on technological sovereignty in Havana. Not only does the nation see reliance on Microsoft Windows a security threat, but the U.S. trade embargo makes it virtually impossible for folks on the island to get the software legally. According to Hector Rodriguez of Cuba's University of Information Sciences, about twenty percent of machines in Cuba are using Linux -- a number he would like to see climb as high as fifty percent in five years. "The free software movement," he says, "is closer to the ideology of the Cuban people, above all for the independence and sovereignty." Be sure to check out the video of this latest weapon in the battle against U.S. software hegemony after the break (music by Jaco Pastorius and The Weather Report).
Remember kids, when you download free and open source software, you're downloading communism!
literally
No not literally you idiot.
It's people like you who have devalued the word and its rhetorical effect.
you are right mike, open source is very like comonism. anyone spend his entire life for other and no one did not get anything decent.
I knew I should've included the tag.
the < / sarcasm > tag that is ...
In Havana Cuba, communism downloads you!
The meaning of the word "literally" has been torn to shreds, burned in a fire pit, and defecated upon by baboons. Literally!
But will it run (the Cuban Missile) Crysis?
Best crysis run line I've seen yet....
Does Nova's tux have a beret?
Castro is dead, or close to it...update the pic with his brother raul (sp?)
Make no mistake about it, Cuba is arguably the MOST educated country in S. America and Carribians.
Well you should go to study there because cuba is not in S.America
@Sea Urchin: Where the fuck is the "Carribians" again? What "educated country" are you from? (don't make me smack you)
And also, they have better healthcare than even the USA. Socialism is good in many ways.
@coolbho3000
I guess they'd rather be alive than free. Poor dumb bastards.
Make no mistake about it, Sea Urchin, that you haven't the foggiest idea of which you speak. Cuba is part of the CARIBBEAN, no relation to South America. Nope. Not even on the same tectonic plate. Cayman Islands ftw :]
I think price, more than embargoes and security concerns, will continue to keep Mac out of sunny Havannah.
Cuba, DOES NOT have better health-care than the USA, not even Mexico. Their health-care maybe better than Haiti, Jamaica and Dominican Republic if you go as a tourist, for the average Cuban citizen it is a nightmare. I am Cuban, lived there until 2007.
Castro Distro
AH! too funny!!!
Pure genius my friend!
Win.
"Idiots who think wear is spelt where should really learn English."
speaking of which, i doubt this will be available in said language.
it would be fun to use, but sadly i don't speak spanish :(
Now they'll be able to quickly monitor what you're doing and throw you in jail if you have independent thought.
PS: Idiots who where the stupid Che shirts should really learn more about him. And no, the new movie does not count. Killing millions for thinking different than you is not something one should be honored for after they died.
Glad someone gets it.
Idiots who think wear is spelt where should really learn English.
and what do you make of the Bay of Pigs?
"and what do you make of the Bay of Pigs?"
JFK selling out Cuban freedom fighters while they were on the beach being shot at.
A mistake?
But push comes to shove when you think a best friend of your worst enemy preparing a launch pad for missiles.
Sad part is that history is repeating itself. Russian (instead of the USSR) is now sending warships to Cuba loaded with weaponry and missiles.
I think that the USA should not fear an Abba fan
"Idiots who think wear is spelt where should really learn English."
Idiots who think spelt is the past tense of spell, and not a type of wheat should really shut the hell up.
Doubly so if they do so while trying to correct someone else.
"Doubly so if they do so while trying to correct someone else."
To be fair on Sam, both "spelt" and "spelled" are acceptable in British English.
http://www.chambersharrap.co.uk/chambers/features/chref/chref.py/main?title=21st&query=spelt
Umm, millions? Wtf are you talking about? Or are you talking about Stalinism rather than Che? "Millions" were not killed by Cuban communism - yes, some people have been killed, and respect for human rights over there still sucks, but it was a lot worse under America's ally Batista, and certainly today it is no worse than what goes on in many countries the West considers "allies" (Libya, anyone?). Learn some history and gain some perspective before posting uninformed comments, please.
@kjb434: I haven't goggled anything yet, but "Killing millions"?
Che was also involved in revolutions all across South America also.
While not necessarily millions, the joy of him watching the killing has been well documented within his own diary and through accounts of others in his presents.
While not as extreme as Stalin, he was a blood thirsty man seeking power. He has a role in Cuba, but wasn't in charge.
The problem is that now we have pop culture movies and praise of this man greatly distorting his past. They tell it from the viewpoint of Che thoughts versus what he actually did.
The sad part is, many in Hollywood support his thoughts. They support Fidel Castro and other communists. People who would never have given these Hollywood types the freedom they enjoy in the US and in many other places in the world.
@kjb434: "While not necessarily millions, the joy of him watching the killing has been well documented within his own diary and through accounts of others in his presents."
That begs the question. Why were others in Che's presents? If other people WERE in his presents, doesn't that make him killing people, you know at least somewhat justifiable? Or did he get people as presents?
Just busting your chops dude.
Screw British English. That's just one of the reasons that we kicked their ass.
Looks like ubuntu.
It probably is, most "new" linux distros are,
reason, Ubuntu is stable, very well supported and popular.
Giving it a haircut is a safe and cost effective way of "makingz new linux"
Cubans love the Compiz Cube
Hey Fidel, come see this crazy shit!
You can have a screen full of surveillance tapes illegally taken of our entire nation on one screen, and whooop, you've got our heavily censored porno on another!
Just like magic!
It’s gentoo based. That probably as far from being an ubuntu-clone as possible. Like ubuntu it seems to use a customized gnome desktop, and gnome looks like gnome - anywhere even under BSD.
i think you mean Cubuntu
Leave capitalism to me.
imagine 20% of US computers run linux...
Doesn't "No va" stand for no go in Spanish?
it doesn't stand for anything.
it translates into "No Go" in Spanish
why the Vauxhall Nova was re-branded the Opel Astra in Europe.
and the chevy nova was rebranded the caribbe in latin america.
Nope
http://www.snopes.com/business/misxlate/nova.asp