North Korea's Red Star OS takes the 'open' out of 'open source'
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted March 4th 2010 3:14PM
posted March 4th 2010 3:14PM
You know, Tux always seemed so harmless... little did we know that he is actually a Che Guevara-type figure who's been traveling around the world, fighting the good fight on any number of fronts. First, Cuba announces its national Linux variant, Nova, and now? Red Star is North Korea's very own Linux-based operating system, featuring a desktop very similar to Windows -- but for the red star that replaces the Start button. It first came to light when Mikhail, a Russian blogger living in Pyongyang, picked up a copy for $5 near Kim Il-sung University. The install disk apparently features a quote from Kim Jong-il about the importance of an operating system "compatible with Korean traditions," and the system requirements are a Pentium III 800MHz with 256MB RAM and 3GB hard drive space (North Korea's version of Minesweeper must take up a lot of room). Of course, this bad boy has Firefox -- except here it's called My Country, and it will only connect you to something called "My Country BBS," a web portal on North Korea's own (restricted) version of the Internet. Where will the plucky penguin turn up next? We don't know, but we bet it'll be one hell of a ride.
@whoopn
I am having the same exact problem. The only thing I can think of is it has nothing to do with the browsers but our java plugin is some how wrong.
@whoopn
I looked at the source...
iframes really?
probably causing the issue.
@whoopn
what you thought chrome was all powerful and great?
@glamajamma Problems with iFrames? Really? What browser are you using? Everything works fine on FF 3.0, 3.5, 3.6. Even on IE7 and IE8!
@whoopn I've got the same issue, in both of IE and FF, so I guess it's something other than the browser, Java? or Flash?
So, one of the screen shots shows Adobe Illustrator in the Start (er, Star) menu. You can buy that in the DPRK? Maybe Adobe wants to prosecute for piracy?
@gparizot
So what happens if Adobe wins a lawsuit against North Korea?
hint: Nothing.
@(Unverified) North Korea bombs San José. I better move :-/
sudo ./shortershorts
@glamajamma
Unfortunately in North Korea, Kim Jong Il is the only member of the wheel group...
Want!
Wonder if you could rig it to dial into the N korea BBS from the usa? How is it closed loop? meaning, it only works if you are in N korea?
@Hydra Yeah the system as far as I know isn't even connected to the actual world-wide "internet." It's like a big as LAN. A WAN as it were.
In communist Korea, operating system's run YOU.
"nd it will only connect you to something called "My Country BBS," a web portal on North Korea's own (restricted) version of the Internet."
Should be renamed to "My Country's BS" for greater accuracy.
I don't get it:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1065652/programming%20communism.jpg
@SquidLord
The devil approves of that guy's Mac. Once again proving Apple is evil.
What are they even doing in that picture? So dumb.
@n2whyteguyz
Who cares what they're doing.. lol i see flexible women. What's the problem?
@n2whyteguyz
I believe one could describe the scene depicted here as "Having Fun".. anyways... sauce of photo? hard to believe young ladies are allowed to do this kind of stuff in current day N.Korea.
Any word on whether Crysis will run on it (or be allowed, for that matter).......
@freelancer91
Run Crysis? Those people live it.
@glamajamma I bet someone has made a mod for crysis that runs the campaign from the NK perspective.......I might learn Korean just to play that......
Well they certainly wouldn't let their citizens play Crysis unless they changed North to South for the Korean NPCs.
i could care less about the OS. Flexible women like is a definite FTW
Dear Comrade Kim, he could have called it "Kim-ILinux"
Me want.
Aren't upskirt shots illegal there?
@joelaf No, but having a camera is punishable by death.
I was sort of hoping to read that it was a modified version of DOS.
If you don't leave us alone, we will be forced to unleash the wrath of our latest weapon, the R-69 Rockette upon your puny insignificant existence.
I love the soulless eyes on the cartoon guy.
Torrent plzzzzzz!
@Lord Vader
I find your lack of faith disturbing!
I couldn't help staring at those legs.. =/
The mighty penguin has never made me frown before... but then communism generally makes me frown... Love the Hat though.
@Slick
Hey, your Ubuntu-Android avatar looks good, my favorite distros are Mandriva and Sabayon, I am not that fan of Ubuntu, but it was the first distro I tried, and Liked it.
Linux has the free distribution quality. EVERYONE can use it as they want, thats why you have as an example: Ubuntu Christian; Ubuntu Muslim; Ubuntu Satanic; etc...
Links
http://ubuntuce.com/ (christian)
http://www.sabily.org/website/ (muslim)
http://ubuntusatanic.org/
By the way, I would like to live in SOUTH Korea, not in North Korea. BIG BIG difference there.
The Paradise of a Tech Geek? ==> Japan and South Korea
@Prospero
I find their lack of pants enjoyable.
Has the one on the right got a, forget it I'm not going there...
"...and the system requirements are a Pentium III 800MHz with 256MB RAM and 3GB hard drive space (North Korea's version of Minesweeper must take up a lot of room)."
LOL! Good one!
I don't see why anyone would willingly pay money to use this OS. I mean it's like paying to wear handcuffs . . . Although there are some kinky people who do that too. . . And I may be one of them. :B
Wow talk about off topic huh?
I'm surprised they didn't use XPDE. It's old as hell but it seems to be geared toward the whole windows xp look. I know, last update was like in 2004. But I'm sure it would be alot lighter then using kde. Xfce would be probably be best but meh.
Diehard Linux users like to talk about how it's Windows that is in danger of getting all sorts of spyware. I think it's safe to say that this Linux OS is pre-loaded with all sorts of wonderful spyware, courtesy of the N. Korean government. I'd feel safer running Windows 95.
Cool, it comes with Firefox. So what, you can browse the 3 state sponsored URLs you're allowed to access? (And only for a couple hours on every 2nd Tuesday when they have the electricity available to run the hosting servers...)
Wait...
So... All I got was "Here's some chicks dancing in soldier uniforms..."
Who are they again?
-Spart
Wow the NK's have win7 xp in a tux!
An OS guaranteed to forward everything you type straight to your friendly police state for only $3 (your annual income).