An old Korean flag

Summary: South Korea is seriously considering Ubuntu GNU/Linux as a nationally-approved option now that Windows XP gets back doors (not accessible only to the NSA and its affiliates)

UBUNTU has come under a lot of fire and persistent criticism this year. It has, however, made some unprecedented strides in making GNU/Linux more widely used (something which not only Ubuntu contributes to, as the Linux Foundation points out [1,2]_. Ubuntu, based on some reports, challenges not just Windows but also Wintel, which means x86 as well. This is a good thing and it has been something that Google has done with Android and Chromebooks. The "Google"-branded gear can run Ubuntu GNU/Linux well enough [3] and some derivatives of Ubuntu [4] come preinstalled on machines [5]. Some groups work on turning Android devices into a full GNU/Linux desktop computers [6], so efforts here are mutually beneficial.

In desperate attempts to dodge security issues and the ActiveX nightmare in South Korea [1, 2, 3, 4, 5], it is now reportedly the case that the South Korean government explores migration to Ubuntu. Gives South Korea's reliance on Linux in Android [7,8], it should not be too shocking. the only reason South Korea hasn't done so years ago was Microsoft's ActiveX lock-in (already pointed out in the comments beneath the article "Ubuntu Emerges as Free Alternative Operating System to Windows" -- an article that got some attention). According to this report, the government has a lot to do with it. "South Koreans are fully prepared to make a surprising move for all government workers," Bogdan Popa reports. Microsoft has used ActiveX to suppress adoption of GNU/Linux, but the "government is working to change these laws" that make trade nearly impossible without ActiveX.

In a new analysis from Katherine Noyes it is argued that Ubuntu's self segregation is not helping the overall cause. While this point is quite valid, this does not make Ubuntu "Evil". Someone called Gonzalo Velasco C. is quotes as saying: "After using more than 15 distros for real, I can tell Ubuntu is good, and I would humbly say that a lot of derivative distros should be more respectful and thankful [...] FOSS people should not attack other distros! [...] I am not using Ubuntu now, but I don't spit on the plate I have eaten from."

This remark echoes the views of many people, to whom attacking Ubuntu seems like a distraction and a fight not worth fighting. Perhaps South Korea will be another nation among more (e.g. France) that fall for the brand/trademark and in the process find Free/libre software. Munich used Debian and it has worked exceptionally well, resulting in a successful migration of many computers [9-13]. ⬆

Related/contextual items from the news:

1. 2013: The Year of Linux on the...Everything

   In the Linux community we love predicting that this is the year of Linux in cars, or in gaming, or yes, even the desktop.





2. Win Free Linux Loot: Who Said This?

   It was a phenomenal year of growth for Linux. It is the fastest-growing operating system in the enterprise where it’s supporting the latest advancements in cloud computing, big data, storage, power and more. Linux is also being used to bring new technologies to consumers on their phones, tablets and even into their living room and kitchens (TVs, refrigerators and more). And, some of the greatest advancements in high performance computing this year can be, at least partially, attributed to the help of Linux.





3. Acer C720 Chromebook Delivers Fast Ubuntu Performance

   The Acer C720 was recently released as the latest Google Chromebook selling for just $199 USD. I have been running the Acer C720 Chromebook recently but not with Chrome OS and instead Ubuntu 13.10 Linux. This Chromebook with a Haswell-based dual-core Celeron CPU runs Ubuntu Linux rather nicely. Here are the first thorough benchmarks from this low-cost laptop.





4. Linux Mint 16 Petra, hands-on: Installing the Cinnamon, MATE, KDE and Xfce versions

   You can get the ISO Live images from the Mint 16 Download page but please remember, at the time of this writing, the KDE and Xfce versions are still 'release candidates', the final versions will appear sometime in the next few days or weeks.
   
   The images are fairly large, ranging from just over 1.2GB to just under 1.5GB, so they will certainly not fit on a CD, they require either a DVD or a 2GB or larger USB stick. These are hybrid images, so if you already have a Linux system you can simply dd them to a USB stick; otherwise you can use the windows Image Writer to accomplish the same task. For details on this, Clem has written a very concise How to install Linux Mint via USB tutorial.





5. MintBox 2 review: Linux Mint in a compact, powerful computer





6. New indiegogo project to turn your Android device into a full Linux desktop computer

   The new Linux on Android indiegogo project aims to further the convergence between desktop and mobile by improving the Complete Linux Installer to support the Linux desktop over HDMI or on the device screen as well as allowing both operating systems to access the storage of the other. Other integration features will be the ability to play audio from Linux via the device’s speakers and view the Android notifications from within Linux. Further Zac wants to make it possible to send emails and text messages from within Linux via accounts setup in Android.





7. Samsung Galaxy Note 3 joins Tocco Lite in 10 million club





8. Samsung merges camera and mobile divisions in a bid to differentiate its smartphones





9. Switch to open source successfully completed, city of Munich says





10. Munich signs off on Open Source project





11. Munich declares switch to open source successfully completed

    Munich's switch to open-source software has been successfully completed, with the vast majority of the public administration's users now running its own version of Linux, city officials said Thursday.
    
    In one of the premier open-source software deployments in Europe, the city migrated from Windows NT to LiMux, its own Linux distribution. LiMux incorporates a fully open-source desktop infrastructure. The city also decided to use the Open Document Format (ODF) as a standard, instead of proprietary options.

12. Munich tries to quit Microsoft, The Weather Channel goes open source, and more

    oday's weather brought to you by open source
    
    We always love to hear about big companies making the switch to open source technologies, and this week we found out about another one. The Weather Company, which oversees oversees brands such as The Weather Channel and weather.com, is now using an open source big data analytics system to run its operations, reports cio.com. Weather forecasters rely on big data for everything from satellites, radars, and forecast models to users and weather stations around the globe, so it's nice to know they'll also now be relying on an open source system.





13. Munich’s push to Linux complete

    Munich's long running switch to open source software has been successfully completed, with the vast majority of the public administration's users now running its own version of Linux. The move is one of the largest open source software deployments in Europe, the city migrated from Windows NT to LiMux, its own Linux distribution.
    
    LiMux incorporates a fully open source desktop infrastructure. The city also decided to use the Open Document Format (ODF) as a standard, instead of proprietary options. It has taken nearly a decade to make the switch but as the project roled out there were more savings announced.