Bonum Certa Men Certa

The Positive Power of Ubuntu GNU/Linux Seen in South Korea

Taegukgi
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.


Recent Techrights' Posts

There's Nothing "Funny" About Attacking Free Speech and Software Freedom
persistent focus on the principal issues is very important
GNU/Linux Adoption in Africa, a Passageway Towards Freedom From Neo-Colonialism
Digi(tal)-Colonialism and/or Techolonialism are a thing. Can Africa flee the trap?
 
Links 06/12/2023: Many More December Layoffs
Links for the day
IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, December 05, 2023
IRC logs for Tuesday, December 05, 2023
PipeWire 1.0: Linux audio comes of age
Once upon a time, serious audio users like musicians and audio engineers had real trouble with Linux
This is How 'Linux' Foundation Presents Linux to the World
Right now it even picks Windows over Linux in some cases
Links 05/12/2023: Microsoft's Chatbot as Health Hazard
Links for the day
Professor Eben Moglen Explained How Software Patent Threats Had Changed Around 2014 (Alice Case) and What Would Happen Till 2025
clip aged reasonably well
CNN Contributes to Demolition of the Open Web
Reprinted with permission from Ryan Farmer
Eben Moglen on Encryption and Anonymity
The alternate net we need, and how we can build it ourselves
Yet More Microsofters Inside the Board of Mozilla (Which Has Just Outsourced Firefox Development to Microsoft's Proprietary Prison)
Do you want a browser controlled (and spied on) by such a company?
IRC Proceedings: Monday, December 04, 2023
IRC logs for Monday, December 04, 2023
GNU/Linux Now Exceeds 3.6% Market Share on Desktops/Laptops, According to statCounter
things have changed for Windows in China
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news
Links 05/12/2023: Debt Brake in Germany and Layoffs at Condé Nast (Reddit, Wired, Ars Technica and More)
Links for the day
[Meme] Social Control Media Giants Shaping Debates on BSDs and GNU/Linux
listening to random people in Social Control Media
Reddit (Condé Nast), Which Has Another Round of Layoffs This Month, Incited People Against GNU/Linux Users (Divide and Rule, It's 2003 All Over Again!)
Does somebody (perhaps a third party) fan the flames?
Who Will Hold the Open Source Initiative (OSI) Accountable for Taking Bribes From Microsoft and Selling Out to Enable/Endorse Massive Copyright Infringement?
it does Microsoft advocacy
Using Gemini to Moan About Linux and Spread .NET
Toxic, acidic post in Gemini
Web Monopolist, Google, 'Pulls a Microsoft' by Hijacking/Overriding the Name of Competitor and Alternative to the Web
Gulag 'hijacking' 'Gemini'
Links 04/12/2023: Mass Layoffs at Spotify (Debt, Losses, Bubble) Once Again
Links for the day
ChatGPT Hype/Vapourware (and 'Bing') Has Failed, Google Maintains Dominance in Search
a growing mountain of debt and crises
[Meme] Every Real Paralegal Knows This
how copyright law works
Forging IRC Logs and Impersonating Professors: the Lengths to Which Anti-Free Software Militants Would Go
Impersonating people in IRC, too
IRC Proceedings: Sunday, December 03, 2023
IRC logs for Sunday, December 03, 2023
GNU/Linux Popularity Surging, So Why Did MakeUseOf Quit Covering It About 10 Days Ago?
It's particularly sad because some of the best articles about GNU/Linux came from that site, both technical articles and advocacy-centric pieces
Links 04/12/2023: COVID-19 Data Misused Again, Anti-Consumerism Activism
Links for the day