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Lenovo Shipping Ubuntu Linux on 2019 ThinkPad

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Re: Lenovo Shipping Ubuntu Linux on 2019 ThinkPad

#11

Post by meruru »

_Donny wrote: post #10
TkTech wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

China has used its own FreeBSD (kylin) and then ubuntu-based (neokylin) since 2001. Nearly half of all laptops are sold with it. Likewise, North Korea has Red Star since 2008 which is mandatory or risk forced labor. While kylin isn't too far off from a traditional distro, officers will force you to install rootkits on both desktop/laptops and phones (JingWang). If you're caught later with it missing you will most lik…

It has always amazed me that North Korea is able to create an OS like Red Star. I assume it takes a lot of knowledge and skill to stitch together such an OS, with fairly "unique" spying features not really seen in other distros. Considering the limited access to the internet and not being able to ask StackOverflow users, how can they even manage building such a complex piece of software?

It's just a Linux distro. Anyone can make one.

Re: Lenovo Shipping Ubuntu Linux on 2019 ThinkPad

#13

Post by _Donny »

meruru wrote: post #11
_Donny wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It has always amazed me that North Korea is able to create an OS like Red Star. I assume it takes a lot of knowledge and skill to stitch together such an OS, with fairly "unique" spying features not really seen in other distros. Considering the limited access to the internet and not being able to ask StackOverflow users, how can they even manage building such a complex piece of software?

It's just a Linux distro. Anyone can make one.

Yes, but even though I myself have created my own Linux distro, I would absolutely not be able to do that with restricted internet access, without access to the guide-books, and without the help of IRC. I suspect this would be the case for most of my developer friends as well.

Re: Lenovo Shipping Ubuntu Linux on 2019 ThinkPad

#14

Post by lillesvin »

_Donny wrote: post #10
TkTech wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

China has used its own FreeBSD (kylin) and then ubuntu-based (neokylin) since 2001. Nearly half of all laptops are sold with it. Likewise, North Korea has Red Star since 2008 which is mandatory or risk forced labor. While kylin isn't too far off from a traditional distro, officers will force you to install rootkits on both desktop/laptops and phones (JingWang). If you're caught later with it missing you will most lik…

It has always amazed me that North Korea is able to create an OS like Red Star. I assume it takes a lot of knowledge and skill to stitch together such an OS, with fairly "unique" spying features not really seen in other distros. Considering the limited access to the internet and not being able to ask StackOverflow users, how can they even manage building such a complex piece of software?

Why would they restrict internet access for those that do the coding? And why wouldn't they allow them on forums/IRC? They would just be heavily monitored, at least that's my guess.

Re: Lenovo Shipping Ubuntu Linux on 2019 ThinkPad

#15

Post by sametmax »

meruru wrote: post #11
_Donny wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It has always amazed me that North Korea is able to create an OS like Red Star. I assume it takes a lot of knowledge and skill to stitch together such an OS, with fairly "unique" spying features not really seen in other distros. Considering the limited access to the internet and not being able to ask StackOverflow users, how can they even manage building such a complex piece of software?

It's just a Linux distro. Anyone can make one.

My mother can't. You need a skilled, trained and informed team of technicians to do so.

In a dictature killing access to culture and education, it not weird to assume it is hard to breed those so you have a limited pool.

So yes, I understand the surprise. Which means NK has some resources we don't include in the picture.

Re: Lenovo Shipping Ubuntu Linux on 2019 ThinkPad

#16

Post by lucb1e »

Yay, more options for not paying Microsoft taxes anymore. Microsoft's policy is that the vendor must have a policy on refunding licenses, but whenever I ask for a refund with a new laptop, the procedure is forwarding me to five different people because nobody knows and the last one goes "are you kidding me" and "no". The policy could be "go away", but not having a policy is the only thing that's not allowed. Unsurprisingly, Microsoft doesn't really mind and keeps shipping OSes to vendors that don't follow their license agreement.

Re: Lenovo Shipping Ubuntu Linux on 2019 ThinkPad

#17

Post by megla_ »

meruru wrote: post #9
TkTech wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

China has used its own FreeBSD (kylin) and then ubuntu-based (neokylin) since 2001. Nearly half of all laptops are sold with it. Likewise, North Korea has Red Star since 2008 which is mandatory or risk forced labor. While kylin isn't too far off from a traditional distro, officers will force you to install rootkits on both desktop/laptops and phones (JingWang). If you're caught later with it missing you will most lik…

It is my impression that despite initiatives like Kylin and Deepin, most of China is still on Windows. Am I wrong? They adopting Linux would mean their hardware would work with it and developers targeting the Chinese market would have to make their programs work on Linux. That's all I'm hoping for.

I was pretty sure you're correct, but I double checked just to be sure [0]. I've read an article about the rampancy of piracy in China and Microsoft earning next-to-nothing. Last I remember is they're just leaving them alone, while trying to develop a new way to profit off of them.

[0] ~ http://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/all/china/2016

Re: Lenovo Shipping Ubuntu Linux on 2019 ThinkPad

#18

Post by Mikeb85 »

_Donny wrote: post #10
TkTech wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

China has used its own FreeBSD (kylin) and then ubuntu-based (neokylin) since 2001. Nearly half of all laptops are sold with it. Likewise, North Korea has Red Star since 2008 which is mandatory or risk forced labor. While kylin isn't too far off from a traditional distro, officers will force you to install rootkits on both desktop/laptops and phones (JingWang). If you're caught later with it missing you will most lik…

It has always amazed me that North Korea is able to create an OS like Red Star. I assume it takes a lot of knowledge and skill to stitch together such an OS, with fairly "unique" spying features not really seen in other distros. Considering the limited access to the internet and not being able to ask StackOverflow users, how can they even manage building such a complex piece of software?

Why wouldn't NK be able to make a Linux distro? Some distros are managed by only a few people. NK has 25 million people.

Also, they don't restrict information for everyone. Kim Jong Un went to school in Switzerland... They know about the outside world. Just not the plebs.

Re: Lenovo Shipping Ubuntu Linux on 2019 ThinkPad

#19

Post by lucb1e »

paulcarroty wrote: post #12

Lenovo caught for unremovable crapware in BIOS, so I don't recommend to buy their products anymore. https://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/08/12/lenovo_firmware_nas...

I was wondering what "crapware in BIOS" is, it turns out to be software in the UEFI/BIOS system that installs software in your Windows install. I doubt I'll be affected as a Linux user. And it's a little short sighted to go "they did something wrong in 2015 on Windows, let's just exclude one of the vendors shipping Linux because there are so many others already".

Re: Lenovo Shipping Ubuntu Linux on 2019 ThinkPad

#20

Post by Jonnax »

paulcarroty wrote: post #12

Lenovo caught for unremovable crapware in BIOS, so I don't recommend to buy their products anymore. https://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/08/12/lenovo_firmware_nas...

The link you posted is about someone hacking Windows 3.1 into their own laptop's UEFI.

There's no reason for Lenovo to put a DOS based operating system into their BIOS :/

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