Slashdot Log In
Cuba Launches Own Linux Variation
Posted by
samzenpus
on Wed Feb 11, 2009 11:25 PM
from the the-people's-OS dept.
from the the-people's-OS dept.
willclem writes "According to Reuters, it seems that Cuba has launched its own variation of Linux in order to fulfill its government's desire to replace Microsoft operating systems. 'Getting greater control over the informatic process is an important issue,' said Communications Minister Ramiro Valdes, who heads a commission pushing Cuba's migration to free software."
Related Stories
This discussion has been archived.
No new comments can be posted.
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
Full
Abbreviated
Hidden
Loading... please wait.
Well, I guess this means they aren't stupid. (Score:5, Insightful)
They don't have corporate masters (Score:4, Insightful)
Our politicians aren't stupid either. The simply can't afford to piss off their backers, so they end up making all kinds of bizarre and unhelpful decisions in order to please them.
I mean... Fuck. We're well into the trillions now. How big is a trillion? 1,000,000,000,000 dollars. It's a lot of paper.
Here's a question for you... How much capital does a well run bank need?
Answer: SFA.
Under the existing fractional reserve system, banks don't need much money, as bizarre as that sounds. With 700 billion dollars and the existing 10% reserve ratio in the US, the American government could have entirely replaced the existing fucked up banks with clean banks able to lend, and the problem would largely have been solved by now. Instead, of allowing them to fail, they are propping up a bunch of what are effectively zombie banks, as the Japanese government also did. I assume they'll continue to prop them up until they can unload their toxic crap on the government.
Why? Well, have a look at the campaign contributions for that answer. I mean, jesus. Geithner; New York Fed. Do you really expect anything to change?
Oh, btw, you and your children are paying for the privilege.
Parent
Re:Well, I guess this means they aren't stupid. (Score:4, Insightful)
That is to say, that's one of the smarter things I have heard about a government lately.
But it doesn't really require any special smarts to understand that if you buy a "black box" computer whose innards are all binary blobs that your people can't take apart and study, the computer can do anything at all with your data, and you have no defense. In particular, if you plug it into a network, it can be sending all your data off to anywhere in the world.
If someone doesn't understand this, the reason isn't usually stupidity. It's because they have some ulterior motive to not understand it. In the case of politicians, the reason is generally because they're "on the take", known in the US as "campaign contributions". This is likely to be the case with non-governmental organizations, too. After all, it has become common for organizations to let vendors know that they're looking at linux and other "free" software. The response from Microsoft and other vendors is to (publicly) offer their software at a much lower price, and (privately) offer kickback to the administrators.
You don't need to attribute great intelligence to someone who understands this. It's the way that much of the world has always worked. We can expect to read of some vaguely-specified special agreements between Microsoft and the Cuban government, and we'll know what has gone on behind the scenes.
Parent
CigarOS (Score:5, Funny)
If we are voting, I vote for Castrix (Score:5, Funny)
If we are voting, I vote for Castrix
-- Terry
Parent
Re:If we are voting, I vote for Castrix (Score:5, Funny)
Castrix does seem to go well with Unix...
Parent
Re:If we are voting, I vote for Castrix... (Score:3, Funny)
I vote "Fidelity" or "Fidelix" (Raulix doesn't sound quite right....) ... in honor of the Regime outlasting multiple US administrations...
Re:If we are voting, I vote for Castrix (Score:4, Funny)
That's good!!!
I was thinking Cubuntu.
Parent
Re:If we are voting, I vote for Castrix (Score:4, Informative)
But it would make a great Slashdot poll.
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Che-buntu is the name.
Re:CigarOS (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
How did microsoft get around the embargo? (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:How did microsoft get around the embargo? (Score:4, Informative)
Parent
Re:How did microsoft get around the embargo? (Score:4, Funny)
How did microsoft get around the embargo?
They aren't a company, man. They're their own frickn' weather system. They just need the coriolis force the tell them which way to spin.
Parent
Re:How did microsoft get around the embargo? (Score:4, Insightful)
Looking at the record of foreign policy, privacy, and civil liberties in this country, we also have to ask ourselves if we really have the moral high ground to make judgments about other countries like this, as well. When was the last time Cuba started an international conflict? The expression "Physician, heal thyself" springs to mind.
Parent
Re:How did microsoft get around the embargo? (Score:5, Insightful)
I am from Finland so I think I dont have your mindset. Could you explain to me, why exactly would we ever want to hope that. Cuba isnt any threat to the safety of the world or anything...
Parent
Re:How did microsoft get around the embargo? (Score:5, Insightful)
Still the same AC here... I hope you arent referring to Cuba Missile Crisis, because that indeed was very long ago. Even if you arent and there has been something later than that, it is hardly a valid argument. Doesnt USA target numerous countries with nuclear missiles? And support more countries that have those?
I can tell that there are a lot of people who are more worried about Israel than Cuba, seeing Cuba isnt even very militaristic country. Why in hell would they fire a missile to a country they cant invade? Just because they are (nearly) communists and thus evil?
If you wish to not answer because of it would take this too far offtopic, I can understand that and not automatically assume that you somehow lost. Just felt the need to mention that at least over here, I have never heard that Cuba would have somehow threatening imago.
Parent
Re:How did microsoft get around the embargo? (Score:4, Insightful)
Israel will not get peace unless it's stops it's policy of stealing Palestinian land. Steadily expanding settlements, "security areas" and the like is just stealing by another name.
On the other hand Palestinians will not get peace unless they stop being the world's biggest morons. Shooting rockets at someone a thousand times more powerful gets you invaded and your infrastructure destroyed? Huh, imagine that.
Parent
Re:How did microsoft get around the embargo? (Score:5, Informative)
Parent
Re:How did microsoft get around the embargo? (Score:5, Informative)
I'm in no way defending Cuba's government acts here, but I really don't get this "Cuba is evil" mindset that people in the US always state and that always only shows one side.
One need to remember that besides what Cuba did, the US supported a dictator in Cuba (Batista) before the was overthrown by the "revolution", supported a tentative to invade Cuba (Bay of Pigs), and supported terrorist and sabotage acts in Cuba.
The US (biggest economy and military in the world) also imposes an economic embargo in Cuba (very small country) for some 40 years. And at the same time the US has a law that allows any Cubans who reach the US to become a US citizen. Do you want any bigger incentive than these two for people to live a country with a struggling economy?
And then they claim that people just want to run away from the bad bad Castro because he is the devil or something. :-/
Let's at least present both sides.
Parent
Re:How did microsoft get around the embargo? (Score:4, Funny)
Yeah, but you forget that Cuba hosts a camp where people are tortured called "Guantanamo Bay". UH, oh, never mind.
Parent
Re:How did microsoft get around the embargo? (Score:5, Interesting)
Why did this post get labeled troll? Honestly? The US has admitted to sneaking code into valve controllers made by a company that the US knew that the russians were discreetely and secretly buying, that would cause them to go wonky when certain circumstances happened, leading to a huge explosion on one of their main siberian gas pipelines. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/1455559/CIA-plot-led-to-huge-blast-in-Siberian-gas-pipeline.html [telegraph.co.uk] Why would it be different for cuba?
Parent
Cuban Linux distro name (Score:5, Funny)
Not if it's Red Hat based (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
The big deal (Score:3, Interesting)
Well, I guess there are still people (the people who are reading this message) who will be able to report any backdoors/home phoning they notice placed into the source, but that will only make a difference provided:
1- Cuba releases the source
2- The distro is popular enough to have people using it
3- People carefully examine the source code
4- Said examiners are able to spot a problem
5- Said problem is heard by the end users of the distro
6- End users of the distro have options as to what operating system they are able to use, if it is mandated by the government, they pretty much have to live with it.
Fidel Penguin? (Score:5, Interesting)
I'd love to see the logo be an image of Fidel dressed-up as a penguin.
I'm pretty sure the guy has a sense of humor. When I was a kid, I was a "shortwave listener" (before I got my ham license) and sent of to Radio Havana (among others) for a "QSL" card, confirming that I had heard their station.
Besides the card, I got other periodic mailings, including a Christmxxxx New Year card one year, bearing the cartoon likeness of Fidel Castro, laid-out on the dining-room table as a pig, complete with an apple in his mouth. I kid you not. I'll bet he had a big laugh.
Wish I still had it - could probably sell it for a bundle on eBay!
(Other "interesting" material I received included a copy of the Little Red Book from Radio Peking, and a subscription to China Pictorial - a beautifully-printed bled-to-edge full color magazine with gorgeous pictures of fields and tractors...)
Commercial apps are in for REAL trouble. (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Commercial apps are in for REAL trouble. (Score:5, Interesting)
I said something similar [slashdot.org] regarding the Russian decision to use Linux. It wasn't received too well. I think that this sort of event truly does mean trouble for MS and proprietary software in a rather large way.
I think that it is more likely that F/OSS developers will beat large proprietary vendors to the punch though. There will be a new market for proprietary Linux software though. When Adobe does port to Linux it doesn't have to be Free or Open Source to run on Linux, but it will be hard to sell software to people that are happy to use the F/OSS alternatives.
It should be interesting times.
Parent
Re:Commercial apps are in for REAL trouble. (Score:4, Interesting)
Parent
Re:Commercial apps are in for REAL trouble. (Score:4, Informative)
All commercial software I have ever written runs on Linux. Almost all companies I've worked for ran Linux on some or all of their computers. All customers I've worked with ran Linux on some or all of their computers. And most of these computers running Linux ran commercial software.
Linux is already big. Linux is already receiving major commercial support.
The only reason people think Linux isn't big is that it isn't big on the desktop.
Parent
Where do you get the parts? (Score:3, Funny)
Lunix can run on a '59 Eldorado? Impressive.
lowering the expectations (Score:5, Interesting)
Free people (Score:4, Insightful)
So now Cuba has free software but not free people? It's a strange world we live in.
Not that I had used those... *cough* (Score:3, Funny)
...but many pirated copies can pass those checks. Have been able to do that for a long time.
And they could have bought computers from some European retailer with pre-installed Windows.
What I am impressed with is a country that just made having personal computers legal is developping Linux distro.
Ever since hearing that, I have been aspiring to move to Cuba after getting my degree in CS. It will be pretty rapidly growing market there in a while.
Re:Not that I had used those... *cough* (Score:4, Interesting)
Yes, in stark contrast to the politically flawless United States, having no record of any government involvement with production of open source or proprietary software. Pleeeeeaaaaassssssssseeeee.
Parent
Re:Tux cant handle the Cuban heat. (Score:5, Interesting)
Somehow I have a hard time picturing penguins in Cuba.
I don't. [wikipedia.org]
Parent
Re:Tux cant handle the Cuban heat. (Score:5, Insightful)
Parent
Re:Tux cant handle the Cuban heat. (Score:5, Funny)
In Soviet Russia, Russia is a Soviet country!
Parent
Re:Tux cant handle the Cuban heat. (Score:5, Interesting)
Parent
Re:Tux cant handle the Cuban heat. (Score:4, Insightful)
And being "a liberal". Apparently in the U.S. it's best to be a selfish extremist. No room for moderation, tolerance or love for your community.
Parent
Re:Tux cant handle the Cuban heat. (Score:4, Funny)
Since when is russia a communist or socialist country?
1917. Just wait a few weeks, I'm sure that kdawson will post it.
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
You forgot your hat (Score:4, Funny)
The whole thing has been cleverly orchestrated by Microsoft. And when they defeat the red menace, they shall be seen as heroes.Beautiful plan. I wish I thought of it myself.
Parent
Re:Tux cant handle the Cuban heat. (Score:5, Insightful)
I agree that the connection of open source with Socialism in peoples minds and the negative effect this could have on its adoption worries me.
Beyond this though I am sick and tired of the irrational fear of socialism in the United States. Im not saying lets become the USSR that obviously did not work out so well but we are still stuck at a point were it is impossible to have rational discussion about anything that gets labeled as socialist. Its a giant hypocritical mess. Look at public roads thats a beautiful example of socialism central to our society.
I think generations of Americans have been conditioned/brainwashed to attack at the first mention of the word socialism before considering what is being proposed. The irony of it all is that public schools the major institution doing this brainwashing is a socialist model.
I don't believe that socialist systems work everywhere. I am a fervent capitalist and believe in designing free markets with appropriate incentives. All I want to do is be able to have a rational debate about plans that might contain socialist components without people freaking out.
Parent
Re:Tux cant handle the Cuban heat. (Score:4, Insightful)
Public schools are a socialist model, as are the police, the justice system, the libraries, the firemen or the free-health-for-all (at least in Europe).
I don't see what's wrong with this "socialism" me neither!
Parent
Re:Tux cant handle the Cuban heat. (Score:5, Insightful)
Sorry, I just have to contribute my 2 cents regarding this statement.
In the old days, capitalists were the people who owned the means of production and simply profited from this ownership. The Forbes richest people in the world are the people we're talking about. In fact, these capitalists don't even need to actually support capitalism as a great ideal.
Now-a-days every layman who supports capitalism calls himself a capitalist. We lose an important distinction here, and I really think you might be better off by understanding this. Perhaps it will give you some more insight into each system and help you further refine your values.
In a very real sense, you are probably a socialist who happens to support capitalism. For example, do you pay Geico for car insurance (socialist) or do you own Berkshire-Hathaway (capitalist)? Do you invest in a 401k (socialist) or do you own your own investment firm (capitalist)? Do you fly commercial or in a private Lear jet? Do you go to work in the morning or do workers come to your building? I think you see where I'm going.
Anyway, I think it's an important distinction... more details here:
Capital [marxists.org]
and here:
Capitalist [wikipedia.org]
Parent
Re:Tux cant handle the Cuban heat. (Score:5, Insightful)
But not owning capital doesn't ipso facto make you a socialist. Buying car insurance is a capitalist, free-market transaction.
Besides, most people in the West are capitalists, as they own part of all of either a house or a car. A 'socialist' investing in a 401K with a stock aspect may become a part owner of Berkshire-Hathaway, which is a publicly listed firm.
By your definition, almost nobody is a capitalist as most firms are publicly listed and hence socially owned.
In short, I think the reason the distinction has blurred in usage is because it has genuinely blurred in reality. And a socialist is certainly not the same thing as someone with no money. Just see Polly Toynbee.
Parent
Re:Nova, eh? (Score:5, Informative)
Apparently that old story just isn't true [snopes.com].
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Gah. Are you retarded or what? The whole fucking point of the article is that the Cuban government wants to be able to look for back doors in the software. They're not relying on the open source community being "more aware and quicker to patch said vulnerabilities", at all. This is simply a case of Cubans saying "why are we running software we can't even inspect?"
Re:I can hear the cries now... (Score:4, Insightful)
Parent