North Korea's Official 'Red Star' Operating System Borrows Heavily From OS X

[Amazing Iceman]

Theres already a pretty decent Mac like OS around, its called Elementary OS, and its pretty decent with some Linux knowledge you can do a lot with it... I've got it running in a Parallels VM and runs rather well. Even its version of iTunes is a decent runner....

I like it because I can install it on a cheap laptop I can carry around when I need to do really basic stuff on the go but don't want to take my MacBook with me and I wouldn't buy a Windows craptop if you paid me!

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Excellent choice for music!

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North Koreans, South Koreans. Mortal brotherly enemies. But they both agree on one thing: Copying from Apple is the way to go.

The enemies are the politicians.
The north and South Korea civilians are just victims of stupid politicians, who divided thousands of families by dividing the country.

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I feel offended as a someone of Korean descent, not all Koreans copy.

You are correct.
Only dishonest and greedy people who want to make quick money at expense of others, are the ones who copy.
Saying that all Koreans copy is like saying all Americans are rednecks, which is absolutely not true either.

 

[allan.nyholm]

I wonder if they have a Graphite appearance option.

 

[dragje]

The North Korean browser comes with 1 bookmarked installed that leads to the great leader his webpage. What else is new?

 

[Eraserhead]

Excellent choice for music!

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The enemies are the politicians.
The north and South Korea civilians are just victims of stupid politicians, who divided thousands of families by dividing the country.

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You are correct.
Only dishonest and greedy people who want to make quick money at expense of others, are the ones who copy.
Saying that all Koreans copy is like saying all Americans are rednecks, which is absolutely not true either.

I don't think blaming the South Koreans is really fair in this day and age.

 

[furi0usbee]

Found out what the apps are!

I finally found what those apps are for in the dock. From leftmost to rightmost app, literally.

1. NukeFiles 2.3 - Keeps track of all your nuclear files, schematics, documentation, etc. With 2.3, P2P file sharing has been added.

2. OpenTrajectory 1.0 - New app makes it easier to chart path of nuke across North America, provided you get the ICBM working. Still a bit buggy, the nuke always lands in Washington, D.C. .1 fix to solve that issue and allow for untethered jailbreak on mobile version.

3. WorldWarTV 3.0 - This apps can gather all satellite images as well as hack into many webcams throughout North America as to see the efficacy of an actual nuclear impact. Currently supports 480i only, but HD version should launch Q1, post WW3.

4. KimsFriends Pro 2.0 - This app keeps track of government employees, citizens, friends, enemies and anyone who needs to be kept track of. Full vCard 3.0 support out of the box. Private message support and direct computer access to friend and foe alike.

5. FindFriendsFast 1.0 - This is a handy little app that is great when you need to send someone to the gulag, but for some reason, KimsFriends Pro app isn't working. This will allow you to do a search for an entire living family tree, and send them all a PM at the same time. This apps sends a signal to all available security forces via unencrypted connection.

6. EasyCalcU 1.0 - How many times have you needed to calculate just the right amount of uranium, but didn't have an accurate enough calculator, or one that had a scientific option? Search no more. Can also subtract the casualties of any world war.

7. SystemBugTools BETA - This app allows you to easily check for spyware, malware, bugs, or any hacks that have been installed on a computer-- and easily let's you add more. Stay out of the terminal with this GUI godsend.

8. Folder - Just a folder shortcut. Keep track of recently used diabolical plans.

9. TrashCan 2.3 - A trash can big enough to fit one isolated, backwards mess of a country.

 

[deluxeshredder]

North Koreans, South Koreans. Mortal brotherly enemies. But they both agree on one thing: Copying from Apple is the way to go.

iOS 7 is FAR more of an Android 4.* ripoff than early Android is of a "classic" iOS ripoff.

 

[TsunamiTheClown]

I can't vouch for or be responsible for these extremely slow links that I found on Wikipedia, but I'm gonna' give it a try:

"Red Star Linux Disc 1 (.iso) – Bootable installation disc. (720mb)".
http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/DPRK Red Star.iso

"Red Star Linux Disc 2 (.iso) – Additional supplementary software. (700mb)".
http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/Red Star Software.iso

Since the networking is so filtered, I'd be surprised if any networking would work.

 

[Hirakata]

And i do not see how the Apple ecosystem is any different then that of North Korea.

It's funny, what with Apple being the North Korea of the computer industry.

Yes, I can clearly see the validity of comparing Apple to a communist state that starves and murders millions of its own people.

 

[MH01]

Apple vs Kim Jong Un. Will be a interesting court case.

Doubt Apple will threaten to go thermonuclear on them this time round

 

[Amazing Iceman]

I don't think blaming the South Koreans is really fair in this day and age.

It's not fair to blame people from anywhere, but I still blame the politicians for not agreeing between them for the wellness of their people.

 

[djtech42]

This is blasphemy.

 

[krravi]

Doubt Apple will threaten to go thermonuclear on them this time round

Well if it comes to that matchup.. I am afraid the one by Apple will actually "Just Work" and put their people out of their misery.

 

[ThunderSkunk]

Yes, I can clearly see the validity of comparing Apple to a communist state that starves and murders millions of its own people.

Apple does what it wants, when it wants, doesn't give a damn who they upset. They don't ask what we want, they tell us what we want, when they give it to us. They have their own vision of the future, and you're either on board, or you may as well not exist. They control all hardware, are getting closer and closer to controlling all software that goes on it, and prefer to shroud everything they do in secrecy and carefully scripted ideology.

In Apples case, it's worked out for them.
In NK, not so much.

right back at ya.

 

[aerok]

I find it funny that you say that and your picture is a camera.

Well I'm an artist (Photographer) by trade and one thing I hate is people copying photography as their own.

 

[Cox Orange]

It wasn't against you. It was just a funny coincidence I found.

I remember Chinese (not Korean) people in black suits taking detailed pictures of BMW cars at the IAA for their "family photo album". You know, the family is very interested in knowing exactly what the knob of the air conditioner looks like.
But hey every country does this, the US has the NSA for that

Furthermore, most German car manufacturers sell bad quality items as claimed high quality things anyway, so there is not that big difference anymore anyway. I should start a thread about the lies of the German car industry, if I think about it.

 

[philips]

All that effort for the ~1000 people in NK who will ever get to use a computer in their lifetime?

Spoiler alert. The Mac OS themes for Linux are as old as the Linux itself. There is really nothing new here.(*) Beside the LOL of the "official OS". And, well, that there is ~1000 computers in the NK!!! Who would have thought!

(*) Mac OS themes are nothing. In the past we used to scare people with the BeOS themes. To the unsuspecting Windows user, Linux UI with BeOS skin appeared as something complete alien and repelling.

 

[sim667]

I bet there's something in that OS to make sure that North Koreans aren't watching smuggled in foreign TV. I bet theres no terminal or prgramming type stuff in it either.

Smuggling tv, USB sticks, computers etc is a big big trade in the DPRK these days, I guess having an official OS for the country is the governments way of combatting that, but a lot of DPRK citizens are getting more and more tech savvy, and more aware of the outside world hence standing up to petit laws etc.

I don't know why people are so surprised that the DPRK have copied something, its traditionally something that all Communist organisations have been really good at copying stuff

 

[Sedulous]

I finally found what those apps are for in the dock. From leftmost to rightmost app, literally.

1. NukeFiles 2.3 - Keeps track of all your nuclear files, schematics, documentation, etc. With 2.3, P2P file sharing has been added.

2. OpenTrajectory 1.0 - New app makes it easier to chart path of nuke across North America, provided you get the ICBM working. Still a bit buggy, the nuke always lands in Washington, D.C. .1 fix to solve that issue and allow for untethered jailbreak on mobile version.

3. WorldWarTV 3.0 - This apps can gather all satellite images as well as hack into many webcams throughout North America as to see the efficacy of an actual nuclear impact. Currently supports 480i only, but HD version should launch Q1, post WW3.

4. KimsFriends Pro 2.0 - This app keeps track of government employees, citizens, friends, enemies and anyone who needs to be kept track of. Full vCard 3.0 support out of the box. Private message support and direct computer access to friend and foe alike.

5. FindFriendsFast 1.0 - This is a handy little app that is great when you need to send someone to the gulag, but for some reason, KimsFriends Pro app isn't working. This will allow you to do a search for an entire living family tree, and send them all a PM at the same time. This apps sends a signal to all available security forces via unencrypted connection.

6. EasyCalcU 1.0 - How many times have you needed to calculate just the right amount of uranium, but didn't have an accurate enough calculator, or one that had a scientific option? Search no more. Can also subtract the casualties of any world war.

7. SystemBugTools BETA - This app allows you to easily check for spyware, malware, bugs, or any hacks that have been installed on a computer-- and easily let's you add more. Stay out of the terminal with this GUI godsend.

8. Folder - Just a folder shortcut. Keep track of recently used diabolical plans.

9. TrashCan 2.3 - A trash can big enough to fit one isolated, backwards mess of a country.

Where is the app that edits video game cut scenes to appear as footage showing NK military victories?

 

[localoid]

Where is the app that edits video game cut scenes to appear as footage showing NK military victories?

Dunno, but I'd pay a few bucks an app that would do that automagically.

 

[Sun Baked]

Got to hand it to them, they upgraded from Clippy to a version of Siri that doesn't require a lot of programming expertise.

Speak into the microphone, and a North Korean in the government will remotely operate your computer for you.

 

[ardchoille50]

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery

 

[LizKat]

Can Apple sue them?

Why sue them. At least they're trying to emulate a better OS now. Maybe their stuff will only run on Apple gear after a few more updates if they start obsessing about getting it perfect. Just ship them a bunch of older Macs and let consumerism do the rest. They say it was bluejeans and rock'n'roll brought the Berlin Wall down. Kim will vanish and the NK 18-34 demographics will be ordering Macs from all over Asia until they can get their own Apple Store!

Anyway it would be nice for the NSA if NK worked out a good rip of iOS as well. Imagine all the datapoints from "find my-phone".

I bumped into this thread right after reading an editorial on Bloomberg News saying that "China must force North.Korea to change."

Well at Bloomberg they were talking about human rights so I found the very premise of their argument a bit shaky (although to be fair to China, not that shaky if you read the UN report on NK's track record on citizen abuse). So then I wander back in here to recover from that editorial experience, and now find it interesting to ponder what Apple would think about having China make North Korea shape up its ripoff of Apple's OS... are you kidding me?! Talk about lawsuits.