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144

China joins Europe in scrapping Windows for Linux (www.zdnet.com)

submitted 3 weeks ago by Champoloo@hexbear.net to c/technology@hexbear.net

45 comments fedilink hide all child comments

According to a Bloomberg report, attributed to China's Ministry of State Security, the country has ordered some government agencies to drop Windows 10 China Government Edition for Chinese-made Linux distributions.

The Chinese government did not specify which Linux versions would replace Windows 10. However, the stock prices of Chinese Linux suppliers, Kylin Software and Tongxin Software Technology (commonly known as UnionTech), immediately jumped.

These companies' respective operating systems, Kylin OS (no relation to Ubuntu Kylin) and UnionTech OS (UOS), were already positioned as domestic desktop and server replacements for Windows in government, state-owned enterprise, and critical-infrastructure environments.

This change to Linux doesn't mean that there will be a nationwide ban on all Windows installations in China. Windows Home China 11, a restricted, factory-locked edition that requires you to use only Chinese, is still available.

The transition also doesn't mean that every government body has been ordered to abandon Microsoft software. The directive's scope remains undisclosed. Still, the writing is on the wall: China's future government desktop will be Linux.

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[–] miz@hexbear.net 26 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

requires you to use only Chinese

lol suuuuuuuure it does.

[–] blobjim@hexbear.net 28 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

It probably only has the Chinese language pack installed per some agreement with Microsoft or something like that.

[–] EmmaGoldman@hexbear.net 21 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Yep. Because the cost is negotiated with the government, Microsoft stipulates that only the Chinese language pack can be installed.

Microsoft doesn't want users in other countries to be able to buy a super cheap windows key from the Chinese market and use the OS. They want to sell you a key for way more money. It's manufacturer region locking to protect their precious profit margins.

[–] beanlover@hexbear.net 20 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Possible explanation via reddit thread:

https://redlib.catsarch.com/r/chinalife/comments/xvz8f4/why_dont_windows_computers_sold_in_china_come/ir4lmmo/?context=3#ir4lmmo

I heard that starting with win8 Microsoft made a chinese language only version that was basically free. It was designed to avoid the rampant bootleg situation that was common back in the day. 叉P (ghostXP) was still ubiquitous even in 2008. I guess seeing that people were either going to pirate or switch to another OS, Microsoft decided to keep customers legit loyal and locked in with a nearly free version of Windows. But to make sure that it was useless outside of China they locked it language to mainland Chinese. It’s called Windows China home edition, or something like that.

[–] miz@hexbear.net 4 points 3 weeks ago

that makes a lot more sense