Red Star OS



Not just Korea.... North Korea. The government of North Korea. This is not a distro that I would ever trust to install.

https://fossbytes.com/the-worst-linux-distro-on-planet-north-koreas-red-star-os/

Apparently it's really easy to switch to Bad Korea OS but once you've installed you can't switch back to Good Korea OS. If you are willing to put in extreme effort you can sometimes upgrade to China OS.

I suspect it will be as popular (and good) as the music made by the Westboro baptist church.
 
Red Star OS sounds like a worse option than Windows.
In 2016, the computer security company Hacker House found a security vulnerability in the integrated web browser Naenara. This vulnerability makes it possible to execute commands on the computer if the user clicks on a crafted link.
 
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Would not touch it my self. Bad Idea!
 
I saw some YT video on this last week as well... Not something that I would even consider installing on my VMs or machines in general...
 
I've tried playing with it in a VM before. It runs but I don't actually speak the language. Some of the icons were familiar, but I haven't tried it in a few years. I'd definitely not consider it as a viable operating system.
 
According a 2015 investigation by Florian Grunow (see https://insinuator.net/2015/07/redstar-os-watermarking/), the OS watermarks most files available to it, even if the files aren't opened by the user. Presumably this assists tracking user behavior and the flow of information from user to user. TLDR from the article:

"Creating and using media files and documents on RedStar OS can get you into trouble if you are living in North Korea. Do not assume that the files can be kept private and cannot be traced back to the creator!"

Sounds like a good way to let your computer report back to the mothership!
 
Seems like a novelty to me - just say no - Even if I only spoke Korean I would not use it - here is one to think about - is Red Star really open source? I don't think it is and therefore a violation of GPL
 
I'd assume nothing done on Red Star OS would be private. On the other hand, I don't live in North Korea so there's not a whole lot their regime can do to me. I did try to visit twice, but my visa was declined each time. So, they're not even gonna let me into the country.

I don't think it is and therefore a violation of GPL

It probably isn't open. I suppose this is a case of, "Yeah, so what are you going to do about it?" LOL 'Snot like Mr. Kim is going to respond to a copyright lawsuit.
 

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