China Joins Europe In Scrapping Windows For Linux
An anonymous reader quotes a report from ZDNet: 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. Why not Windows 11? Because China, like many other non-US governments, no longer trusts American companies with their software and…
China has decided to discontinue the use of Windows 10 in favor of Linux distributions, according to a report by Bloomberg and confirmed by the Ministry of State Security. This move is part of China's broader strategy to enhance digital sovereignty and reduce reliance on American technology. The government has been pushing for years to replace foreign technology with domestic, open-source alternatives, particularly in sensitive systems.
Chinese Linux suppliers Kylin Software and Tongxin Software Technology, which produce Kylin OS and UnionTech OS respectively, saw an immediate increase in their stock prices following the announcement. Both Kylin OS and UnionTech OS were already being considered as alternatives to Windows in government and state-owned enterprise environments.
Huawei's HarmonyOS 2, originally an Android variant, is also being adapted for PC use. However, it is not expected to be released for several years. For now, Kylin OS and UnionTech OS are the only ready desktop operating systems suitable for institutional desktop deployments.
Transitioning away from Windows presents significant challenges. It involves extensive testing of applications, peripherals, drivers, identity systems, document format compatibility, staff training, and potentially replacing or adapting software that depends on Windows. The report does not provide details on the specific approach China will take for this transformation, but the rapid pace of the shift indicates that these challenges are being anticipated and addressed in a centralized managed desktop stack.
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