Can OpenKylin Really Replace Windows?

With much fanfare, Reuters recently stated that China is coming up with its own operating system: OpenKylin 1.0. By preparing a Linux distribution itself, the superpower could end its dependence on Windows. But can OpenKylin really replace Windows?

4000 Developers Working on OpenKylin

The OS of Chinese origin is said to have been developed by 4000 developers. Active use already occurs in aerospace, financial services and energy companies. It can run on x86, ARM and also on RISC-V equipment.
With version 1.0 you can in any case expect that we are talking about a fully-fledged usable OS. It is based on Linux Kernel 6.1 and offers an English interface in addition to the Chinese language. However, The Register undermines the claim that this is a truly ‘independent’ OS. It is only called a “Ubuntu remix” there because it uses a variant of the GNU Compiler Collection that has a flag of Ubuntu. The name “ubuntu” also appears in the config files, it is noted.

Simple Installation with Familiar Apps

It’s FOSS News tells us how the installation works, a process that is also very reminiscent of Ubuntu. In any case, the UKUI (Ultimate Kylin User Interface) has another source of inspiration: Windows 11. The chosen colors and Start function again have nothing revolutionary to offer. Multitasking also resembles Windows, just like the Notification Center and the Peony File Manager.
The installation completes with a set of applications that are mostly familiar. For example, Mozilla Firefox is the default browser, WPS Office provides the counterpart to Microsoft 365 and users can use Vim Text Editor. In addition, there is a generic video player and weather app. Now WPS Office is actually Chinese, but Vim is a product of the Dutchman Bram Moolenaar. For example, the Chinese nature of the OS once again appears to be quite easy to blow over.
In other words, we’re talking about this a Linux distro that has a deep Chinese influence. The international origin of much of the programming code makes the firm claim of independence that Reuters makes. Not because it’s wrong to rely on the global open-source community or anything like that. However, it is true that we often see such reporting quickly pigeonholed in the media. For example, almost every European or Dutch movement in the world of chip production falls into the “Chip War” category at Bloomberg. China is then the great enemy and every action that is carried out there in this area is also almost an act of war. This makes the players in question two-dimensional actors with greatly simplified goals.

OS Ecology

The nature of China’s state interference is sometimes difficult to fathom in the software field. This is especially the case when we talk about open source, although in that case we can always see the source code. In any case, OpenKylin speaks of a community of 4000 participants, while it is also known that the Chinese state is urging the tech industry to remove its dependence on the US. We cannot simply fathom to what extent this is true.
OpenKylin is a Linux distribution that has a deep Chinese influence. It is based on Linux Kernel 6.1 and offers an English interface in addition to the Chinese language. The installation completes with a set of applications that are mostly familiar. For example, Mozilla Firefox is the default browser, WPS Office provides the counterpart to Microsoft 365 and users can use Vim Text Editor. The UKUI (Ultimate Kylin User Interface) has another source of inspiration: Windows 11.
The international origin of much of the programming code makes the firm claim of independence that Reuters makes. However, it is true that we often see such reporting quickly pigeonholed in the media. China is then the great enemy and every action that is carried out there in this area is also almost an act of war. The nature of China’s state interference is sometimes difficult to fathom in the software field. We cannot simply fathom to what extent this is true.
OpenKylin is a Linux distribution that could potentially replace Windows. It is based on Linux Kernel 6.1 and offers an English interface in addition to the Chinese language. The installation completes with a set of applications that are mostly familiar. The UKUI (Ultimate Kylin User Interface) has another source of inspiration: Windows 11. The international origin of much of the programming code makes the firm claim of independence that Reuters makes. However, it is true that we often see such reporting quickly pigeonholed in the media. We cannot simply fathom to what extent this is true.