Cuba Declares War on Windows

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In an effort to rid every computer in the country of the American-designed Windows OS, the Cuban government has banned the software and created its own Linux-based operating system.
The Communist country 90 miles off the coast of Florida calls the Linux OS "Nova", and the government considers it an integral piece in the fight against U.S. hegemony in Cuba. Shown at a Havana conference dedicated to "technological sovereignty", the goal is to have Nova replace Windows on computers all across the island.
While most of the world has enjoyed a consumer computer market for decades, the Cuban government only started allowing such a market last year. According to Cuba University's Information Sciences Director Hector Rodriguez, around 20 percent of computers on the island are already running some sort of Linux-based operating system.
"Private software can have black holes and malicious codes that one doesn't know about. That doesn't happen with free software," said Rodriguez. "I would like to think that in five years our country will have more than 50 percent migrated [to Linux]." The Linux movement may be in full swing for Cuban consumers, but many of the country's government agencies are resisting the change because of possible software compatibility issues.
While the netbook craze may see Linux become more popular with consumers in America, the percentage of Linux on PCs stateside is far below 20 percent.
The turn away from Windows is the latest move in Cuba's resistance to all things American, which has been ongoing since Fidel Castro took over the island nation in 1959. Rodriguez certainly sees a ideological link between Linux and Cuba, "The free software movement is closer to the ideology of the Cuban people, above all for the independence and sovereignty."


Source: tomshardware
 
Cuba has debuted a new national Linux-based operating system dubbed "Nova." As one might expect, Cuba claims that the move will help the country replace proprietary Microsoft software running on the nation's computers. It almost sounds a little silly, but Cuba makes two noteworthy points as to why it's trying to purge this United States-based software from its networks. Nor is this the first international body that's sought to replace Microsoft software with an open-source alternative.


According to Cuban officials, the switch is more intended to turn away from United States-backed software as opposed to specifically Microsoft. They claim that governmental agencies would be able to infiltrate Cuban systems because they would could to pressure Microsoft to give up its "codes." It's unclear whether Cuba expects U.S. officials to actually hack into Cuban databases, break through encryption measures, or any combination of nefarious activities. Cuban officials also suggest that importing Microsoft software violates the U.S. trade embargo, an explanation for why Microsoft operating systems are allegedly more difficult to acquire for the island nation.


Hector Rodriguez, dean of the School of Free Software at Cuba's University of Information Sciences, told Reuters that he expects Linux to become the de-facto operating system on more than 50 percent of all Cuban computers within the next five years. Whether this is the GNU/Linux distribution that Cuba has created, or a mix of this plus other distributions, these are high hopes -- according to Rodriguez, only 20 percent of Cuban computers now run an open-source operating system.
I can't help but wonder why Cuba would turn to an open-source solution in the name of security interests. If Cuba is seriously distributing its own Linux version, what's to stop anyone in the United States--including the very officials Cuba fears would somehow access its Microsoft Windows operating systems--from poring over the entire source code itself? It's not as if Linux is an impenetrable fortress. Vulnerabilities exist in operating systems of all shapes and sizes. Open-source isn't a get-out-of-risk free card; it's a distribution concept.



Source: MaximumPC
 
I agree ,sometimes freedom needs to be enforced(as in FOSS) in countries world wide especially in gov sector which in turn makes the Mass dependent on GNU/Linux.
But It must be confirmed that those who want to buy windows etc are not hindered their freedom to choose.
--
.for a comparison ,common men cannot be really good in choosing the right way.look at pakistan(swat) going the taleban way.here ,the military and the democratic government need to show them the right way - Democracy -not some Radical Islam to terror which majority of the civilian are convinced that it is good.
In the Same Way ,Proprietary examples(windows) and closed source and monopoly all are ruling today's computer world.No One complains about this because ,people are less aware of their rights.Hence the FOSS way ,I say.
but ,that's just my idea :D
Please refer(to viewers ,not @nuxer):
GNU/Linux:
get GNU/Linux!
Why Linux is better
FOSS:
The GNU Operating System (read the gnu philosophy)
Welcome! - Free Software Foundation (pure FOSS ,not OSS)
 
governments should not be relying on technology that is locked and owned by a private company and that too from another country :D
 
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