| Red Star OS 붉은별 사용자용체계 | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Screenshot of the desktop of Red Star OS 3.0,localized withNorth Korean terminology and spelling | |
| Developer | Korea Computer Center,North Korea |
| OS family | Unix-like Linux (desktop and server), Android (on Woolim,Arirang,Samjiyon,Manbang, Jindallae and Ryonghung)[1][2] |
| Working state | Current |
| Source model |
|
| Latest release | 4.0 |
| Marketing target | Personal computers |
| Available in | Korean |
| Supported platforms | IA-32,x86-64 (server only),ARM (mobile and tablet only) |
| Kernel type | Monolithic (forked fromLinux kernel) |
| Influenced by | Fedora Linux (desktop),CentOS (Server),Android (mobile and tablet)[3] |
| Default user interface | KDE[4] |
| License | GPL (Linux kernel and other GNU software only), Proprietary |
Red Star OS (Korean: 붉은별;MR: Pulgŭnbyŏl) is aNorth KoreanLinux distribution, with development first starting in 1998 at theKorea Computer Center (KCC).
Prior to Red Star OS's release, computers in North Korea typically used modified versions ofMicrosoft Windows withNorth Korean language packs installed.[5][6]
Red Star OS features a modifiedMozilla Firefox browser calledNaenara ("Our country" in Korean), which is used for browsing theNaenara web portal on North Korea'snational intranet known asKwangmyong. Naenara comes with two search engines.[specify]
Other software includes atext editor, anoffice suite, ane-mail client,audio and video players, afile sharing program, andvideo games.[7][8][9]
Red Star OS 3 comes with a customized version ofOpenOffice calledSogwang Office.[10]
The operating system utilizes customized versions ofKDE Software Compilation. Earlier versions hadKDE 3-based desktops.
Version 3, like its predecessors, utilizesWine, a compatibility layer that allowsWindows programs to be run under Linux.[11]
Version 3.0 closely resemblesApple'smacOS, whereas previous versions more closely resembledWindows XP;[12][13] current North Korean leaderKim Jong-un was seen with aniMac on his desk in a 2013 photo, indicating a possible connection to the redesign.[14][15][16]
The Red Star OS is only available inKorean,localized withNorth Korean terminology and spelling,[17] although it is possible to change the language on theBIOS boot menu, or by modifying thedisk image.[18]
| Requirement | Requirements | |
|---|---|---|
| Red Star OS | ||
| CPU | 800 MHz Intel Pentium III[19][20] | |
| Memory | 256MB | |
| Free space | 3GB | |
The first version appeared in 2008. It is very reminiscent of the Windows XP operating system, due to the user interface most probably being based on theKDE 3.5 desktop environment, making use of the same exact icon theme and the old Konqueror file manager.
It featured the "Naenara" web browser, based on Mozilla Firefox, and an Office suite based onOpenOffice, called "Uri 2.0".Wine is also included.
One copy has been leaked online. The screenshots of the operating system were officially published by KCNA and discovered by South Korean news sites.[9]
The development of version 2.0 began in March 2008, and was completed on 3 June 2009. Like its predecessor, its appearance resembles Windows XP, still based on KDE 3, however opting for the default theme instead of customized looks for the shell.It was priced at 2000North Korean won (approx. US$15).
The "Naenara" web browser is also included in this version. The browser was released on 6 August 2009, as part of the operating system, and was priced at 4000North Korean won (approx. US$28).
The operating system uses a special keyboard layout that differs greatly from the South Korean standard layout.[citation needed]
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Version 3.0 was introduced on 15 April 2012, and its appearance resemblesmacOS operating systems of various versions.[21] The new version supports bothIPv4 andIPv6 addresses.
The operating system comes pre-installed with a number of applications that monitor its users.
If a user tries to disable security functions, an error message will appear on the computer, or the operating system will crash and reboot.
In addition, a watermarking tool integrated into the system marks all media content with the hard drive's serial number, allowing the North Korean authorities to trace the spread of files.
The system also has hidden "antivirus" software that is capable of removing censored files that are remotely stored by the North Korean Secret Service.
There is a user group called "administrator" in the operating system. Users do not have root access by default, but are able to elevate their privileges to root by running a built-in utility called "rootsetting".
However, provisions are made in kernel modules to deny even root users access to certain files, and extensive system integrity checks are done at boot time to ensure these files have not been modified.[10]
The operating system was leaked byZammis Clark ("SlipStream").[citation needed]
Little information is available on version 4.0.
According toThe Pyongyang Times, an official version of Red Star OS 4.0 had been developed by January 2019, with full network support as well as system and service management tools.[22]
In June and July 2020,South Korea's NKEconomy (NK경제) obtained a copy of Red Star OS 4.0 and have published articles about it.[23][24][25][26]
In 2016, thecomputer 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.[27][28]
The Japan-basedNorth Korea-affiliated newspaperChoson Sinbo interviewed two Red Star OS programmers in June 2006.[5] English-language technology blogs, includingEngadget andOSnews, as well as South Koreanwire services such asYonhap, went on to repost the content.[17][29][30] In late 2013, Will Scott, who was visiting thePyongyang University of Science and Technology, purchased a copy of Red Star OS 3.0 from a KCC retailer in southern Pyongyang, and uploaded screenshots of the operating system to the internet.[11]
In 2015, two German researchers speaking at theChaos Communication Congress[10] described the internal operation of the OS.[31] The system is known towatermark all files on portable media attached to computers[32] in order to aid in tracking the underground market ofUSB flash drives used to exchange foreign films, music and writing.[33]
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