Taiwan mandates Linux-ready PCs – Software – News – ZDNet Asia — Can someone explain to me what is going on here?
Taiwan has mandated that all PCs purchased for government use must now be compatible with the Linux operating system.
According to media reports, the new requirement came into effect last month, marking the start of efforts to boost adoption of open-source software in Taiwan. About 120,000 new desktop PCs acquired by the Taiwan government will have to comply with the new mandate, the reports stated.
Obviously, they don’t want to be forced into vendor lock-in w/ Microsoft. Also, by using Free Software they aren’t tied into any proprietary file formats.
Their own industries are big players in contract manufacturing of computers…
What hardware changes do they see coming that would prevent Linux compatibility??
Hell, even Macs can run Linux… so what doesn’t? TPM???
https://www.trustedcomputinggroup.org/home
Is that a penguin in a Jimmy Durante mask, or the other way around?
Guess that cuts out macs. As far as I know though all window machines are linux compatible.
The issue ISN”T machines that are produced now, it has to do with machines that WILL be produced in the near future. THose are the machines that will have the dreaded Trusting Computing modules and hardware based DRM modules built in that could allow MS, Intel, MPAA, and RIAA to decide what can and can not be run on ‘your’ machine.
If you value your computing freedom, please learn about TCM and DRM and how it IS going to affect you soon. Then write your congressman.
Thorndike
Is clearly a administrative/decision making ignorance. Tipically the guys in power know zip about what they legislate or regulate. So, in their minds, they are thinking that that way they can put pressure on windows vendor to get a better deal. – “You know guys, you’re not the only show in town…”-
Puhleeease…
Between NSA keys in Microsoft code, file tagging, DRM, TCM, restrictions on encryption, and Microsoft’s penchant to have all M$ machines “call home” daily, can you blame China and Taiwan?
And don’t forget viruses, trojans, key loggers, etc. I think it is a smart move strictly based on the national security standpoint alone. I wish our government would be so smart.
I bet they won’t have guys in England hacking into their Space Agency with a 56k modem if they switch to Linux.
#6, the problem with your comment is that this decision doesn’t affect Microsoft, it affects the hardware makers, Intel, AMD, network card makers, etc.
We have reached a point where most of the countries around the world would prefer to find a way to STOP sending money to the US. I would prefer that more countries would take a stand like this. It would improve competition which ALWAYS improves service, profitability, etc.
Thorndike
#9, please read #5 and #7. They explain quite well why.
I think this might run up against your comment guidelines about old news, but didn’t you post this already? Is this a test to see if people read your site?
I did! I did see a puttycat!
http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=5615
#9, I wish it was true that everything will run linux. Unfortunately, there are companies that make hardware that will only run under windows. Remember Winmodems? Not all manufacturers make Linux drivers for their hardware, i.e. wireless network cards, etc.
Now when you read about TCM (and I know you will) you will find that TCM will allow hardware manufacturers to prevent software from running on their hardware. In fact, there are talks going ont between Intel and MS to prevent non-MS approved software from running on the cpu. Non-MS software would not be ‘trustworthy’ enough to pass the TCM agreements.
Slowly, but surely, you are loosing the right to run whatever you want on your PC. With Taiwan requiring LInux capable machines, what they are doing is demanding that hardware manufactures remain OS-neutral.
Sounds good to me.
Thorndike
12 Not all manufacturers make Linux drivers for their hardware, i.e. wireless network cards, etc.
I was initially thinking that the driver issue might be a key concern, but the FUD attributed to Mr Goh of the BSA makes me wonder:
He noted that it might potentially be more expensive to acquire hardware that are compliant, and exclude PCs that can be used in non-Linux environments.
Why would Linux PCs cost more?? Does Linux have steeper hardware requirements than WinXP, Vista, or MacOS??
What would prevent PCs which can run Linux from being used in “non-Linux environments”? What hardware would they lack?
And just WTF is a “non-Linux environment” anyway? [besides Ballmer’s wet-dream…]
The crux of the issue appears to be avoiding the Microsoft “tax”:
Late last year,… Taiwanese legislators passed a resolution that called for a 25 percent cut, … in the procurement budget set aside specifically for Microsoft products–which they claimed were too expensive.
Of course, a ‘linux compatible’ PC could run windows and associated applications while it can (and has to) then, when the next version of windows comes out and requires massively more resources the PC can be retired to run Linux which could comfortably support word-processing, spreadsheet and internet/e-mail applications at no additional cost.
Sounds like a way of getting two bites of the cherry.
Ain’t this got more to with hardware support? Give us PCs that Linux already has drivers for so we don’t have to hunt them down or write or own. Just a thought.
Didn’t you post about a BIOS company becoming more integrated with Windows? I think it was Phoenix BIOS.
Thanks Thorndike, I didn’t read all the posts before posting. True, that perspective is dire by all means. TCM is a nag thing. But I guess it will always be about free enterprise and regulations. TCM is and certainly will be considered as anti-concorrential. Like the monopoly lawsuit against M$oft…Imagine if Core Duo 2 will not run software certified by M$oft…is that or isn’t that a monopoly? And what AMD has to say? And Linux, will it be able to route around TCM on a TCM machine.
This is fascinating subject.
I’m starting a thread in cagematch…