back to article Putin's internet guru says 'nyet' to Windows, 'da' to desktop Linux

The Russian government says it is looking to dump Microsoft and adopt Linux as the operating system for agency PCs. In an interview with Bloomberg, Russian internet advisor German Klimenko said the state will consider moving all of its networks off the Microsoft platform and onto an unspecified Linux build instead. Citing …

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  1. hplasm
    Windows

    Clonk.

    Another one bites the dust. (Or several hundreds of thousands...)

    1. TheVogon

      Re: Clonk.

      "Another one bites the dust. (Or several hundreds of thousands...)"

      Like Levis jeans in the past - The Russians will just have to make do with inferior local products instead...

      "guess Russian will keep on using pirated copies of Windows, though..."

      This being Russia, probably they were not paying for any of the licences.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Putix?

    Or they could ask North Korea their distro.... guess Russian will keep on using pirated copies of Windows, though...

    1. big_D Silver badge

      Re: Putix?

      It's easier to put a back door in, if it is your own code...

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Holmes

        Re: Putix?

        Eh big_D? The Russian government is doing this so it can spy on itself - 'cos it's too sdoopid to install a keylogger on its own Windows machines?

        What the hell is wrong with you?

        1. Nigel 11

          Re: Putix?

          The Russian government is doing this so it can spy on itself ...

          This is Russia you are talking about. The country which historically has been more institutionally paranoid than any other, not always without justification.

          But yes, their primary motivation will be to stop Redmond and the USA government from spying on the Russian government. It's obviously become too hard for them to work out what Windows is up to, for them to continue using it as a channel for dis-informing Washington.

    2. LionelB Silver badge

      Re: Putix?

      Or they could ask North Korea their distro.... guess Russian will keep on using pirated copies of Windows, though...

      Kleptix?

      1. LionelB Silver badge

        Re: Putix?

        Or, the North Korean version: Jong-unix

        1. Anonymous Blowhard

          Re: Putix?

          "linux" is just a Western copy of North Korea's operating system "ilnux", which was originally written by Kim Jong-il.

  3. AlbertH
    Linux

    Next....

    As we've said for the last 10 years (or more) - it's going to be the "Year of the Linux Desktop" Maybe this time we're right!

    MS no longer have a viable business product.

    1. Afernie
      Windows

      Re: Next....

      "As we've said for the last 10 years (or more) - it's going to be the "Year of the Linux Desktop" Maybe this time we're right!

      MS no longer have a viable business product."

      I expect if you keep saying it enough if will come true. Next year, maybe.

      1. hplasm
        Windows

        Re: Next....

        "MS no longer have a viable business product.""

        MS never had a viable business product.

        Smoke and mirrors and shitty code.

      2. Uplink

        Re: Next....

        In my circle of friends it's been the year of Linux on the desktop (laptop rather) for years now. I don't really care about the rest of the world :)

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Next....

          Re: Next....

          'In my circle of friends it's been the year of Linux on the desktop (laptop rather) for years now. I don't really care about the rest of the world :)'

          Microsoft must be shitting themselves. Not

          What's the percentage of Linux usage on the desktop again? What's the chances it'll rise to 1.5% before the decade is out?

          1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

            Re: Next....

            "What's the percentage of Linux usage on the desktop again? What's the chances it'll rise to 1.5% before the decade is out?"

            Depends how you define "desktop" and Linux. If you mean on the actual physical desk, then the slump in PC sales and the massive influx of Android tablets over recent years, often multiple tablets in a family replacing a single family PC, then maybe sooner than you think :-)

          2. Tom -1
            Windows

            Re: Next....

            I switched from various Unix versions to Microsoft a long time ago. Still find it the easiest platform to do some things on.

      3. PaulFrederick

        Re: Next....

        It came true for me 21 years ago. The future is already here – it's just not evenly distributed yet.

    2. MyffyW Silver badge

      Re: Next....

      1999 was my year of desktop Linux, on an HP Omnibook.

      1. GrumpenKraut

        Re: Next....

        Cannot cite the year but it was on a 486 (33 MHz, the luxury!), the CPU just becoming available and costing a bleeping fortune.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Next....

        Re: Next....

        1999 was my year of desktop Linux, on an HP Omnibook.

        Wow, Redmond lost one Windows user. That must really have impacted on their bottom line

        1. perlwonk

          Re: Next....

          I don't think he really cares, do you? I don't.

    3. cyber7

      Re: Next....

      Funny..I've heard this is the year of the Linux desktop for the last ten years. 17 Mints later and it's still the year of the rat.

      1. Roland6 Silver badge
        Pint

        Re: Next....

        17 Mints later and it's still the year of the rat.

        Been stuck in a time warp? Belated happy new year, it's been the Year of the Monkey for five days now...

        However, you may be right, the next year of the rat (2020) may be the year of hte Linux desktop, as it is also the year Win7 goes EoL...

        [Glass filled with a Chinese beverage appropriate for celebrating the new year.]

  4. allthecoolshortnamesweretaken

    "It's like a wife seeing her husband with another woman – he can swear an oath afterward, but the trust is lost," Klimenko was quoted as saying.

    So France will not be ditching Windows for Linux then?

    On a more serious note, I can see Russia developing a state-sponsored bespoke Linux distro. They could call it Rodinux.

    1. big_D Silver badge

      With their own snooping software that phones the Kremlin, not Redmond...

      1. Nigel 11

        With their own snooping software that phones the Kremlin, not Redmond...

        So you are a small British manufacturing something exportable that involves a few minor trade secrets. Who would you prefer to be grabbing all your data?

        1. The USA

        2. Uk.gov

        3. Russia

        4. China

        5. Brazil (but you'll have to learn Portuguese first)

        6. Most of the above.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        No, the Lubyanka. Far worse fate.

    2. HKmk23

      Well.....

      Many of Frances departments (local authorities) are using Linux already and doctors, hospitals etc are all using Apple....no-one likes Microsoft at all....

      1. big_D Silver badge

        Re: Well.....

        @HKnk23 and there are a few local authorities in Germany and Italy using Linux, although Munich has since switchted back, because TCO was more expensive than Windows ISTR.

        1. Chemist

          Re: Well.....

          "although Munich has since switchted back, because TCO was more expensive than Windows ISTR."

          Care to post a ref. to that ! AFAIK that is nonsense

          Latest I could find : http://news.softpedia.com/news/german-city-that-replaced-windows-with-linux-to-ditch-latest-windows-xp-2000-pcs-499160.shtml

          1. big_D Silver badge

            Re: Well.....

            Try these:

            http://www.heise.de/open/meldung/LiMux-Muenchner-CSU-will-auf-Laptops-von-Linux-zurueck-zu-Windows-2787042.html

            http://www.heise.de/open/meldung/LiMux-Neuer-Wirbel-um-Linux-in-Muenchen-2486075.html

            http://www.welt.de/regionales/bayern/article132976293/Stadt-Muenchen-will-von-Linux-zurueck-zu-Microsoft.html

            http://www.sueddeutsche.de/muenchen/muenchner-stadtverwaltung-von-microsoft-zu-linux-und-zurueck-1.2090611

            http://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/gadgets/linux-auf-behoerden-pc-muenchen-vor-umstieg-auf-windows-a-995546.html

            1. Chemist

              Re: Well.....

              "Try these:"

              They're all from 2014 !! and mostly regurges at that This return to Windows never happened - at least my refs were from this year (2016 BTW)

    3. BurnT'offering

      Or

      Use Stalinux or else

      Leninux was revolutionary for its day

      Potemkinux has a nice UI but is rubbish underneath.

      For high availability, Rasputinux never falls over.

      As yet there are no stable versions of Bakuninux or Kropotkinux

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Or

        Trotskinux - the one with the "kill" command to be used with extreme prejudice.

        1. MyffyW Silver badge
          Black Helicopters

          Re: Or

          Kronstadtix - when you realise something has gone horribly wrong.

        2. Steve K
          Coat

          Re: Or

          ..and the "pick" command too...

        3. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Or

          surely "putinx"

        4. BurnT'offering

          Re: Or

          I believe that one has an ALSA glitch - you may exception some spikes in the audio

      2. cd / && rm -rf *
        Mushroom

        Re: Or

        Chernobylux.

      3. dajames

        Re: Or

        Potemkinux has a nice UI but is rubbish underneath.

        I think you're confusing it with Pokemonix!

        But Prince Grigory Aleksandrovich Potemkin-Tavricheski was never a party member, so I don't see his distro finding much favour with the politburo!

      4. David 132 Silver badge
        Coat

        Re: Or

        And presumably, with the TsarOffice productivity suite.

    4. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      So France will not be ditching Windows for Linux then?

      Well the Gendarmerie ditched windows for Linux years ago so your statement isn't quite correct.

  5. Steve Davies 3 Silver badge

    Anymore proof needed that

    Windows 7 and above is considered 'spyware'?

    Boycott Windows 10. you know it makes sense. Just Say No!

    1. Voland's right hand Silver badge

      Re: Anymore proof needed that

      Only partially related to spyware.

      As a result of the sanctions regime Microsoft cannot sell Windows, services and support to the Russian government. This would have had little effect in the days of 95-2000 and up to XP or thereabouts as you could power it up without the net. From Vista/7 onwards the "need to be on the net" functionality is so pervasive that it is practically impossible to have a PC which does not phone home (this is the only spyware relationship here). From there on it is license violation and mandatory lockdown by MSFT. If it does not do that for all cases where it has determined that a PC is used in a setting disallowed by USA sanctions it is looking at BN size fines.

      So it looks like they definitely remote-bricked enough PCs to get the Russians p*ssed. In theory, it will make both sides put their money where their mouth is. Russia to actually develop its economy and local industry (as proclaimed by Putin) and MSFT not doing business with sanctions entities.

      In practice, I would not be so sure. It is quite likely that the sanctions will be worked around via a thrid party laundry mechanism the same way as they were circumvented for Iran using Chinese resellers.

      1. Dan 55 Silver badge

        Re: Anymore proof needed that

        What does Windows 7 do that requires phoning home? LAN adaptor icon, device and printer icons, notify MS of crashes and display resolutions, CEIP, Windows Defender, Windows Update. All of which can be turned off except LAN adaptor and there's probably a registry hack for that.

        Not counting the recent telemetry updates which can be blocked.

        1. Steve Davies 3 Silver badge

          Re: Anymore proof needed that

          Not counting the recent telemetry updates which can be blocked for the time being

          There fixed it for you.

          1. P. Lee

            Re: Anymore proof needed that

            >Not counting the recent telemetry updates which can be blocked for the time being

            And that's where I have a problem with what MS is doing. If they asked the user if they wanted to install the telemetry features and left it at that, it would be fine - an unwanted feature for me, but that's ok. My problem is their shovelling it down my throat as if they own my PC and have a right to the telemetry and random documents of mine. I don't have much to hide, but I don't want that shift in the paradigm regarding who controls my PC.

        2. eesiginfo

          Re: Anymore proof needed that

          All fine if you are a sys admin, or a big IT team for roll outs.

          But, for the average computer literate user, the problem is knowing what snooping software is installed, or planned to be installed in a future auto update.

          The Xbox One is a prime example..... the camera always on and transmitting - in your own home... always on!!

          Probably one of the contributing reasons why it's launch was a flop, once this fact became highlighted.

          Their proffered solution was to unplug the camera each time you switched off.

          What the hell is going on there?

          1. Robert Moore

            Re: Anymore proof needed that

            >> The Xbox One is a prime example..... the camera always on and transmitting - in your own home... always on!!

            George Orwell was right!

        3. Voland's right hand Silver badge

          Re: Anymore proof needed that

          What does Windows 7 do that requires phoning home?

          You missed the point.

          If it calls home as apart of Windows Update. If it does this using a serial number or source IP address which Microsoft does not like they brick it. In fact, they started doing it with Windows XP. I happen to have an Eastern European pirated XP SP3 build on a CD somewhere which I use to demonstrate it to "unbelievers". You install it, it works fine. You run Windows Update and it gets bricked. You initially get the "this is pirated, buy windows warnings", then it stops functioning altogether.

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