China's journey into creating its own Linux distribution is a significant milestone in the country's technological advancement. The country has a rich history of developing its own versions of popular web services, such as Baidu for Google and Weibo for Twitter, among others. In line with this tradition, China has developed its own operating system: Ubuntu Kylin. This move is largely in response to the need for a localized version of a free operating system that caters to the burgeoning Chinese information technology industry.
Ubuntu Kylin is the official Chinese version of the Ubuntu computer operating system. It's intended for desktop and laptop computers, and has been described as a loose continuation of the Chinese Kylin OS. The first official release, Ubuntu Kylin 13.04, was released on 25 April 2013, on the same day as Ubuntu 13.04 (Raring Ringtail). Features include Chinese input methods, Chinese calendars, a weather indicator, and online music search from the Dash.
Kylin was originally developed in 2001 by academicians at the National University of Defense Technology in the People's Republic of China. The name is derived from Qilin, a beast from Chinese mythology. The first versions of Kylin were based on FreeBSD and were intended for use by the Chinese military and other government organizations. Kylin 3.0 was purely based on the Linux kernel, and a version called NeoKylin was announced in December 2010. In 2013, Canonical (parent company of Ubuntu) reached an agreement with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the People's Republic of China to co-create and release an Ubuntu-based OS with features targeted at the Chinese market.
Ubuntu Kylin is a heavily customized spin of Ubuntu Linux, built by the Chinese government, aimed at Chinese users. Unlike other government-based Linux projects, Ubuntu Kylin is actually pretty good. Although the much-fabled "Year of the Linux Desktop" has yet to arrive in the West, it's a different story in China. Ubuntu Kylin comes pre-installed on 40% of all new Dell Machines.
China's efforts to end its reliance on Microsoft Windows got a boost with the launch of the openKylin project. The initiative aims to accelerate the development of the country's home-grown Kylin Linux distro by opening the project up to a broader community of developers, colleges, and universities to contribute code. Launched in 2001, Kylin was based on a FreeBSD kernel and was intended for use in government and military offices, where Chinese authorities have repeatedly attempted to eliminate foreign operating systems. In 2010, the operating system made the switch to the Linux kernel, and in 2014 an Ubuntu-based version of the OS was introduced after Canonical reached an agreement with Chinese authorities to develop the software.
The openKylin project appears to be the latest phase of that project, and is focused on version planning, platform development, and establishing a community charter. To date, the project has garnered support from nearly two dozen Chinese firms and institutions, including China’s Advanced Operating System Innovation Center. These industry partners will contribute to several special interest groups to improve various aspects of the operating system over time. Examples include optimizations for the latest generation of Intel and AMD processors, where available; support for emerging RISC-V CPUs; development of an x86-to-RISC-V translation layer; and improvements to the Ubuntu Kylin User Interface (UKUI) window manager for tablet and convertible devices.
The Chinese Government's venture into creating its own Linux distribution is not a novel concept. Several governments worldwide have created their own Linux-based alternatives to Windows. North Korea and Cuba both have their own Linux distributions, but they haven't been as successful due to the prevalence of pirated copies of Windows or the low penetration of computers in these countries. The government of Munich, since 2006, has been slowly migrating their IT infrastructure from Windows to Linux. However, they have periodically considered reverting to Windows due to user unfamiliarity and compatibility problems.
China's success with Kylin Linux can be attributed to its quality, availability, and design intended to assist users in migrating from Windows. This formula seems simple and obvious, but it works. Kylin Linux has been a remarkable success, shipping on a significant number of PCs in China and poised to overtake Windows soon.
It's worth noting that there's another government-sponsored Linux distribution with "Kylin" in the name: NeoKylin. This Linux distribution has been in development for several years and already has a large following in China. Unlike UbuntuKylin, which resembles mainstream Ubuntu, NeoKylin is built to closely resemble Windows XP.
China's commitment to developing its own Linux distribution is part of a broader initiative to reduce dependency on Western-made software, hardware, and services. The country has been focused on switching to Linux entirely amid its conflict with the US. As part of this initiative, the openKylin project was launched to accelerate the development of the Kylin Linux distro. This project includes developers and educational institutions among its participants.