A fan-modified version of North Korea's domestic operating system, RedStar OS 3.5, has been put through its paces, revealing a system still deeply rooted in outdated technology and facing substantial challenges for contemporary computing and gaming.
This iteration of RedStar OS, based on a heavily modified Fedora 15 from 2011, attempts to update its foundational components, including a promise of a 64-bit kernel and libraries. However, the practical application of these updates proved to be a significant hurdle. The installation process, while smoother than previous encounters with the OS, still presented immediate issues, notably a crash upon reaching the graphical login manager.
Attempting to bypass the graphical interface by booting to the command line proved fruitless, as basic commands like 'startx' to re-enter the desktop environment failed. This left the system in a state where the promised modifications, which include spyware removal and root access enablement, could not be applied. Compounding these issues is the OS's original design, which prioritizes North Korea's national intranet, Kwangmyong, over global internet connectivity. While the first-stage mods do enable access to the wider internet via terminal commands and the built-in Naenara browser, the browser itself is a dated Firefox version capable of loading only Google.com.
The second stage of modifications, intended to implement the newer kernel and libraries, also failed repeatedly during testing, consuming several hours and leaving the OS in its archaic state. Even attempts to install older software, such as Tux Racer, via the integrated yum package manager were unsuccessful, with Makefiles refusing to function correctly. The available applications within RedStar OS were limited to a songbook program, a GIMP reskin named Hwansang, and a version of Korean chess, offering little in the way of modern utility or entertainment.
Past experiences with RedStar OS have highlighted its tendency to watermark media files, a feature presumably designed for tracking within the DPRK. While this particular concern was not the primary obstacle in this evaluation, it remains a notable characteristic of the operating system.
Despite the ambition of the RedStar OS 3.5 project to modernize the operating system, the current version falls short of being a viable alternative to mainstream operating systems like Windows, particularly for gaming. The fundamental technological limitations and persistent software issues indicate that North Korea's homegrown OS is still a long way from challenging the established desktop landscape.