An in-depth look into North Korea's OS X-inspired Red Star 3 operating system
Running an oppressive government is hard work, these days. Centuries ago, or even a few decades ago, war-mongering oppressors of their peoples didn't have to deal with complex concepts like the Internet, and cellular communication. Alas, times have changed. high-walls with snipers, and barbed-wire just won’t do the job like they used to.
Former Google employee Will Scott had a chance to take an up-close look at North Korea’s own operating system, Red Star 3, which consists of an OS X-inspired version of Linux, which, ironically, very few North Koreans have access to, since the number of users of “Kwangmyong”, the heavily guarded North Korean version of the Internet, as well as the number of residents who own and operate computer equipment, is almost insignificant.
While the elite at the top have limited access to the real World Wide Web, citizens who are lucky enough to have access to wired computers and the very filtered Kwangmyong, are heavily monitored during chat sessions, and there is virtually no such thing as email privacy.
When starting up Red Star 3, the operating system’s logo is displayed over a far from exciting flat gray background.
When installing the system for the first time, the user is asked to input a timezone, an odd-requirement for a system that is really not meant to be used anywhere outside the country’s borders. Even more interesting is the fact that Seoul, the capital city of South Korea, is not an available option. From this screen, certain Apple-inspired elements begin to emerge, although the inspiration seems to date back a few versions of OS X.
The login screen perpetuates those elements, as more labels suggest the operating system requires users to be able to read Choson'gul, the native alphabet of the North Korean language.
When logged in, the operating system looks very much like OS X. Apparently this is due to the notion that Kim Jong-un was once seen using a Mac, which prompted a change in the latest version, from the previous Windows XP-like interface.
One of the most peculiar facts about this OS is that it uses the Juche calendar, which begins with the birth of Kim Il-sung, April 15, 1912, which makes today’s date January 2nd 103.
The word processor bundled with the operating system is very basic, as well as most software that comes with the platform.
The email client seems very stripped down as well, in some respect resembling a polished, minimalist version of Eudora, from the mid-90s.
Red Star 3 uses an Apple Finder-like file management system to retrieve files and folders.
Red Star 3’s government input becomes obvious as soon as we open “Naenara”, a modified version of Mozilla Firefox. The browser’s limited capabilities force the user to access North Korea’s state-run network by IP address, with nearly no DNS support.
The native terminal application of Red Star 3 has also been customized to show warnings to users of command line applications. Ironically, the first line of recommendations in the opening screen of the terminal window reads “Respect the privacy of others”, followed by “think before you type”, and “With great power comes great responsibility”.
Desktop customization is very typical, offering a limited selection of wallpaper images, or flat colors.
The inspiration behind most wallpapers available are typical of the North Korean totalitarian regime. In one image in particular, cannons have been badly photo-shopped on the side of a hill.
Other images feature more image-processed wallpapers displaying brightly lit neighborhoods, even though power outages are devastatingly frequent, reducing access to electricity down to one hour per day, usually in the evening.
In the wallpaper titled “On the horizon”, a tractor is portrayed moving through a picturesque farmland. While the image does not appear to have been excessively altered, tractors are extremely rare in North Korea.
So there you have it, Red Star 3, the official operating system of the DPRK.