Cuba launches own linux distribution (NOVA)

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HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuba launched its own variant of the Linux computer operating system this week in the latest front of the communist island’s battle against what it views as U.S. hegemony. The Cuban variant, called Nova, was introduced at a Havana computer conference on “technological sovereignty” and is central to the Cuban government’s desire to replace the Microsoft software running most of the island’s more…

Cuba has always had a reputation for not allowing freedom of information and such, but with the launch of their new Linux Distro and now allowing regular citizens to obtain PCs, they are getting a lot closer to what would be considered freedom of information.

According to Hector Rodriguez, dean of the School of Free Software at Cuba’s University of Information Sciences, about 20 percent of computers in Cuba, where computer sales to the public began only last year, are currently using Linux

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Being born and raised in Cuba i find it exciting that my country is finally moving up in the technology world, I love the initiative they have taken and I have faith that they will reach the goal of having Linux on the majority of the PCs they run.

Hector Rodriguez Dean of the School of Free Software and the University of Information Sciences is my cousin, I talk to him on a regular basis and I have just contacted him to get me more information about what the distro is based on and see if I can get my hands on a copy. I’ll post more updates as the become available to me.

But on a personal note and in contrast with the philosophy we have in this country I find it absurd and ridiculous that all our government and educational institutions have been standardized on Windows to the point that there are people out there that have no idea there are other operating systems available.

Can you imagine the amount of money that Schools and Universities would save if they are made the push to go open source. I am not saying get rid of windows but at least go open source with some of the apps used, replace MS Offie with Open Office and Photo-shop with Gimp these two replacements alone would account of millions of dollars in savings a year. We complain about the budget deficit but refuse to do simple things to help out.

This may be weird or odd but I think we should follow in Cuba’s foot steps when it comes to this.

Originally published at josecgomez.com. You can comment here or there.