The Ministry of Information and Communication, which is in charge of the project of boosting Linux, Tuesday revealed the plan about Kwangju located in the southwestern part of the country.
``Our panel asked the city to complement its bidding documents in some segments. Kwangju is likely to be selected as the Linux City this week or next since it is the lone candidate,'' Lee added.
Originally, Taejon was the self-proclaimed hopeful to become the nation's open-source paradise but the city failed to present the application ahead of the deadline.
Should Kwangju be handpicked as a Linux City, it will be required to install open-source software as a main operating system of their infrastructures, a job which the ministry will support with funds and technologies.
In the long run, Kwangju will have to migrate most of its public desktop and notebook computers away from the Windows program of Microsoft, the world's foremost producer of software.
``The test city will prompt other regions to follow suit via demonstrating that Linux can be the go-to operating system without any technological glitches or security woes,'' Lee said.
To that end, the ministry seeks to invest 1 billion won ($1 million), although the amount may change depending on the situation.
Together with Linux City, the government will also choose a ``Linux University,'' another test bed for the emerging software that is an alternative to the proprietary Microsoft Windows.
``Multiple domestic ivory towers applied for the Linux University initiative and we will announce which university wins out later this month,'' Lee said.
Linux refers to open-source, free software that emerges as an operating system alternative to the closed-door Windows program, which is flat-out dominating the global market.
The underlying source codes of the new-borne software are open to the public so that worldwide programmers are able to seamlessly upgrade them.
The attempt to build up a Linux-ruled area is not a first. Munich of Germany is looking to embrace Linux and open-source packages on its 14,000 PCs in place of the Microsoft operating system and office automation suites.
Autor: Kim Tae-gyu
Quelle: The Korea Times, 21.03.2006
