Sunwah Linux
 | This article may require copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone, or spelling. (August 2008) |
Sunwah Linux (previously Sun Wah Linux) is a Chinese Linux desktop distribution specifically addressing the Chinese localization need in the handling and translation between the Unicode, Big 5 & various versions of Guobiao (or abbreviation GB) character encoding. In the mainland China its known as rays Linux Desktop Distribution.
Evolution
Sunwah Linux is a Debian based distribution. It was the first Chinese Linux distribution to receive the Linux Standard Base (LSB) certification. The system architecture was designed in Hong Kong and the programming has been developed in Nanjing (a city of the mainland China).
The distribution was sponsored by the Sunwah Group in Hong Kong and the Jiangsu Provincial Government of China.
The distribution can be downloaded at the Open Rays community website.
Sunwah - PearL Linux (or abbreviation SWP), the technology training entity of the group, on the other hand has been providing research assistance, testing and training support to the distribution. SWP is a joint establishment of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the Sunwah Group.
Sunwah Linux also supports some common events including software freedom day, Linux Professional Institute, International Information and Communication Technology Council Certification Program, Linux World, etc.
The Largest Linux Desktop Rollout
In 2005, Sunwah Linux was installed in over 140,000 PCs in primary and secondary schools in China. It is the world’s largest Linux desktop rollout to the date of this article was being edited.
Awards
In April 2006, it won the Best Linux Desktop Application Award at the LinuxWorld Conference and Expo in Boston. According to Mr. Albert Chung who presented the distribution to the judges; “The competition was fierce. We were proud of our Chinese Linux desktop distribution being recognized by industry experts and judges.”
Since then, the distribution also won several other Chinese National and Hong Kong awards.
References
- Sun Wah Linux Chosen by Chinese Government for the Largest Linux Desktop Roll-Out in China's History
- China to install 142,000 Linux PCs in classrooms
- Largest Asian Linux Rollout Ever: 140,000-Plus PCs Deploying to Chinese Schools
- Teaching Children To Love Linux
- Chinese Ed. Dept. in Major Linux Buy
- The business of Linux in China
- China's Sun Wah Linux revs up
- First Debian-based Operating System In China
- VA Linux and China-based Sun Wah Linux Form Strategic Alliance to Build Universal OS Infrastructure.
- Linux developers from China, Japan to develop Universal OS infrastructure
- China's Linux coders not sharing, says Red Hat
- Debian Debuts in China
- Hong Kong Productivity Council ISO 10646 product list
- LSB Distribution Status