Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

StotinkaOS – Bulgarian alternative to leading operational systems

БНР Новини
The logo of StotinkaOS has several hidden meanings. The round shape is reminiscent of a coin. The circle with the openings on four sides symbolizes gates/exits to the four cardinal directions of the world, making an association with freedom. The letter „S” in the middle of the circle is not only the first letter of the name, but also a symbol of the direction that the team has chosen – South, because “it is always nice and comfortable for everyone there”. Stotinka Оperating System, or SOS, is an abbreviation that speaks enough of itself. Symbolism is also about that everybody has access to the timely assistance they need, delivered in a language that is simple and easy to comprehend.
Photo: www.stotinkaos.net

Meet StotinkaOS – a free Bulgarian Linux distribution, or an operational system, based on the Linux core. A Bulgarian team has turned this server-oriented operational system into a PC version, adding its own software packages and providing support, lessons and other functions that users might find attractive, in order for their work with the system to be easy and pleasant. One of the founders of StotinkaOS Vladislav Alexandrov describes the concept like that:

Our idea is to create this environment for people, looking for an alternative, who want to go from well-known and expensive operational systems to something free. They need to be able to “migrate” from the first environment to the second one.”

Снимка

Projects of that kind are a global practice and almost each country worldwide has its popular Linux distribution. StotinkaOS is the first and for the moment only one in Bulgaria. Despite all difficulties Vladislav and his partner Ivaylo Kuzev released the first edition of the OS on 27 February 2015. Vladislav says that Stotinka OS is free and will always be. The team is a volunteer, covering its own expenses. A Donate button on the webpage provides an option for support. Vladislav says that the Linux distributions are competitive to the large-scale OS, but the problem is that standards have already been implemented and people follow them somehow resignedly.

I dare to say that Linux counts and moves a major part of our life – Internet sites, super computers… it is even the leader there. However, the issue is that it is relatively unknown to users. But I think free software and Linux in particular have their future and the thing is to be developed. We can’t all trust a single company with closed source. Nobody can tell how the OS communicates, on which servers and what information is sent. The problem is that we don’t know whether personal data is collected or not. Such problems don’t exist with the open software. Even if you don’t know anything about software engineering, you can hire an expert who will check your code, as the latter is visible. Certain companies are working very actively in that direction.

Снимка

The OS can be installed in over 20 languages, Bulgarian assistance offered as well.

The Pravetz Bulgarian computers have been on the market for a year or two. An eventual rejoining of both teams might result in an entirely Bulgarian product. Vladislav comments like that:

We haven’t though it over, but it is an idea. If the Pravetz guys have interest, they might try our OS. We can even provide support for their hardware, in order for the software to be fully applicable…


The OS hasn’t got its mobile version yet, but such option exists if the project develops. They see future in front, as business and administration work mainly with them. Some students, who came upon their project offered it to their tutors and it was decided the OS to be implemented in the university’s infrastructure with the purpose of training.

English version: Zhivko Stanchev


Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Photo: Bulgarian Soul in the Holy Land (archive)

Vesela Raytchinova: We Bulgarians enjoy a very good name in Israel

There are no precise statistics on the number of Bulgarians living in Israel. It is estimated that the Bulgarian Jews who moved there from Bulgaria are about 50,000. Regardless of their number, as in other countries around the world, some of our..

published on 10/24/24 1:00 PM

Population decline in Bulgaria close to zero for the first time since 1985

The report of the Council of Ministers on the implementation of the "Demographic Development Strategy" in 2023 indicates that for the first time in 38 years, the ratio between population growth and decline in Bulgaria is almost zero. According to..

published on 10/22/24 12:34 PM

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson gives a lecture in Sofia

President Rumen Radev and NASA Administrator Bill Nelson discussed opportunities for expanding international cooperation in space exploration and technology.  Bill Nelson gave a lecture to students at the Sofia University at the event ‘’Hello Space..

published on 10/22/24 8:48 AM