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Chinese Pirates Hacked Ubuntu to Look Like Windows XP

by | Tuesday, 29th Dec 2009 | 4 Comments | Share

Infamous Chinese software pirates were not much happy with just copying Windows XP, so they moved their interests to hacking Ubuntu to look like Windows XP. With a Windows XP look-alike we do not mean just a theme or a shell replacement, going by what we experienced, Ylmf OS is a pixel-perfect copycat of Windows XP, but based on Ubuntu Linux.

Ylmf OS

Ylmf OS

Ylmf OS is the closest Windows XP look, that Linux can ever get to. The link that we have provided, to the homepage of Ylmf OS, is converted from Chinese to English. This OS is based on Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala. Most of the Chinese fonts are integrated into Ylmf, so an English language user cannot expect to use it right away.

If you want to download and install Ylmf OS, you can download it from here.

Some of the Screenshots

(Yes even we were surprised !) :

Ylmf OS

Ylmf OS

Ylmf OS

Ylmf OS

Ylmf OS

Ylmf OS

Ylmf OS

Ylmf OS

Techie-Buzz Verdict:

As we have already stated, Ylmf OS is the closest look Linux can get, of Windows XP.   Ylmf OS also integrates the latest and stable OpenOffice 3.1, for complete portability with MS Office. It also integrates classic Windows theme, so that users can feel more close to Windows user interface. It also integrates stable version on Wine emulator. It has SMplayer for media playback. For internet browsing, it has latest version of Firefox. aMule, Filezilla and Pidgin are also integrated. If we put all of these features together, it is a complete and stable Linux distro that is perfect for use, even for a Windows user. We looked at Ylmf OS from two viewpoints: 1. As a Linux distro: Perfect, as it is based on stable architecture of Ubuntu Linux, plus it provides users with Windows XP look and feel. 2. As pirated/ripped Windows XP: As far as we know, Microsoft cannot sue the developers of Ylmf OS, as it is completely based on Ubuntu Linux, which itself promotes modifications and copying. But, if the developers have ported/hacked some code from Windows XP, to bring such a close look to Linux, they are in trouble. Earlier as reported in Clonedinchina, a developer had landed in jail for 3.5 years for Tomato Garden Windows XP, a pirated version of Windows XP. We at Techie-Buzz, never promote Piracy.

Techie-Buzz Rating:4/5

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Author:

Anurag Upadhaya has written

The author of this post can be contacted at anurag@techie-buzz.com

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  1. Praveen Arimbrathodi on December 29th, 2009 at 6:01 am #

    The screenshot in the site is actual Windows XP. The real screenshots of the Ylmf OS is here http://is.gd/5FpEb Mainly it is Windows XP theme.

  2. Ace on December 29th, 2009 at 7:30 am #

    Don't see the point…

  3. sunshinekhan on December 31st, 2009 at 9:50 pm #

    did you take it for a spin and any ideas of what alls running inside the hood???

    any chances of getting it to run in english???

    any other english cousins???

    regards ~ sunshine

    • Anurag Upadhaya on December 31st, 2009 at 10:34 pm #

      It has got other English cousins, I will post about them soon. Keep hooked to Techie-Buzz for more.