For those engaged in technology in China, there is often a question that arises: “With Linux being so mature and user-friendly, is there still a need for domestic operating systems?”
This is not just a confusion for a few, but a question that the entire industry has been discussing for decades.
However, if you delve into the “invisible yet critical” fields such as industry, energy, power, government affairs, and transportation, you will understand — domestic operating systems are not about reinventing the wheel, but about ensuring we can firmly grasp the steering wheel.
1
Open Source is Valuable, but “Control” is More Important
The power of Linux is undeniable; its kernel is stable, its ecosystem is rich, and its applications are widespread, making it almost the foundation of modern computing.However, open source does not equate to autonomy.
While the code is public, the future direction of the code, whether patches are accepted, and how the architecture evolves are still dominated by the international community.If you have done kernel development or driver adaptation, you will understand better:
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Some patches can wait a year without being accepted
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The technical routes dominated by large companies (such as eBPF, cgroup, IO stack) cannot be decided by Chinese enterprises
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The priority for supporting new architectures is also not in our hands
Open source gives us the “right to participate,” but not the “right to lead.”
The mission of domestic operating systems is to ensure that national-level critical infrastructure ——energy, power grid, transportation, industry, communication—— no longer relies on others’ willingness to maintain it.
2
Domestic Linux is Not About “Rewriting Linux”
Many people misunderstand domestic OS, thinking we are writing the kernel from scratch. In fact, it is quite the opposite.
The mainstream route of domestic OS is based on Linux, standing on the shoulders of giants, to enhance autonomy, integrate ecosystems, and adapt to industries.
For example:
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Autonomously controllable software repositories
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Deep optimization for domestic CPUs (Feiteng, Longxin, Kunpeng, Shenwei, RISC-V)
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Self-developed security mechanisms (security frameworks, national cryptography algorithms, access control)
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Domestic industry standards (multi-level protection, Xinchuang system)
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Enhancements in real-time performance and reliability for industrial and critical sectors
This is not a simple “skin change distribution,” but the process of making open source capabilities “domestically controllable.”
To put it bluntly: Linux is the foundation, and domestic OS is about turning that foundation into our own “house.”
3
For Domestic Chips to Go Far, Domestic Systems Must Accompany Them
In recent years, the development speed of domestic CPUs has been very fast:
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ARM architecture Kunpeng, Feiteng
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MIPS/LoongArch Longxin
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X86 compatible systems Zhaoxin
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Emerging RISC-V
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And a large number of specialized SoCs: industrial control, edge computing, communication, energy…
However, without the synchronous adaptation of domestic operating systems, these chips can only “struggle to be compatible with others” and cannot form their own ecosystem.
The operating system determines the ecosystem, and the ecosystem determines the industry.
Any national-level industrial chain that aims to exist long-term needs its own operating system as a core link.
4
The “Grounded” Needs of Industry Scenarios Require Domestic OS
This is particularly evident in companies like Barium Rhenium Technology, which are deeply embedded in industrial sites.
Industrial equipment is neither a PC nor a cloud server; they require:
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Controllable real-time performance (supporting Linux RT / PREEMPT_RT)
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Strong reliance on RS485, CAN, IO, multi-channel serial ports, etc.
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Adaptation to domestic CPUs and domestic motherboards
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Support for industry standards in power, petrochemicals, and rail transit
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Requirements for long lifespan and strong stability (equipment running for over ten years)
Such needs cannot be met by general-purpose Ubuntu or CentOS.
For example, Barium Rhenium Technology’s ARMxy series industrial gateways:
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Supports Linux RT / Ubuntu RT out of the box
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System-level optimizations for industrial communication (Modbus, EtherCAT, CANopen)
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Long delivery cycles to ensure continuous maintainability
Not to replace anyone, but to meet the needs of China’s own industrial sites.
5
What We Need is a “Self-Sufficient Ecosystem”
From a developer’s perspective, you might feel:
“Linux is open source and user-friendly, why redo it?”
But from the perspective of national-level infrastructure, you will see another statement:
Open source solves “usability,” while domestic OS solves “how long can it be used in a controllable manner.”
This is a technical reality and an industrial rule.
The goal of domestic OS is not to compete with Linux, but to —build a self-sufficient industrial operating system ecosystem based on Linux that belongs to China.