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China has unveiled KylinOS11, the largest update to its national operating system, which the government called a major step forward in creating an independent technology ecosystem. The new version runs on the Linux kernel 6.6 and is compatible with AMD and Intel processors, as well as eight Chinese CPUs, many of which use proprietary command architectures. The system also supports seven domestic graphics cards and can work with AMD and Nvidia accelerators.
The launch immediately covered the desktop and server versions, adding a built-in AI assistant, model context protocol support, cloud integration, and advanced security features.
According to KylinSoft President Chen Zhihua, KylinOS is already the most widely used domestic operating system in China, with 16 million installations. This is a modest share nationwide, but state media described the launch as a shift from a “functional support platform” to an “intelligent connection base.”
Interestingly, the choice of kernel may raise questions. Version 6.6 received LTS status in 2023, but its support will end in December 2026, just 16 months after the release of KylinOS 11.
However, this doesn’t set a precedent for developers: the previous version of KylinOS 10, released in 2020, was based on kernel 4.19, which ended support in 2024, long before the system itself was discontinued.
The unveiling of KylinOS 11 was a major event for the Chinese IT industry.
During the event, representatives of the country’s major technology companies publicly promised to support the distribution and implementation of the new version of the operating system.
At the same time, The Register noted that there is still no information on KylinOS 11’s support for the domestic alternatives to Bluetooth and HDMI, which China proposed last year. Perhaps their integration will be a task to be addressed in future releases.
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