Nova (operating system)

Nova is a Cuban state-sponsored Linux distribution launched in February 2009.^[2][3] It was developed in Havana at the University of Information Science (UCI) by students and professors to provide free and open-source software (FOSS) to inexperienced users and Cuban institutions. While the initial version was Gentoo-based, the developers switched to Ubuntu beginning with Version 2.1.^[4]

Nova

Nova 7.0
Developer	University of Information Science
OS family	Linux (Unix-like)
Working state	Active
Source model	Closed source with some open-source components (5.0 and up)
Initial release	February 2009; 16 years ago (2009-02)
Latest release	9.0[1]  / 2 October 2023; 19 months ago (2 October 2023)
Available in	Multilingual
Platforms	x86-64
Kernel type	Monolithic (Linux)
License	GNU GPL
Official website	https://www.nova.cu/

In May 2016, discussions about a new version 6.0 were underway.^[5] However, by 2016, Distrowatch had marked Nova as discontinued.^[6] and its website, www.nova.cu had been taken down. Nova re-entered development later, and version 8.0 was released in January-March 2022.^[7]

In early 2018, its repositories and download server (repo.nova.cu) was shut down temporarily, with users being told to switch to CentOS, after which Nova resumed development a couple months later. By early 2019, the distribution website was again active and DistroWatch listed it as under active development.^[6] As of February 2025, the distribution's website seems to be poorly maintained or abandoned, with web browsers displaying an alert to visitors about an expired TLS certificate from August 2024.

Goal and adoption

The goal of Nova was to achieve "sovereignty and technological independence"^[4] and to have it installed on all computers in Cuba where Microsoft Windows is still the most widely used operating system.^[8][9] The system was central to the Cuban government's desire to replace Windows.^[2] Hector Rodriguez, Director of UCI, said that "[t]he free software movement is closer to the ideology of the Cuban people, above all for the independence and sovereignty."^[8] Other cited reasons to develop the system include the United States embargo against Cuba which made it hard for Cubans to buy and update Windows, as well as potential security issues feared by the Cuban government because of the U.S. government's access to Microsoft's source code.^[2][9]

Cuba was planning to convert to Nova as its main operating system; once the migration is complete it was intended to be installed in 90% of all work places.^[10][11] In early 2011, the UCI announced that they would migrate more than 8,000 computers to the new operating system.^[12] Beginning in 2011, new computers were intended to come installed with both Windows and Nova.^[11]

As of 2025, Microsoft Windows remains the predominant desktop operating system on almost every Cuban computer, either government- or privately-owned.^{[citation needed]}

Software

The first version of Nova, called Baire, was based on Gentoo Linux, while Nova 2.1 Desktop Edition was based on Ubuntu.^[2][13] Nova Escritorio is UCI's office suite meant to replace Microsoft Office.^[11]

Versions History

Nova 1.1.2 (Baire)

• 
  Nova 1.1.2 Baire Desktop View
• 
  Nova 1.1.2 Baire Nautilus File Manager
• 
  Nova 1.1.2 Baire Control Center

1. It uses GNOME, version 2.22.
2. Entropy as package manager
3. Compatible with Gentoo and Portage.
4. Integrated with Windows Active Directory.

Nova 2.1 Desktop Edition

• 
  Nova 2.1 Installation
• 
  Nova 2.1 Firefox web browser
• 
  Nova 2.1 Compiz windows effect

General features

Main applications:

1. Web browser Mozilla Firefox.
2. Instant messaging client Empathy.
3. E-mail client Mozilla Thunderbird.
4. Multimedia player Totem.
5. Music player Rhythmbox.
6. Video editing software Pitivi.
7. Images editing program F-Spot.
8. Torrent client Transmission.
9. Disk burning program Brasero.
10. OpenOffice as office suite.

System requirements

The minimal system requirements are recommended to allow you to install and run Nova Linux with good performances, even if it is possible to install it on worse hardware, with worse performances.

• Processor: x86 1 GHz.
• RAM Memory: 512 MB.
• Hard Disk: 5 GB (for a complete installation with swap partition).
• VGA graphics card and monitor capable of running a resolution of 1024x768.
• CD-Rom player and network card.
• Sound card.
• Internet connection.
• Chipset: Intel i915 or higher, but GMA 500
• Nvidia graphics card (with proprietary drivers)
• ATI graphics card (starting from Radeon HD 2000, it may be necessary to use the proprietary driver).

Nova 3.0

For the first time, Nova Linux has been released in two versions: Nova Desktop for standard computers and Nova Ligero for older computers.

• 
  Nova 3.0 Desktop with special wallpaper
• 
  Nova 3.0 Desktop

Nova 4.0

• 
  Nova 4.0 with Gnome3 desktop
• 
  Nova 4.0 Applications overview
• 
  Nova Ligero 4.0 Desktop
• 
  Nova Ligero 4.0 logoff menu

Nova 5.0

• 
  Nova Desktop 5.0
• 
  Nova 5.0 Applications overview
• 
  Nova 5.0 Ligero
• 
  Nova 5.0 Ligero login

Versions

Version	Codename	Date
Old version, not maintained: 1.1.2	Baire	20 February 2009
Old version, not maintained: 2.0		2 December 2009
Old version, not maintained: 2.1		4 June 2010
Old version, not maintained: 2011-beta3		12 February 2011
Old version, not maintained: 3.0 (2011)		2011
Old version, not maintained: 4.0 (2013, long term support)		7 May 2014
Old version, not maintained: 5.0 (2015)		22 March 2015
Old version, not maintained: 5.1 (2017)		21 September 2017
Old version, not maintained: 6.0 (2018)[7]		13 March 2018
Old version, not maintained: 7.0 (2020)		20 June 2020
Old version, not maintained: 8.0 (2021)		January 2022
Latest version: 9.0 (2022)		2 October 2022

See also

• Linux portal
• Cuba portal

• Linux adoption
• Red Flag Linux
• Ubuntu Kylin
• Astra Linux – a similar project by the Russian government
• Unity Operating System
• Canaima (operating system) – a similar project by the Venezuelan computer manufacturer VIT, C.A. and Chinese information technology company Inspur
• GendBuntu – a similar project used by Gendarmerie in France
• LiMux – a similar project of the city council of Munich
• Red Star OS – a similar project by the North Korean government