China Releases First Homegrown Quantum Computing OS (globaltimes.cn) 33
The Global Times reports: China's first domestically developed quantum computer operating system, Origin Pilot, has been made available for online download, the Global Times learned from the Anhui Quantum Computing Engineering Research Center on Wednesday. A Chinese scientist said while several quantum computing operating system efforts are underway worldwide, this is the first developed in China where it is seen as part of China's broad effort to achieve technology independence and to achieve technology advance in quantum computing.
The center said the release marks the world's first open-source quantum computer operating system available for public download, which is expected to lower development barriers and support the growth of China's quantum computing ecosystem. Developed by Hefei-based Origin Quantum Computing Technology Co, the company behind China's third-generation superconducting quantum computer, Origin Wukong, Origin Pilot was first launched in 2021 and has gone through multiple rounds of iteration and upgrade.
The developer describes it as an integrated quantum-classical-intelligent computing operating system compatible with major hardware approaches, including superconducting qubits, trapped ions and neutral atoms. It is now deployed on the company's Origin Wukong series and is available to external users, the company said. Guo Guoping, chief scientist of Origin Quantum and director at the Anhui Quantum Computing Engineering Research Center, told the Global Times that a quantum operating system is the "soft heart" of the quantum computing ecosystem. He said the decision to make Origin Pilot available globally marks a shift in China's quantum computing industry from closed-door tech innovation to broader open-source ecosystem development. Dou Menghan, head of the research team, said: "Users can quickly integrate with quantum chips of multiple physical types and, using autonomous programming frameworks such as QPanda, execute quantum computing jobs across different physical quantum chips to support both research and commercialization needs."
The center said the release marks the world's first open-source quantum computer operating system available for public download, which is expected to lower development barriers and support the growth of China's quantum computing ecosystem. Developed by Hefei-based Origin Quantum Computing Technology Co, the company behind China's third-generation superconducting quantum computer, Origin Wukong, Origin Pilot was first launched in 2021 and has gone through multiple rounds of iteration and upgrade.
The developer describes it as an integrated quantum-classical-intelligent computing operating system compatible with major hardware approaches, including superconducting qubits, trapped ions and neutral atoms. It is now deployed on the company's Origin Wukong series and is available to external users, the company said. Guo Guoping, chief scientist of Origin Quantum and director at the Anhui Quantum Computing Engineering Research Center, told the Global Times that a quantum operating system is the "soft heart" of the quantum computing ecosystem. He said the decision to make Origin Pilot available globally marks a shift in China's quantum computing industry from closed-door tech innovation to broader open-source ecosystem development. Dou Menghan, head of the research team, said: "Users can quickly integrate with quantum chips of multiple physical types and, using autonomous programming frameworks such as QPanda, execute quantum computing jobs across different physical quantum chips to support both research and commercialization needs."
Yeah, but (Score:2)
until it can run Doom, it's garbage.
Re: (Score:3)
It runs "Doom: Clebsch vs. Gordan" already and "Doom: Quantum Hunting Fields" is just around the corner.
Probably runs Doom, its probably Linux based (Score:1)
Think of the GPL terms, you only have to publish source code if you distribute to others. Distributions within your organization does not require publication. So any gov't or enterprise with state ownership could use it without an obligation to publish. State secrets thereby maintained.
There's Something I'm Not Seeing (Score:3)
There's something in all this quantum stuff that I'm not seeing. Quantum Computing(QC)OS, QC algorithms, QC defenses....
But, my understanding is that the closest we have to a Quantum computer is a qubit or two, analogous to only having a couple of transistors and calling it a contemporary computer.
I don't know what I'm missing, but I'm definitely missing something.
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I don't know what I'm missing, but I'm definitely missing something.
You are missing that people are clueless, but do not know that. Hence they can be sold any deranged hype or scam. Quantum "computing" is essentially such a lie. Yes, the theoretical possibility is there. But all practical attempts are going nowhere and the whole field of practical QCs keeps itself funded by predictions they knows they cannot deliver on.
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Nope, I am not. The largest, most powerful QC in the world can currently factor 28. And only if they cheat and make a special algorithm for that number. You may want to have a look at this (from 2024): https://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/... [auckland.ac.nz]
Other QC "applications" are not much better. These machines are Physics experiments, not computing mechanisms.
You seem to have fallen for the lies though. How pathetic.
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As I said, your knowledge 20 years outdated:
https://tech.slashdot.org/comm... [slashdot.org]
Who cares what they can factor? That is only one single purpose ...
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Nope. The problem is you have no clue what you are talking about. It starts with the D-Wave not being a QC. I guess you completely missed that. It is a quantum annealer, and as such incapable of executing code. All it can do is solve some very limited optimization problems.
20 years out, on a sliding timeline (Score:1)
Like with AI, you are 20 years out of the loop of QC.
20 years out on a sliding timeline, as in every year the promised is 20 years out, AI or QC.
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It seems that this is mainly created as an OS "environment" to run Quantum simulators and frameworks. Not necessarily something created ground up from the hardware. As others have said, it reads like a PR pi
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From your quote: across different physical quantum chips
And then you write: to run Quantum simulators and frameworks. Not necessarily something created ground up from the hardware.
I do not know, but it seems you have an odd definition what the word 'hardware' means.
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Yeah. I mean, it's pretty vague what the hell a "quantum computer operating system" even is. From what I can see, calling it an operating system is a misnomer. It may have some operating system like features like a scheduler, but it seems more like an API with some operating system adjacent features.
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Unless it's an OS written in assembly language of a quantum computer?
My understanding of what you might call the "assembly language" of a quantum computer, is that you could not practically perform the real time functional operations of an actual operating system. Like handling I/O in real time, for example. I don't see a display driver or mouse and keyboard input operating directly on a quantum computer. Not as they are conceived and exist right now, anyway.
Re: (Score:1)
The 10 biggest quantum computers:
D-Wave Advantage2 (7,440 qubits): A quantum annealer focused on optimization problems.
Atom Computing (1,180 qubits): Neutral-atom system featuring high-fidelity qubits.
IBM Condor (1,121 qubits): A large-scale superconducting processor.
CAS Xiaohong (504 qubits): Developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
IBM Osprey (433 qubits): Superconducting processor.
Fujitsu & RIKEN (256 qubits): Japanese superconducting system.
Xanadu Borealis (216 qubits): Photonic quantum computer
Finally, Something Useful. (Score:2)
Now, this is informative. Thank you.
I'm still struggling to get through the marketing nonsense and develop an actual understanding of it all. But, now I have points of reference.
Re: There's Something I'm Not Seeing (Score:2)
This is, of course, total nonsense (Score:2)
There are no QCs that can solve real computation problems beyond tiny toy examples. And that is after something like 50 years of research. For example, the actual current factorization record is 28. And that is not with Shor's algorithm, as that would have been too large and too complex. It is with a special algorithm that can only factor 28.
Putting any kind of OS on a QC is completely and utterly out of reach. Hence this is a conventional OS that in some way got "Qantum" forced on it.
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Nice (Score:2)
What does it do? You do ls / and it decides to flip it to rm /?
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Re: Nice (Score:2)
But how is output ordered, you get both list and empty list at the same time? Do you need 2 monitors for that or how does it work?
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Will it comply with age check laws ... (Score:4, Funny)
that have been introduced in California and elsewhere [theregister.com] ?
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It's a Quantum OS.
It will both comply and not comply at the same time. :)
It's gone live? (Score:2)
No. (Score:4, Informative)
I looked at what is being offered and just like many other "Quantum Computing Operating Systems," it is merely an OS that runs on a classical processor but supports the use of a quantum processing as a peripheral device using software, not even as kernel component.
At best, this is a OS tailored for interfacing with a quantum processor.
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It signals that they are moving towards more widespread deployment of quantum computing technology, and feel the demand is there for a turnkey solution that customers can build applications on top of. It's also nice to have standard APIs and the like for these things, as they well know with the dominance of Nvidia's CUDA in the AI space.
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It sounds like a PR stunt.
Analogous to FPUs in early PC days (Score:2)
it is merely an OS that runs on a classical processor but supports the use of a quantum processing as a peripheral device using software, not even as kernel component. At best, this is a OS tailored for interfacing with a quantum processor.
Analogous to FPUs (Floating Point Units) in early PC days. Such add-ons can be useful. Its not a bad approach.
So what? (Score:1)
At the rate we are going, we're going to neuter encryption, so why bother worrying about quantum computing? When, not if, encryption is weakened, any major country with cybersecurity/warfare personnel will have access to whatever they want, without the social engineering.
Our own individual governments are so much more of a threat to our personal liberties then some other country half way around the world.