[HLUG] Linux grabs its single biggest win

[phantomjinx]

On 06/20/2012 09:34 AM, Alan Richmond wrote:
> http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/opensource/linux-grabs-its-single-biggest-win/3690?tag=nl.e550
> 
> 
> I had to check the date on this article to make sure it wasn't April
> 1st. If the author is reliable then my ignorance of the capabilities of
> Windows - or of the people who deploy it on mission-critical real-time
> (RT) systems - is profound. Apparently it was used on the US Air Force's
> drone control system and got a virus..
> 
> As a scientific programmer I worked with many OSs that were used in RT
> environments, nary a copy of Windows in sight. I think I've heard of NT
> being used on supercomputers, but even then Linux dominates that sector.
> Does anyone here know enough about Windows to explain its use in such a
> scenario??
> 
> As the author says: "When I read this, I was shocked. First and
> foremost, I couldn’t believe such planes were controlled by anything
> powered with any flavor of the Windows operating system — not when the
> U.S. Navy has enough intelligence and resources to even create their own
> OS."
> 
> Alan.
> 
> -- 
> Herefordshire LUG mailing list
> Web:  http://www.herefordshire.lug.org.uk
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I do know that the UK Navy uses a cutdown version of Windows for their
control systems on their ships. It used to be Windows 2K but have
recently upgraded to XP.

The argument I hear went that most of Windows frailties come from
malware downloaded from the internet and since these systems are
unconnected then they do the job and don't fall over. Have no further
clue as to the veracity of this.

Interesting to see what OS they stuck in the Daring-class destroyers and
what they might consider for the new aircraft carriers. I imagine
Windows XP and the UK MOD is in-hoc to M$.

PGR

-- 
Paul Richardson

  * p.g.richardson at phantomjinx.co.uk
  * pgrichardson at linux.com
  * p.g.richardson at redhat.com

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