OT: 'We all live in a Windows Submarine'
So, now it is only a matter of time before somebody brings an USB stick with the -whatever- virus or worm, and Britannia no longer rules the waves.
I do seem to remember a US warship needing towing when the windows PC froze. Few thousand feet under water and under attack: calling MS help desk? Re-install windows. And the guy at the help desk may be in the country you are fighting, really really safe.
..
s.
ze.
This is as bad as the thing about reading skills being important. "He got hungry and hit the button that he thought said lunch"
MS Windows should not be used in any system that peoples lives depend on. For that matter, it should also not be used on any system that your business depends on. Even without viruses, it contains far too many bugs to be counted on to work as required.
..
s.
ze.
According to the Navy, it didn't "need" to be towed, but they didn't want to hit Reset and restart the software until the computer forensics guys on sshore had had a chance to look at it.
Gee, I use Win2k and don't have problems with OS bugs except poorly written software. Even had servers running on various Windoze NT and Win2k systems which would run for months without needing a reboot (reboots due to power down were done usually for maintenance purposes like cleaning out dust or replacing hard drives). However, I would never use Windoze on mission critical systems - that's asking for trouble.
5.... k
aves.
froze.
Win2K and WinNT are the least buggy of the group but are still not good enough for anything lives depend on.
Just considering the fact that the screen saver has rights to stomp the file system makes me shutter.
....
ves.
roze.
They would say something like that if it was true or not. Nobody wants to let the other guys know that our side has a big problem.
l
s.
ze.
"BAE Systems work is proof that we can get commercial off the shelf technology to sea quickly and support it affordably=94. The reality is that they've been struggling to get windows to work in the sub's for at least 6 years. No mention in this press release of the number of 'freeze-ups' I've seen reported. S'pose this is glossed over as 'development' work. Wish I could do the same with the windows on this PC. This lunacy should never ever have been proposed or allowed. Demonstrates the level of technical incompetance of the UK military procurement, civil service.
True, but i understand that all Linux variants are rather buggy also
- and continue to be buggy.
On a sunny day (Thu, 18 Dec 2008 22:17:07 -0800) it happened Robert Baer wrote in :
Linux is not perfect, and some kernels are simply buggy. OTOH, Linux has already been used in space, in satellites, where service is rather difficult. With a bit of looking you can find a 100% reliable working Linux. Just tried a new distro: 'puppeee Linux', for the eeePC. Boots from a 1GB SDcard with GUI and everything working, including audio, video, network. It is only about 400MB, I have smaller distros too, SPB linux, on a 128 MB USB stick, etc. So, apart from the windows imitation bloat ware that for example Suse makes these days, there are a zillion small very efficient Linux distros, including embedded Linux systems in FPGA etc.
My view, for a system used in defence (as in those submarines), is that 1) it should be kept secret what exactly it is, and 2) better not be the system that exists the most attacks for, and 3) should not interface with something everybody has like an USB stick or memory card, or WiFi, as that is just inviting the enemy. I could in my mind hear the Chinese and Russians laughing after reading that report. They probably are already working on an innocent looking USB stick with a special virus that will come free for the sailors with Xmas :-)!!! Or, as some magazine did some years ago, they just planted some USB sticks around a big building where some companies were, people found those, used those in the company machine, and it send back all data of what they did. Curiosity, human nature, many tried the sticks they found.
In a battle situation every second counts, and waiting for a PC to reboot seems almost like politics made the decisions here, the 1 minute or even 10 seconds can get you killed.
.
ves.
roze.
eso
Linuxes merely have lots of bugs not billions.
I have had very little trouble with bugs in SuSE. I am using SuSE-11.0 in the 64 bit version. The install came with KDE-4 which in my opinion should have never been done. I went back to KDE-3 and everything seems to work ok.
I have also used Puppy Linux. It has a very low bug count. Puppy has the advantage that it fits on a CD easily and is easy to create your own versions of. I have turned it into several tools for specific jobs. One thing that I have made Puppy do that may be of interest is run LTspice. With a CD and a memory stick, you can work on circuits on a borrowed computer.
ElectronDepot website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.