Slashdot Mirror
Linux In Space: Red Hat Rides The Rocket
neiljt writes "BBC News
have a
piece
on NASA experiments to use IP for space missions. The article is a little low-tech, but more details available from NASA (OMNI).
Is this the first Red Hat in space?" It's worth pointing out as well that Debian made the ride nearly six years ago. Still, great news.
It seems NASA had a Flight Linux project that ended in June 2002. Interestingly enough, they link back to slashdot in their publications listing.
They'll give NASA the 'finger'.
giel.y contains 2 shift/reduce conflicts
OK. Can we get this straight, please? IP!=Internet. There are these little things on the internet called routers. They allow traffic to pass between things called 'networks'. A router on a network is an OPTIONAL thing. Without a router connected to to The Internet(tm), THERE AIN'T NOBODY GETTING IN. Moving to standard IP is a _good_ thing. It allows them to use 'standard' tools. Rather than writing everything from scratch. I wouldn't even think that they'll be implementing this in 'mission critical systems' until after it's been tested for a _long_ time. Sheesh. I know hackers and script kiddies are an irritant, but NASA ain't all that stupid.
Back in the early 90s Nasa flew the Macintosh Portable (a bulky 13lb pre powerbook brute) on the shuttle. I remember that one of the more humourous issues dealt with the macs power eject of floppy disks. In Earth's gravity, the floppy catches on the edge of drive, so that it stops partway out. In space, when the floppy was unmounted, it flew accross the compartment.
Atlas stands on the earth and carries the celestial sphere on his shoulders.