Slashdot Mirror
Linux Powers Military UGV
An anonymous reader writes "Linux powers a new autonomous unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) that learns routes by following along behind foot-soldiers, after which it can retrace the route solo, avoiding obstacles. iRobot's "R-Gator" UGV is based on John Deere's 658cc, diesel-powered M-Gator military utility vehicle platform, with control, navigation, and object-avoidance systems based on BlueCat Linux from LynuxWorks. I wonder how Linux idealists feel about their cute little OS being deployed in machinery of war?"
If Linux can go to war, it's almost ready for the corporate desktop!
Linux kicks ass, so souldn't it kick others asses as well.
"Nothin' runs like a Penguin"
I wonder how Linux idealists feel about their cute little OS being deployed in machinery of war?
Oh, that's nothing. They'll totally blow a gasket when they find out what the "D" in DARPA stood for. Perhaps a mass boycott of the internet will result.
Actually I meant binaries not code.
Now here's a question:
If the military distributed their binaries as part of the software controlling a missile. Would they have to include source code in the warhead?
134340: I am not a number. I am a free planet!
sed 's/Iraq/Iran/g' *.c
/etc/init.d/ugv reload
make install
If you don't want crime to pay, let the government run it.
All of which will have to be put down in order to turn on the vehicles lights!
An earlier model. Soldiers didn't care much for it as it was bulkier and didn't have the distructive power. The BFG2000a was a slight improvement but didn't help that much. Now the BFG4150 was an awesome weapon. Might not have had the raw destructive power of the BFG9000 but it was light, comfortable and durable has all hell.
Paying taxes to buy civilization is like paying a hooker to buy love.
Would they have to include source code in the warhead?
No, it would suffice to include with the warhead a written offer, good for at least three years, to give any third party, for a charge no more than the cost of physically performing source distribution, a complete machine-readable copy of the corresponding source code.
(see the GPL, section 3b)
...the last thing I need is fucking Clippy popping up in my rifle sights.
"It looks like you are attempting a center-of-mass shot at 250 meters. Would you like help?
O Get help taking the shot.
O Just take the shot without help.
O Get help relocating your target, who is long-gone by the time you've finished mousing around this lame-assed help interface."
blog |
I am pretty sure that Linux is really the only option for something like this for several reasons: /var/enemy/combatants/"
-OS X would simply look too damn sleek and sexy for military use
-Windows
*Blue Screen of Death (not helpful in tactical situations)
*As mentioned before, Clippy would probably be a liability in the field
*Do you really want something like Sasser to cripple the military?
*In a battlefield situation is one Tuesday a month enough?
-The proprietary Diebold voting machine system
*hahahahhahahahahaha
-Arm this thing with some serious firepower and "rm -rf" means something
-Arm this thing and alias pWn="sudo rm -rf
-BeOS just flashes the things headlights
You only have to release the source code to people you distribute the hardware to. (If you always distribute the source code with any purchase, there's no need for a 'public release').
This does, however, raise an interesting question: Does physical capture of a UGV classify as 'distribution' requiring a source-code disclosure?
More importantly, would enemy lawyers applying for a source-code release order be declared 'unlawful combatants' and shipped off to Guantanimo for 5 years of cross examination?
Free Software: Like love, it grows best when given away.
... if a missile with GPLed binaries destroys your house, you can demand another one, with the sources.