US Military Drones Migrating To Linux

DeviceGuru (1136715) writes "Raytheon is switching its UAV control system from Solaris to Linux for U.S. military drones, starting with a Northrop Grumman MQ-8C Fire Scout helicopter. Earlier this month Raytheon entered into a $15.8 million contract with the U.S. Navy to upgrade Raytheon's control systems for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), according to a recent Avionics Intelligence report. The overhaul is designed to implement more modern controls to help ground-based personnel control UAVs. Raytheon's tuxified version of its Vertical Takeoff and Landing Unmanned Air Vehicle Tactical Control System (TCS) will also implement universal UAV control qualities. As a result the TCS can be used in in all U.S. Navy, Air Force, Army, and Marine Corps UAVs that weigh at least 20 pounds. By providing an open standard, the common Linux-based platform is expected to reduce costs by limiting the types of UAV control systems that need to be built and maintained for each craft."

Comments

2014 year of the linux des!!!!##^^!@#!@#$

[Anonymous Coward]

NO CARRIER

Re:2014 year of the linux des!!!!##^^!@#!@#$

[K. S. Kyosuke]

...the year of Linux approaching your desktop at Mach 4 with all the precision of terminal laser guidance?

What distro?

[MAXOMENOS]

Red Hat Military Edition? Killbuntu? Debian For Drones?

Re:What distro?

[CanHasDIY]

BSD - Blowing Shit up with Drones

Re:.... on their own volition

[pushing-robot]

It's been my experience that drones usually migrate to Microsoft products.

Finally

[gmuslera]

The killer app for linux has been finally released. This will be the year of the linux desktop, or at least the one when it will take off.

Re:time for a new public licence

[aliquis]

Obama wanted to be able to claim his drones help spread freedom.

Re:Killer question

[bobbied]

Just init.tab entries.. RunLevel 1 = take off, 2 is cruse, 3 is crash (not that kind...)

Re:time for a new public licence

[Anonymous Coward]

Even the GPL covers this. You can argue that a shell shot by the drone is like a linked library to the drone. Therefore the victim has to see the GPL before being killed.

Re:But.... Windows 8

[aliquis]

But.... Windows 8
Why is Windows not an option?

They couldn't find the start menu.

Re:free software can be used for evil?!

[CODiNE]

Nonono, Mac OS X is NeXT.

Finally, "kill" or "killall" really work!

[whoever57]

killall -9 "myenemies"

A second shell with source code ...

[Anonymous Coward]

Even the GPL covers this. You can argue that a shell shot by the drone is like a linked library to the drone. Therefore the victim has to see the GPL before being killed.

People so frequently misunderstand the GPL. There is no obligation to provide source unless someone has the binary, and the publisher can wait until they ask. So to be GPL compliant the publisher only has to provide source to strike survivors if and when they ask. The publisher is also free to choose their own delivery mechanism so long as it is something commonly used, given the precedent of the first shell a second shell containing source would be compliant.

Re:time for a new public licence

[evilviper]

if you're a software engineer working on the Linux Kernel you can do so knowing that your work wont be used to kill people.

I guess if they switched from Linux to OpenBSD, it would make EVERYBODY happier:

"software which OpenBSD uses and redistributes must be free to all (be they people or companies), for any purpose they wish to use it, including modification, use, peeing on, or even integration into baby mulching machines or atomic bombs to be dropped on Australia." - cvs@openbsd.org mailing list, May 29, 2001