A question for the computer uber-literate re the Navy and 'open source' software

[Stinky The Clown]

I heard a blurb on the radio today about the Navy having switched (last year?) to "all open source software to aid in interoperability."

Does that mean no more Microsoft for the Navy and that stuff like Linux or Java will be what they use as their OS instead?

On edit .... does that also mean no more use of stuff like Word or Excel? Or AutoCAD, or any of the other software that have become de facto standards?

[supernova]

1. Yep, thats what it means

It also means they'll save a ton money not buying proprietary sw every few years, since you can get the kernels for free. You can also do your own customizations, you don't have to depend on vendors creating stuff for, you, which I would guess would be a huge draw to DoD.

[alfredo]

2. UNIX and Linux it sounds like. It could be one of the BSD's or SELinux

developed by the NSA.

After the USS Yorktown I thought the transition would be quicker. Here's a good article from 1998.
http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/1998/07/13987

Sunk by Windows NT
07.24.98 | 4:35 PM
While Microsoft continues to trumpet the success of its NT operating system over Unix-based systems, the US Navy is having second thoughts about putting NT at the helm. A system failure on the USS Yorktown last September temporarily paralyzed the cruiser, leaving it stalled in port for the remainder of a weekend.

"For about two-and-a-half hours, the ship was what we call 'dead in the water,'" said Commander John Singley of the Atlantic Fleet Surface Force.

The warship was testing its new Smart Ship system, which uses off-the-shelf PCs to automate tasks that sailors have traditionally done themselves. "The Navy started the Smart Ship program with three essential goals in mind: improve combat readiness, reduce crew workload and operating costs, and to do it safely," said Singley.

The Smart Ship program is still in development, and officials said glitches are to be expected, but in this case the problem appeared to be more political than technical. Using Microsoft's Windows NT operating system in such a critical environment, some engineers said, was a bad move.

[Stinky The Clown]

3. heh heh ......

.... I wonder if a PC can do that most time honored of Navy deck ape passtimes ....... chipping paint?

[Adsos Letter]

5. ah...the ol' needlegun...

[cliffordu]

4. Bingo! I love Linux. I use it every day. I am using it right now!!!

[alfredo]

6. I used to, but since Apple went UNIX I've been OSX for the past

six or seven years. I am looking for a used laptop for Linux, so I haven't given up on Tux.

GIMP and Inkscape are becoming so good. I lost access to PS when I went Leopard so I've been using GIMP. I'm pleased with how it has come along.

[cliffordu]

7. Ya, I got the wifey a MAC running osX.....Lovely stuff!!

[alfredo]

8. Yeah and you can run a host of UNIX/Linux app on it.

http://osx.hyperjeff.net/

http://www.macupdate.com/

http://darwingimp.sourceforge.net/index.html

http://www.inkscape.org/