On Mon, 20 Mar 2000 05:16:17 -0600, you wrote:
>On Sun, 19 Mar 2000, Paul Jakma wrote:
>>On Sun, 19 Mar 2000, Jesse Pollard wrote:
>>
>> It all depends on the application. I have seen embeded systems that
>> could cause a loss of life on failure. I have worked on some that
>> almost cost the job of the manager who sent it out.
>>
>>obviously you're talking about linux, or any other general purpose
>>timesharing OS then?
>
>No I'm not. Linux doesn't have the reliability yet. Cray UNICOS has
>been used to control nukes though (or so I've been told).
Linux isn't intended to be used in this way. I doubt they installed
Unicos in the nukes either, since Crays tend to be pretty heavy.
I wouldn't want a general-purpose desktop/server OS controlling nukes
or life support systems - so don't ask for those features in my
desktop/server OS.
RTLinux might want these sorts of features, perhaps, but the
desktop/server variant doesn't need it and wouldn't benefit from it.
>>Overcommit is good, everyone does it, it's not going away. let's stop
>>talking about it...
>
>NO not everyone. It is done when management decides that it is too
>expensive to avoid it, and when it is determined not to be life
>threatening.
i.e. any normal desktop/server situation. If they want embedded-type
features, they shouldn't be using Linux to begin with.
>Look how upset the FAA gets when the air traffic system dies. That was/is
>based on an old production system (more batch than interactive).
>Now nobody is saying they are planning to use Linux for that, but it is
>a counterexample.
The criteria you seem to be trying to apply to Linux just aren't
relevant. You seem to be criticising Linux for lacking features which
you would want in a safety-critical system - but since Linux isn't
intended to be used in this way anyway, why does this matter?
I don't want Linux being installed on any life-support systems,
air-traffic control backends, or missile guidance systems. Equally, I
don't want to run that sort of OS on my desktop or server PC.
James.
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This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Thu Mar 23 2000 - 21:00:29 EST