Posted on 08/27/2007 6:06:44 AM PDT by Halfmanhalfamazing
SINGAPORE Airlines is to install a PC running Red Hat Linux operating system in every seat on its newest A380 superjumbo.
According to Network World, the system consists of a central Linux server that connects to a network of PCs installed under every seat on the aircraft.
(Excerpt) Read more at volesoft.com ...
That is cool. I wonder how long until other airlines start doing this. It is way better than having the one choice that everyone can watch.
Interesting. Singapore Airlines has an excellent reputation.
The way the headline is written, it’s tempting to think they’re talking about “Air Linux”!
Too bad they didn’t choose an American bird and original American software.
If you mean "Too bad they didn't choose Windows", that's easy -- think of the potential lawsuits due to viral cross-infection, data security breaches, etc. that would be possible with business people using essentially "public" Windows machines.
If you mean "Too bad they didn't choose Unix", probably it was the lack of common software apps.
If you mean "Too bad they didn't choose Mac OS X", I agree completely -- but probably Apple wouldn't sell them the necessary custom hardware components required to make Mac OS X work in non-Apple hardware. I'd love to see Apple license OS X for a wider variety of hardware, even if it all stays proprietary.
But given the above, Linux is the obvious choice.
Like I said too bad they didn’t choose an American bird or original American software, but if you want to focus on the foreign born software Linux, it already has a well documented history of crashing on Airbus flights, look it up sometime.
*sigh* When will I ever learn? You don't read other people's posts, you just trash Linux.
Read carefully: I stated that I would have preferred OS X (that's an American BSD, GE). But since Apple refuses to license OS X to run on non-Apple hardware (they are after all a hardware company), and since Apple doesn't build flight-qual hardware suitable for installation on airplanes, the only thing left was Linux.
too expensive. How often are they supposed to work on their airplanes, and how big does the tech support department need to be?
I know I’d have made the same choice, just install it and forget it.
To mess up a Linux box, you need to work at it; to mess up your Windows box, you just have to work on it
Well GE, I’m sure since Singapore air is in business to lose money, they went out and chose a deliberately inferior OS to make sure it would be a customer and maintenance nightmare.
Wait. What’s that you say? They’re in business to make money and not to lose it? And given that they would tend to go with a superior OS? Hmmmm.
Interesting note but the original article has fare more detail. This is not a feature they are only adding to Airbus
“The Boeing Co. 787 Dreamliner, when these aircraft enter service.”
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