FAA Grants RSC Status to Linux-Friendly RTOS 99
BoulderDad writes "LinuxDevices.com is reporting that a proprietary RTOS capable of running Linux binaries has been certified by the FAA as a re-usable software component (RSC). LynuxWorks says LynxOS-178's RSC acceptance will enable greater software reuse among integrators and developers of safety-critical aerospace and defense components."
OMFG! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:OMFG! (Score:2)
Re:OMFG! (Score:2)
Re:OMFG! (Score:1)
Re:OMFG! (Score:2)
Re:OMFG! (Score:2)
Re:Actually. . . (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Actually. . . (Score:2, Interesting)
Initialisms use the first letters of words. Examples include WTF, OMG, and the things in the article.
Anagrams are words that are made by rearranging the letters of another word: Clint Eastwood -> Old West Action, Mother in-law -> Woman Hitler.
There were no acronyms or (intentional) anagrams in the article, just a bunch of initialisms.
Re:Actually. . . (Score:1)
from dictionary.com:
acronym n : a word formed from the initial letters of a multi-word name
see also google define: acronym [google.com]
As Demonstrated by Robin Williams... (Score:2)
Re:OMFG! (Score:2)
NGTH (Score:2, Insightful)
Realistically, mission-critical developers aren't going to trust code written by the public, certified or not. There's no responsibility to the developers if something goes wrong with that code.
Re:NGTH (Score:5, Insightful)
Even that can be a whole lot cheaper than writing it yourself.
Re:NGTH (Score:2)
Re:NGTH (Score:3, Informative)
Re:NGTH (Score:5, Informative)
Re:NGTH (Score:2, Informative)
Re:NGTH (Score:3, Informative)
Re:NGTH (Score:2)
Re:NGTH (Score:1)
The advantage of an RTOS like LynxOS or Green Hills Integerity, or VxWorks, is that it just works, sure that price sounds pretty big, but compare it to the time of digging through all the code yourself. It is possible to get a version of Linux that could pass DO-178B certification, but it's something else entirerly to
Re:NGTH (Score:5, Interesting)
Microsoft was approached by my company to get OS-178B. Once they looked at what it would entail, they called back a week later and told us that they had a good laugh. In their own words, not even Vista will come close. And XP was not even a consideration.
Be sure to read the article. This is LynxOS with Linux API on top. That is much easier to do.
But if you check google, you will find that there are several other companies with OS-178B version of Linux. They are a pain to work with as they are nothing but a stripped down redhat with a few re-written parts. Do you think that before I write code for any of these, that I am going to check over all the code? Not one line. I trust that the FAA and the company that sell these did that already. Why do I do that? Because, I do not have the time to do that and write my code.
That is why we use certificated OSs in critical areas of the cockpit.
Re:NGTH (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:NGTH (Score:2)
Everyone does, but they're not certified.
Re:NGTH (Score:3, Informative)
Just about anything permanently mounted to an aircraft requires FAA approval, most early GPSs were not IFR approved, but now almost all panel mount GPSs have certification for enroute navigation, and many have approval for approach use (on GPS approaches).
I know this for a fact because I had a field inspector yelling at me about a camera mount until I showed him that it was removable, and not a hazard to flight.
The FAA
We're not happy, until you're not happy.
Re:NGTH (Score:4, Informative)
Re:NGTH (Score:1)
If you're talking about RTCA DO-178.... (Score:1)
Level A software is on the most critical systems, while Level E is non-interference (i.e., if the system fails, it's a minor nuisance, and just needs to be shown that it cannot take out any more critical systems).
ed
Re:NGTH (Score:2)
I'm just more familiar with the "handheld" units (Frequently semi-permanently mounted) that aren't certified at all.
And something running NT4.0? *shiver*
Re:NGTH (Score:2)
The strange thing is that the reciever and controlers are certified for aviation use with the same warnings. Supposedly this system can be used to control small aircraft with a little different hardware and hookup. Ohh yea, and suprisingly it is reletivly cheap. The control unit and recievers cost around $5,000 us to bu
Re:NGTH (Score:1)
The aircraft I fly had a duel Garmin 530 outfit with TCAS, certified for both ILS Cat I and GPS Enroute, and Approaches.
Re:NGTH (Score:2)
Re:NGTH (Score:2)
Re:NGTH (Score:2)
Famous last words.
Re:NGTH (Score:2)
Let's think about this for a second. Would you rather ride in a plane that has the autopilot running on Windows or Linux?
Somehow the fact that MSFT has the money to pay off my weeping family does not inspire me to trust them more. It's not who writes the code, it's who certifies the code if something goes wron
Re:NGTH (Score:1)
Re:NGTH (Score:2)
Re:NGTH (Score:1)
I've developed and shipped software certified to DO-178B level A on a likewise certified OS (on two different aircraft), and I can state categorically that no widely-used general purpose OS will ever be certified to that level. The requirements are just way too stringent to apply to anything that wasn't developed from the ground up with the intent of achieving certification. For level A software for
Re:Darn Acronyms (Score:2)
Re:Darn Acronyms (Score:1)
Re:Darn Acronyms (Score:3, Informative)
Want a weather report?
KPWK 202253Z 04015KT 10SM SKC 01/M06 A3018
-matthew
Re:Darn Acronyms (Score:3, Interesting)
Of course, TAFs are worse. And lets not forget the shorthand for weather conditions (rain/showers/etc) comes from French.
Re:Darn Acronyms (Score:1)
oh, and to all you people writing weather applets -- CAVOK doesn't necessarily mean it's going to be sunny, just that the Ceiling And Visibility is above a certain level (and hence deemed OK). It can be completely overcast, just as long as the clouds are high enough.
Re:Darn Acronyms (Score:2)
PWK (Pawtucket? Paulwaukee?) airport weather information for 03/20/2006, 2253 UTC. Winds 040 at 15 knots, 10 miles visibility, clear skies. Temperature 1 degree centigrade, dewpoint -6 degrees centrigade, altimeter 30.18 inches of hg.
Oh, great. (Score:5, Funny)
GE-xxxx: scsi2: AEN: WARNING: SMART threshold exceeded: Engine #3
Kernel panic: defect on
Re:Oh, great. (Score:1)
Re:Gentoo (Score:1)
Less worried about /dev/altimeter (Score:3, Interesting)
Back to the LynxOS stuff, though. If LynxOS can run Linux binaries, then people can develop on Linux and run under LynxOS. (Duh!) As the hardware for development is orders of magnitude more expensive than the development tools, I'm not sure it'll have much short-term impact
Playing Net Hack in the Cockpit.... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Playing Net Hack in the Cockpit.... (Score:1)
- Heh, where are we right now?
- The control room?
- Noooo.
- The flight deck?
- Noooo...
- The cockpit?
- HAHAH YES !
Just you wait for the OOMK (Score:1)
Acronym overload (Score:3, Informative)
* FAA [google.com].
* RTOS [google.com]
--
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Re:Excellent news (Score:2)
Because the BSDs NEVER change. OpenBSD, FreeBSD, Darwin, and NetBSD are all exactly the same. Write once, run anywhere!
Re:Excellent news (Score:1)
try this place : http://www.literacychicago.org/adult_literacy.htm [literacychicago.org]
In summary (Score:2, Interesting)
The Linux applications would also need to be certified but a base OS that can handle realtime input (IE dont lag up mouse movement and your MP3's should glitch ever type of OS realtime) and has library compatibility to Linux enabling it to run applications written for Linux has been approved by the powers that be.
Now there is a use of an OS were I'd welcome DRM.
TTFN
Re:In summary (Score:2)
Acronyms (Score:2, Funny)
Learn to abbreviate better (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Learn to abbreviate better (Score:2)
Toe WHAT? (Score:2)
Over LORDS? Or over LOADS?
And pricing... (Score:4, Informative)
But cash strapped developers ... (Score:4, Interesting)
Note that, because it's a Linux API, the bulk of the development can be done on Linux platforms WITHOUT per-developer licenses.
You'd need occasional testing against the real OS by someone "sitting in a licensed seat" - to check the behavior under the real OS's scheduling regime and detect reliance on missing or divergent features. And of course you'd have to hammer on it ifn licensed seats (and real or excelently hardware modeled aircraft devices) for final test. But if the licenses are sufficiently dear you concevably might end up ahead. (You wouldn't need per-seat licenses for initial prototyping work, either.)
(The "reliability tested in later" nature of such an effort wouldn't be an extra burden if machines connected to prototype hardware or timing-accurate models of them also aren't available at all seats all the time.)
A lot of software might not need close modeling thoughout development to get right.
Re:But cash strapped developers ... (Score:2)
Realistically, when the time comes to do debugging, you wouldn't want fewer seats than developers anyway.
And you're not really running on a PC here. You'd almost certainly be running on proprietary hardware, hooked up to special power supplies, with bizarre aviation hardware interfaces. Each target box might run a substantial fraction of $18k.
And to be honest, the cost of generating DO-178B Level A docume
Re:And pricing... (Score:2)
Tee Hee (Score:1)
What'd they do to make Return of the Sith more friendly to Linux users? ltsbr -rf?
Re:Tee Hee (Score:2)
More hype than substance (Score:1, Interesting)
Trademark infringement!(tm) (Score:1)
I fail to see the friendliness (Score:1)
no USB in lynx (Score:1, Informative)