What is Linux used for? Are jet airliners using Linux OS?

[James_Smith]

The reason I ask is that I was on a plane some years ago and they rebooted the entertainment system. Soon enough Tux pops up on the screen and I said "Oh, Linux!" Now, at that time I didn't really understand exactly what Linux was but I knew the penguin. Well, I hadn't even realized I'd said it out loud until the passenger next to me said, "Yeah, every computer on this plane is Linux including the ones in the cockpit."

Is this true?

What other applications has Linux (other than enabling me to get on Facebook and look at pictures of cats and people's dinners)? Is it commonly used for AI? Is it commonly used in the various space programs around the world?

Thanks

[jimallyn]

I think the Federal Aviation Administration has been using Linux for years, as has the Post Office. I have read that the White House has been using Linux for years, also. The Navy's newest Zumwalt Class warship is all Linux from top to bottom and stem to stern. The International Space station's computers all run Linux (Debian). NASA uses Linux. Facebook uses Linux.

“When we rolled into Baghdad, we did it using open source. It may come as a surprise to many of you, but the U.S. Army is 'the' single largest install base for Red Hat Linux. I'm their largest customer.” - Brigadier General Nick Justice

“All the best people in life seem to like Linux.” - Steve Wozniak

“By golly, I'm beginning to think Linux really *is* the best thing since sliced bread.” - Vance Petree, Virginia Power

“We migrated key functions from Windows to Linux because we needed an operating system that was stable and reliable - one that would give us in-house control.” - Keith Chuvala, NASA Space Operations Computing manager.

“The easiest way to describe the infrastructure at Facebook is that it's pretty much all Linux.” - Chris Mason, member of Facebook’s Linux kernel team.

Microsoft started using Linux in their cloud in 2015, released their SQL Server for Linux in 2016, released Azure Sphure (Linux for the Internet of Things) in 2018, and 40 percent of the virtual machines in their cloud are running Linux.

By the way, Linus Torvalds said, years ago, "If Microsoft ever does applications for Linux it means I've won.” Congratulations, Linus, you won!

[Hoser Rob]

You should also google the difference between Linux and GNU/Linux (Mint is the latter). Technically Linux is just the kernel.

GNU/Linux is Linux with an open source wrapper. OS X is something very much like Linux (they used the Mach kernel as a base) with a highly proprietary closed source wrapper. Android is based on their own patched version of a Gentoo Linux kernel, though I think that's going to change, again with their own wrapper.

Linux is also very popular in embedded control systems in all kinds of products, though they mostly use the kernel with a very sparse wrapper ... these aren't general purpose designs like a laptop.

[deepakdeshp]

I think the Federal Aviation Administration has been using Linux for years, as has the Post Office. I have read that the White House has been using Linux for years, also. The Navy's newest Zumwalt Class warship is all Linux from top to bottom and stem to stern. The International Space station's computers all run Linux (Debian). NASA uses Linux. Facebook uses Linux.

“When we rolled into Baghdad, we did it using open source. It may come as a surprise to many of you, but the U.S. Army is 'the' single largest install base for Red Hat Linux. I'm their largest customer.” - Brigadier General Nick Justice

“All the best people in life seem to like Linux.” - Steve Wozniak

“By golly, I'm beginning to think Linux really *is* the best thing since sliced bread.” - Vance Petree, Virginia Power

“We migrated key functions from Windows to Linux because we needed an operating system that was stable and reliable - one that would give us in-house control.” - Keith Chuvala, NASA Space Operations Computing manager.

“The easiest way to describe the infrastructure at Facebook is that it's pretty much all Linux.” - Chris Mason, member of Facebook’s Linux kernel team.

Microsoft started using Linux in their cloud in 2015, released their SQL Server for Linux in 2016, released Azure Sphure (Linux for the Internet of Things) in 2018, and 40 percent of the virtual machines in their cloud are running Linux.

By the way, Linus Torvalds said, years ago, "If Microsoft ever does applications for Linux it means I've won.” Congratulations, Linus, you won!

Well written Jim

[MintBean]

Set top boxes, cell phones, in-car entertainment systems, all of the top 500 most powerful super computers, most of the internet... all sorts.

[Portreve]

“GNU+Linux represents the best and indeed only publicly auditable and peer-reviewable platform, and therefore the only one capable of being made fully trustworthy.”
— Portreve, LMF user