Wow Gene, you are my man!

Also as we all know, NASA actually uses Linux for its shuttle programme.
http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS5714800202.html
http://www.linux-watch.com/news/NS7317694195.html

Swapnil


--- In indiansciencefiction@..., Gene van Troyer
<gevantry@...> wrote:
>
> On 6/3/08 8:00 PM, "arvind mishra" <drarvind3@...> wrote:
> >
> > Advancement of the discussion is ok but what conceivable
connections all
> > this may have with sf is more important here.
>
> Well, okay, due to a system crash an orbiting shuttle cannot land
until it
> downloads a key piece of software. The system crash also vented most
of the
> shuttle¹s air into space and the passengers have only a couple of
hours to
> breathe. Unfortunately, the onboard computers are powered with
proprietary
> software and the license agreement expressly forbids the use of Open
Source
> software under any circumstances (including emergencies) without special
> permission. Since the only reliable application for assisting shuttle
> landings is Open Source, as opposed to the proprietary version, which is
> buggy and requires hours of updating before it it ready to perform,
Mission
> Control is in a quandary. On the one hand, they need to get their
shuttle
> down quickly. On the other, violating the license agreement will
cost the
> annual budget in penalties. Thus, everyone planetside is in a
bureaucratic
> rat race to figure everything out before the shuttle runs out of
air. The
> crew is going crazy for obvious reasons, because Mission Control
won¹t allow
> them download the Open Source solution until they¹ve worked out a
deal with
> the operating system copyright owners.
>
> There¹s the sci-fi connection... :)
>
> Cheers,
>
> Gene
>