We all heard about a couple of companies, some very large ones, switching to Linux. But now, according to The Register, the US Army is planning to use Linux for its next generation weapons program called Future Combat System.

Future Combat Systems, or FCS, is a roughly $200 billion weapons program that military officials consider the most thorough modernization of the Army since World War II.

US Army struggles with Windows to Linux overhaul (The Register)
'Battle Command' Summits (DefenseNews)
The Complex Crux Of Wireless Warfare (Washington Post)

I'm confused. From your third link:

From the third link....

It's properly meant that Linux is better than Windows. That's how I understand it.

I like to see Linux in every other possible field of operation, but surely not in the military. Does anyone else still remember software disclaimers forbidding military use (mostly in early public domain realm)? This should go into GPL.

I agree, but think it would be hard to stop. Free software is free software... how can you classify one thing as free, and not something else? There has been a huge movement for open-source software... is it feasible to imagine as large a one for stopping military use? It's a nice thought, but still...

Besides, although I don't generally support the idea of an army, we shouldn't forget that in many countries nowadays, the army plays different (and good) roles: assistance to injured persons, fire rescue or other kinds of rescue, management of "disorder" where and when it arises (huge traffic jams due to accidents or strikes..., other causes...)

I'm glad some of those tasks might be helped by Linux.

Yves.

The news was about a weapon system. So unless the army starts to shoot at vehicles in traffic jams or accidents Linux won't really have any effect on those cases.

Although I've read the article, the thread has run for quite a while and I lost track. You're right of course.

Yves.