The US Military and Linux

[Vunutus]

I'm just curious if we have any people here serving in the US Military in some sort of IT position (or somebody who has knowledge of what goes on with the IT stuff there). I see the occasional news article saying "<branch> adopts Linux" or "US Military now using Linux" or something similar.

Is this just a case of an incredibly slow news day or is Linux adoption actually a common thing in the military? I'm particularly interested in the servers on bases, but workstation adoption facts would be interesting too.

[sandyd]

I'm just curious if we have any people here serving in the US Military in some sort of IT position (or somebody who has knowledge of what goes on with the IT stuff there). I see the occasional news article saying "<branch> adopts Linux" or "US Military now using Linux" or something similar.

Is this just a case of an incredibly slow news day or is Linux adoption actually a common thing in the military? I'm particularly interested in the servers on bases, but workstation adoption facts would be interesting too.
Their struggling. -> http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/02/05/us_army_linux_integration/

[sdowney717]

sometimes the solution is so easy it is painfully obvious.
just switch it all over to linux at one time and forget about windows. Run both systems simultaneously and independently as it gets developed you will know when it is ready.

[Arsic]

And that was an article written 2 years ago.

[cprofitt]

Their struggling. -> http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/02/05/us_army_linux_integration/


I doubt the accuracy of that story... on many levels.

Here are some other stories:

http://customers.redhat.com/2007/10/17/us-army-realizes-better-priceperformance-by-migrating-to-red-hat-enterprise-linux/

http://www.junauza.com/2010/05/us-army-federal-employees-linux.html

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/108971/U.S._Army_Laboratory_Makes_Major_Linux_Computing_C luster_Move

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2003/10/27/us_army_going_to_linux/

[Giant Speck]

sometimes the solution is so easy it is painfully obvious.
just switch it all over to linux at one time and forget about windows. Run both systems simultaneously and independently as it gets developed you will know when it is ready.

Yeah, because the military happens to also have a bottomless pit of cash to put toward such endeavors.

[pwnst*r]

Yeah, because the military happens to also have a bottomless pit of cash to put toward such endeavors.

But it's so easy!!!!!111

[Giant Speck]

But it's so easy!!!!!111
They'll never notice!!!

[Old Marcus]

"Fire the missles!"
"But sir, I can't find the start menu!"

[cprofitt]

"Fire the missles!"
"But sir, I can't find the start menu!"

Fire the missiles!

Sir, Vista is asking me if I really want to take that action...

Sir. I said OK, but Vista says I need administrative privileges to take that action...

[Sporkman]

A lot of embedded linux.

[iponeverything]

sometimes the solution is so easy it is painfully obvious.
just switch it all over to linux at one time and forget about windows. Run both systems simultaneously and independently as it gets developed you will know when it is ready.

I don't think is really possible for anyone without firsthand experience to truly appreciate the vast incomprehensible pentagon bureaucracy. Rule number #1 - nothing is easy.

[perspectoff]

Richard Clarke, former National Security Advisor and Special Advisor to the President on Cybersecurity, writes about how insecure Windows has been over the years:

Cyber War: The Next Threat to National Security and What to Do About It, 2010.

He reveals how Microsoft gave the code for Windows to the Chinese but not to American companies (energy and banking).

Wikipedia has a good reference list of his articles and books (Richard A. Clarke).

Yes, the military uses Linux, and SELinux is a hardened security Linux developed by the military.

See http://www.nsa.gov/research/selinux/faqs.shtml

He advocates that our national energy grid also convert to security-enhanced Linux and not be so vulnerable to Chinese "logic bombs" that are possible in Windows and which caused an infiltration scare 2 years ago as our energy grid was manipulated from computers apparently set up in a Chinese hotel.

U.S.Navy Admiral Robert Willard underscored the nature of increasing Chinese attacks:

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/032710-military-warns-of-increasingly-active.html

and

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9174906/Threat_of_cyberattacks_from_overseas_high_federal_ IT_execs_say?source=toc

Echelon now has rolled Linux-based smart power grid software products.

Army, Livermore, and NASA supercomputers are also using distributed Linux processors. The NASA Columbia supercomputer was built by Intel and Silicon Graphics.

(It would not surprise me if SG was also involved with the 4000 HP processor Ubuntu Linux-based supercomputer used in the making of the movie Avatar.)

One of the two fastest supercomputers in the world, Jaguar, runs a version of Linux (Cray Linux Environment) for the Oak Ridge National Laboratories.

The Army has moved to Linux systems for records and management systems:

http://customers.redhat.com/2007/10/17/us-army-realizes-better-priceperformance-by-migrating-to-red-hat-enterprise-linux/

And of course, as mentioned in a previous post, lots of embedded Linux devices in the military.

[pwnst*r]

Fire the missiles!

Sir, Vista is asking me if I really want to take that action...

Sir. I said OK, but Vista says I need administrative privileges to take that action...

You ruined it.

[nothingspecial]

I know that The Royal Airforce uses linux for some things.

[Johnsie]

On workstations it's Windows. On some servers they will ue Linux. Windows is better supported than Linux for many things.

[wkhasintha]

"Fire the missles!"
"But sir, I can't find the start menu!"


Fire the missiles!

Sir, Vista is asking me if I really want to take that action...

Sir. I said OK, but Vista says I need administrative privileges to take that action...

:lolflag::lolflag:

[Swagman]

"sudo fire dammit"

[eriktheblu]

There are several problems with the workstation conversion to Linux.

Our IT staff are trained in Windows, this means that all the networks and security protocols are based in Windows. We literally have global networks with countless workstations and servers. Switching that all to a Linux friendly network would be difficult.

We would also have to retrain our IT staff to Linux, which would be quite costly. Additionally, we would probably have to retrain some of our operators to employ the replacement software. I'm not kidding here, I was required to take classes on Outlook in order to get my current job in the Army.

We are not known for our computing competence. I once called our tech support to get printer drivers installed (I have no admin rights). I had to explain to the tech how to install the drivers. This is an organization who's reaction to the autorun.inf problem was to disable all USB ports.

The web designers we tend to hire have no respect for web standards. My primary web based application I use is only functional in IE, and only displays correctly in IE 6. This is not an isolated example either. My command literally took the local "computer guru" (translation: moderately competent) and used Frontpage to design their website.

We employ numerous programs that are specific to Windows and have no alternatives. Our form software only runs on Windows (key features are non-functional with Wine).

As much as I think that it's the obvious choice, I doubt it will ever happen unless mandated by law.

[VorpalBunny]

I'm in the artillery, and the new computer equipment we're getting is all based on Vista and Windows Mobile. It's replacing Solaris. I thought the Solaris was really cool but since no one else knew anything about Unix they thought it was worthless '80s crap.

[grahammechanical]

Based on a program on British TV that I saw a few years ago, I would say that the American military have the view that if it is mission critical then you do not buy the software over the counter but you code it yourself. It may be based on a form of Open Source but I doubt very much if the code would be released - national security. Another reason for developing your own software.

Regards

[whiskeylover]

You ruined it.

^ This

[earthpigg]

Speaking only for the Marines, and with my most recent combat deployment in 2004:

Command and Control stuff at Bn level and lower is Windows. Bn COs in the forward operating bases will communicate with each other (and with higher) over mIRC as often as over the radio. Not over the same internet that we are using right now, of course.

Intel shops have been on *nix for ages. Think of RAID arrays consisting of 5+ solid state drives (again, back in '04 and earlier) and imaging software (for satellite, aircraft, etc intel) that we all wish was available to us on *nix - making google earth look like a children's toy. It isn't uncommon for an Intel Marine to know a few unix commands.

Intel Marines are often recruited for re-enlistment from line units, though one can enlist as an intel Marine as well. Uncle Sam tried to get me to re-enlist so they could send me to intel school. Intel officers often have computer-related majors, though this isn't a formal requirement. The USMC is good at sigint, but a little weak on humint. ie: Marine units may not be the best at 'hearts and minds', but they will know where you and your family sleep at night. Reservist Marines are the backbone of Marine human intel gathering - school teachers and the like with a more friendly disposition tossed into ad-hoc units created for that purpose.

I recall hearing about these old SSDs. The reason for the RAID array was because of frequent failure rate. They where set up so that when one failed, it was simply removed from the rack, put in a bin, and another was put in. Without the system being turned off or any preperation done on the software side. Talk about redundant...

[mips]

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13505_3-10154053-16.html
http://www.disa.mil/forge/
http://www.nsa.gov/research/selinux/index.shtml
http://www.acq.osd.mil/jctd/articles/OTDRoadmapFinal.pdf
http://www.terrybollinger.com/dodfoss/dodfoss_html/index.html
http://www.terrybollinger.com/stenbitmemo/stenbitmemo_html.html
http://www.terrybollinger.com/foss/docs/bollinger--foss-security-in-military--ttcp-jsa--2005-04-20.pdf
http://www.terrybollinger.com/osseconsec/ossandeconomicsecurity/index.html
http://www.terrybollinger.com/index.html#dodfoss Many links you can follow.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MITRE in case you are wondering who they are.
http://www.forbes.com/2003/06/20/cz_eb_0620linux.html
http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/7644
http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20040216213026637



Google search for Linux in the .mil & .gov domains, you can expand on this:
http://www.google.co.za/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-GB%3Aofficial&hs=pfQ&q=Linux+site%3A.mil&btnG=Search&meta=
http://www.google.co.za/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-GB%3Aofficial&hs=hLl&q=Linux+site%3A.gov&btnG=Search&meta=

Sorry, some of those links might be dead by now so I apologise in advance.