Linux to get the boot at US Army Corps of Engineers?

[RAV TUX]

Linux to get the boot at US Army Corps of Engineers?
By Joe Barr on September 14, 2007 (2:00:00 PM)

According to an anonymous source working at the Geotechnical & Structures Lab of the US Army Corps of Engineers in Vicksburg, Miss., a committee of government employees and contractors at Vicksburg is considering a new IT policy which will force everyone to move to Windows XP if they are not already running it, and to port all applications save one currently running on Linux to Windows. The lone exception would be moved to Solaris.

The source, a professional employed at the lab, says, "I have been told that Linux will not be allowed on our installation, which is kind of funny since our supercomputer runs SUSE Linux. There are several different computer configurations that are being discussed for specific types of work after the change. All are WinXP with one having Solaris.

"Many of us that are able to retire or find something better to do with our time are going to be leaving. Too bad since most of the people that accomplish things (e.g. scientists and engineers) will be the ones to go, I expect."

Government Computer News reported in July 2006 on the $400+ million dollar deal under which Lockheed Martin and the Corps of Engineers would share IT management of the Corps of Engineers. GCN quoted Lockheed officials at the time as saying, "The team will serve the corps' civil works, military construction, and R&D missions at more than 50 locations, providing management of infrastructure systems, records and documents; communications; desktop support; service desk; strategic planning; testing and solutions; information security; visual information; and printing and publications."

Joe Wagovich, the director of communications for Lockheed Martin Enterprise Solutions and Services, told us flatly, "Lockheed Martin has given no guidance to our Corps customer restricting the use of Linux, and we are unaware of any restrictions that the Corps made." The US Army Corps of Engineers Public Relations office in Washington, DC, has not responded to our query about the issue.
http://www.linux.com/feature/119197

[izanbardprince]

Scientist: "But I need to model the moleculor structure of this element!"

Engineer: "I need Linux for CAD!"

Politician: "Windows runs Yahoo Messenger so I can flirt with 14 year old boys, and Microsoft just handed me a nice suitcase full of money!"

[elvis]

Microsoft just handed me a nice suitcase full of money

Nail. Head. Hit.

Yet another example of technological need being overrun by political BS.

[izanbardprince]

Nail. Head. Hit.

Yet another example of technological need being overrun by political BS.

Funny, you know I figured that with you being from Australia and all, political BS would spin around the opposite way.

:popcorn:

[Johnsie]

I dont really care what OS the US army use... As long as they stay out of the rest of the worlds business they can do whatever they want.

[izanbardprince]

I dont really care what OS the US army use... As long as they stay out of the rest of the worlds business they can do whatever they want.

They'll do whatever they want anyway.

And the next time we assimilate a country, we'll make them use Microsoft Windows.

[newman]

We have the most guns. Who can stop us? You want some of this?

[Johnsie]

Then the Iraqis deifinitely wont have any stability.

[ryno519]

So they're going to start paying for the privlege of having to port all of their code to another operating system (which has inherently insecure user permissions and will soon be deprecated) for no apparent reason? Fascinating.

[PmDematagoda]

A major hit to world security. I bet that the world will sucessfully be destroyed by 2010.

[southernman]

I dont really care what OS the US army use... As long as they stay out of the rest of the worlds business they can do whatever they want.If you are referring to the USACOE as a military force, you are just wrong! While their employee base does consist of some military members, most of their employees are civilian.

http://www.usace.army.mil/who/


I know one of the guys that works at this facility in Vicksburg, and was one of the instrumental players in setting up their new CRAY that was installed not that long ago (3-5 years). He hasn't really discussed it on the LUG mailing list we belong to, but I am sure it's taxing his mind. As stated in the outside article linked to by RAV TUX...


The source, a professional employed at the lab, says, "I have been told that Linux will not be allowed on our installation, which is kind of funny since our supercomputer runs SUSE Linux.

That is the ironic part! The part that isn't so ironic is and unfortunately quite common place...


a committee of government employees and contractors at Vicksburg is considering a new IT policy...

Whether or not this "considered policy change" will actually come to fruition, remains to be seen. This "consideration" is likely to cost 100's of thousands of dollars and likely never lead to any change in the current IT policy.

Thanks for the link RAV TUX!

[DoctorMO]

We have the most guns. Who can stop us? You want some of this?

I can't remember are those the guns your supposed to have to get rid of your government when they start doing things against the countries best interest or the guns you use to shoot bunny rabbits? I was always a bit fuzzy on that right to bare arms part of the Magna Carta.

[Beau D.]

I can't remember are those the guns your supposed to have to get rid of your government when they start doing things against the countries best interest or the guns you use to shoot bunny rabbits? I was always a bit fuzzy on that right to bare arms part of the Magna Carta.

There is a difference? :confused:

:KS

Beau D.

[kerry_s]

http://www.linux.com/feature/119197

i wouldn't worry, i was was a army engineer, were first in last out, we have always done as we pleased and i don't think that will change, it's are way or you can do it. :mad:

[Calash]

Didn't Skynet run on Windows XP?

[jimrz]

We have the most guns. Who can stop us? You want some of this?

careful what you ask for

[mocoloco]

I can't remember are those the guns your supposed to have to get rid of your government when they start doing things against the countries best interest or the guns you use to shoot bunny rabbits? I was always a bit fuzzy on that right to bare arms part of the Magna Carta.
They're double-barreled, so both! This about sums up the mentality;

KA-BANG! Thump.
Bart: "Dad, you killed the zombie Flanders!"
Homer: "He was a zombie?"

[elvis]

Funny, you know I figured that with you being from Australia and all, political BS would spin around the opposite way.
Nope. Our political BS smells just as bad as everyone else's, and our politicians spin it just as bad as everyone else.

I think New Zealand are about the only place in the world at the moment that do it right. I'm seriously considering moving there just so I have someone decent to vote for, for once.

[forrestcupp]

A major hit to world security. I bet that the world will sucessfully be destroyed by 2010.

Nah, according to John Titor that doesn't happen until 2015.

[JAPrufrock]

The US Corps of Engineers and Microsoft deserve each other.

[greymongrey]

The US Corps of Engineers and Microsoft deserve each other.

I completely agree. Both are disgraces.