Use of Linux at NASA

A different perspective on Linux use, from the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif. Contrary to what you'll see almost anywhere else, they use and love Linux on the Desktop, but don't consider it viable for the server. From the article: “Our personal view is that Linux, period, is only for the desktop. We don't run our main servers on Linux, because there are too many flaws in main Linux kernel,” he said.
I must admit that Linux stability is not what it needs to be in a certain context for some applications. I'm not talking stability as far as crashing (although I still see more cases than I'd like, Linux is rock solid if you configure it correctly on known good hardware). What I am talking about is from a life-cycle standpoint. RHEL and SLES have done a ton in this regard, but they are both relatively new and still have a little to learn. They both will get there though, it's just a matter of when. What is truly exceptional about Linux is that it's scaling in two nearly diametrically opposed directions (big iron vs. embedded) at the same time. Not only that, but it's doing a good job in both directions. Awesome.
Linux, NASA, Desktop
–jeremy