NASA uses Linux

[John Abreau]

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SB NEWS @ AMSAT $SPC0304
* SpaceNews 04-Mar-96 *


BID: $SPC0304


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          SpaceNews
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                          MONDAY MARCH 4, 1996

* LINUX SOFTWARE *
==================
Discussions heard between Space Shuttle "Columbia" and mission control
on NASA TV last week indicate that computers running under the Linux
operating system are being used on STS-75.  Linux is powerful 32-bit
multiuser, multitasking operating system similar to Unix in many ways
except cost and licensing.

Linux can run on most 386, 486, and Pentium-based personal computers
in addition to Amiga and Atari computers.  It is currently being
ported to the ARM, MIPS, PowerPC, and PowerMac computers, and a 64-bit
version is available for the DEC Alpha.

Linux was designed a few short years ago by Linus Torvalds, a graduate
student at the University of Helsinki in Finland who took his first
courses in `C' and Unix in the Fall of 1990.  By October 1991, Linux
version 0.02 was announced and this attracted the attention of
thousands of programmers and software developers on the Internet.
International collaboration in the development of Linux has resulted
in a very powerful operating system whose capabilities are growing
faster than those of commercial operating systems.

Part of the enthusiasm behind Linux development is rooted in the fact
that like Unix, the Linux operating system is hardware independent.
As a result, it is possible to author software for Linux that will
operate equally well under many hardware platforms, whether they be a
powerful mainframe or a small laptop.  Its growth and development are
reminiscent of the telecommunication innovations brought to the world
through the efforts of Amateur Radio Operators over the years.  Linux
also supports a wide variety of networking protocols, including AX.25
(Amateur Packet Radio) at the kernel level, a feature not many other
operating systems can claim.

There already exists quite an extensive list of Amateur Radio and
Amateur Satellite related software applications for the Linux
operating system. That list will grow later this week with the release
of the following programs written by KD2BD:

 predict: A multiuser satellite orbital prediction program that
   also provides optical visibility information

 dove   : A simple DOVE-OSCAR-17 telemetry decoding program

 uo11   : A simple UoSAT-OSCAR-11 ASCII telemetry decoding program

 kepgen : A program that allows the creation of Keplerian data
   files in the NASA 2-line format from data entered
   through the keyboard

These programs are free for the asking and must be used for
non-commercial purposes only.  They were written in `C' and compiled
using the highest level of optimization possible from GCC compiler
version 2.5.8.  The resulting executable files are in an a.out binary
format.  These programs will be made available via anonymous FTP at
pilot.njin.net in the /pub/SpaceNews/linux subdirectory or uploaded to
the AMSAT-OSCAR-16 or LUSAT-OSCAR-19 satellites by request.  All
programs include on-line manual pages with the exception of "predict"
which contains a built-in help option.

Further information on the Linux operating system may be obtained
through the World Wide Web at:  http://sunsite.unc.edu/mdw/linux.html
and many other sites around the world.  A link to a HAM-HOWTO page
describing other free Amateur Radio software available for Linux may
also be accessed through this site.

Incidentially, the Linux operating system has been used exclusively
for the creation and circulation of SpaceNews since the release of
"Windows 95" in August of 1995.  Perhaps SpaceNews can also be
referred to as the first Amateur newsletter edited and circulated
entirely under Linux.  :-)

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