Re: computer network on Discovery unreliable?

Jochem Huhmann <joh@xxxxxxx> wrote in
news:m2hde1pdkf.fsf@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx:

> "Jorge R. Frank" <jrfrank@xxxxxxxxxxx> writes:
>
>> "Brian Gaff" <Briang1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
>> news:X4oJe.84044$G8.17156@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx:
>>
>>> On many Communications on this mission they seem to have had
>>> to reboot the systems to get a machine called proshare visible on
>>> the ground in order to transfer data. What version of Windows are
>>> they using?Sounds like 98, surely not!!
>>
>> It's 98SE. They really need to replace the laptops before they can
>> upgrade the OS; the 760XDs just don't have the muscle to run anything
>> more modern.
>
> Should have more than enough oomph to run some Linux. Seriously. Could
> easily save some man-hours per flight. Give those machines and the
> functionality required to me and I'll work something out for a
> reasonable price.

The number one functionality required is 100% compatibility with the PC
network in the control center, which runs Windows. Especially
compatibility with MS Office.

I love Linux, run it dual-boot at home. But all of the open-source office
suites for Linux absolutely suck at importing MS Office files that use
any features more advanced than basic formatting. Use any kind of macros
and you're *** outta luck. The reasonable price for converting to Linux
starts looking unreasonable real quick once you factor in the time
required to convert all the existing files and proofread them line-by-
line (and testing all the macros) to make sure nothing got fubar'ed in
the process.

I know, I know, it's all because evil M$ keeps their file formats
proprietary and keeps changing them so that the open-source developers
can't keep up. Wah. Sometimes life isn't fair.

> Why don't they try at least Solaris for these?

They do, on the PCS laptops (the ones that do "real work": sending
commands to ISS). The ones used for "office automation" run Windows
precisely because they're not critical. Even NASA isn't silly enough to
trust M$ with anything life-or-death.

Anyway, this will be a moot point once the current laptops are replaced
with A31p's, which are P-IV laptops that can run newer versions of
Windows.

--
JRF

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