Linux

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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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Punctuality Matters: Using Linux to Manage Time-Critical Situations (www.kdab.com)

submitted 8 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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The robustness of Linux is widely acknowledged, but it can’t quite match the microsecond management of a real-time operating system (RTOS) for time critical situations such as CNC machine instructions, vehicular control, or health sensor collection. If your software must record, manage, or control events within a narrow and precise time window and you’re invested in Linux for core development, you can consider some of these strategies for handling time-critical tasks without abandoning your familiar environment.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 8 months ago (2 children)

I remember hearing about this in the context of space missions, Linux just isn't a good fit for critical systems

[–] [email protected] 6 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Yeah, space software is crazy restrictive. I read they don't allow you to allocate ANYTHING on the heap. It's all static stack-based all the way.

A 10 year long memory leak on the way to Pluto isn't a good thing I guess...

[–] [email protected] 5 points 8 months ago

The new mars helicoptor, ingenuity, runs linux.

https://www.theverge.com/2021/2/19/22291324/linux-perseverance-mars-curiosity-ingenuity

Their solution is to hold two copies of memory and double check operations as much as possible, and if any difference is detected they simply reboot. Ingenuity will start to fall out of the sky, but it can go through a full reboot and come back online in a few hundred milliseconds to continue flying.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26181763

Dunno if future one's will run linux though, since this is just an experiment.