[NTLUG:Discuss] Washington Post article

[Stephen Davidson]

Steve Baker wrote:

> Stephen Davidson wrote:
> 
>>Seems the Pentagon can no longer purchase open source software.
>>
> 
> I don't think that's even true.  I don't know where the article
> gets it's information - but the company I work for sells plenty
> of Linux systems to the military.  Admittedly they are embedded
> systems inside Flight Simulators - but they are undoubtedly
> not running Windoze!
> 
> 
>>Oh wait, its free....
>>
> 
> Tell that to RedHat & SuSE!
>  
>

I am running SuSE myself!  IFF I wanted to go through the hassle, I could download and separately install everything myself w/o buying the distro.  In my case, I only have a 56K modem, so it is 
cheaper on time (and MUCH faster) to buy the distro DVD and use that to install.  I made the mistake once of trying to download the entire system.  On a 256K DSL, the download took over 3 days!!!  And 
that was just for the stuff that I had installed, not the entire distro.  I am NOT doing that on a 56K modem!

And I think it was just software that they could not purchase.  I think they are still allowed to make the hardware purchases, including whatever software is preinstalled on the hardware, Can you 
imagine the screaming if the DOD was told to buy the hardware AND software separately, instead of preloaded on the hardware?  (Ex. by PC from Vendor A, buy OS from Vendor B, buy Utility Software from 
Vendor C, install and properly configure on all PCs...).

-Steve