this post was submitted on 14 Jan 2024
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Linux

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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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Here's a few that I know of. What other things are commonly running Linux that most people may but be aware of?

  • Ingenuity (helicopter drone on Mars)
  • Smart TVs and streaming devices (Samsung's TizenOS and Roku devices)
  • Smart appliances (Samsung's smart refrigerator)
  • Digital signs and billboards
  • My car stereo (Sony XAV-AX6000)
  • The Large Hadron Collider
  • FAA Air traffic control and radar systems
  • Self driving cars
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[–] [email protected] 82 points 10 months ago (2 children)

All 3 billion Android devices in the world. It's pretty crazy when you think about it. Also 96% of the top 1 million web servers and all of the 500 fastest super computers (excluding quantum) in the world.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 10 months ago

Quantum computers aren't fast, they're very slow.

Eventually, if things keep progressing, they'll be able to do certain things like factoring primes faster than conventional computers. But, the clock rate will probably always be abysmal.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 10 months ago (3 children)

What are the quantum computers running? Also, please tell me they can run Doom.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 10 months ago (2 children)

afaik quantum computers don't run operative systems, they are programmed to do exactly one thing.

And no, they can't run Doom.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Are they really computers then?

[–] [email protected] 16 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Think of them like graphics cards. They are more of a component to do calculations that the cpu either can’t do, or would take too long to do. So calling something (the whole shebang) a quantum computer is like calling a computer training AI an ML Server.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

If Doom can run on pregnancy tests and IKEA light bulbs, it must be possible to run it on the most advanced kind of computer known to mankind I guess

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[–] [email protected] 52 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (4 children)

Remarkable eink tablets. Buried deep in the settings they actually give you the root password so you can SSH in. Also, it comes with an epic .vimrc file.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 10 months ago (3 children)
[–] [email protected] 18 points 10 months ago (1 children)

But, the software they ship is completely closed source and displaying anything on the screen requires hacking the binary (each software release). They have have been the opposite of helpful to open source for the last few years and have stooped to a cloud company trying to collect your data.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago (1 children)

What is the best supported Linux e-ink device that's decent? I really want the PineNote, but it seems like its hard to find in stock and its pretty damn expensive. At this point, I'd consider building my own with off the shelf parts.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (3 children)

Yup. Have been running an FTP server on my Kobo Touch over its WiFi. Kinda neat.

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 10 months ago

Kindles too. You can jailbreak them and get a shell. They're so much more useful when they're jailbroken. They can read multiple other formats, they can get books from a fileserver on your local network, the jailbroken reader app is better, etc.

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[–] [email protected] 44 points 10 months ago (3 children)

Robot vacuums. Some of them you can root and install the opensource Valetudo.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Yes!! I can SSH into mine! Just fuggin wild that they run Ubuntu =⁠-D

[–] [email protected] 13 points 10 months ago

Great. Time to update Nginx on my vacuum.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 10 months ago

Wow, this open source firmware is cool

[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago

The idea of installing Linux on a vacuum...

[–] [email protected] 38 points 10 months ago (1 children)

The handheld gaming console - valve steam deck

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[–] [email protected] 37 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Really it's the backbone of the modern tech world.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 10 months ago

Yeah, it used to be just web servers in a data center. Bigger systems used mainframes. Consumer electronics used custom RTOSes or other custom boards. Now it's everywhere. It's used in the biggest systems, like the computers that power virtually every Google product, and the smallest systems. It's almost not worth it not to use Linux when building a tiny device because it makes the dev cycle so much shorter.

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[–] [email protected] 37 points 10 months ago (1 children)

The vast majority of the web, really.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 10 months ago

Nearly all of AWS.

[–] [email protected] 33 points 10 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 9 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

This is the coolest thing I've seen in a while.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 10 months ago

Thanks! I have been having fun experimenting with them.

[–] [email protected] 30 points 10 months ago
[–] [email protected] 26 points 10 months ago (1 children)

The lego mindstorms ev3 robot

[–] [email protected] 12 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Bruh it takes like 40 seconds to boot my lego brick 💀 im not even kidding

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[–] [email protected] 23 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Cars. Either entertainment system or navigation or more..

BMW has quite the list of licences for opensource libraries and Linux in the about section of the car-menu.

And more and more network equipment.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 10 months ago (1 children)

So we can download the sources?

[–] [email protected] 14 points 10 months ago (5 children)

BMW requires you to go the written notice path and they send you a DVD with the sources

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[–] [email protected] 19 points 10 months ago

Passenger information systems in public transport. Some might run some kind of embedded windows, but most run on Linux. Certainly here in Czechia, but I believe it's common at east throughout the Central Europe.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 10 months ago

The Hanz Niemann buttplug probably

[–] [email protected] 15 points 10 months ago

Pretty much everything that's running on a microprocessor (i.e. larger than a microcontroller) and not from Microsoft or Apple.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 10 months ago

The thin piece of electronics in my hand that I'm typing this on

[–] [email protected] 11 points 10 months ago

Linux powers robotic cow-milking machine

https://lwn.net/Articles/156862/

[–] [email protected] 11 points 10 months ago

Passenger Entertainment Systems in Boeing 737 MAX.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)
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[–] [email protected] 10 points 10 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 40 points 10 months ago (1 children)
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[–] [email protected] 9 points 10 months ago

Many cars are powered by a flavor of Linux called AGL - Automotive Grade Linux

Check out all the brands shown here:

https://www.automotivelinux.org

[–] [email protected] 8 points 10 months ago

My lump charcoal smoker.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 10 months ago (2 children)

I was product manager at a company that made PTZ cameras based on Linux. The company was acquired a few times but still actually manufactures them in Minnetonka MN. Kind of fun working at a place the had development, manufacturing, support and engineering in one building.

https://www.legrandav.com/Products/Cameras/Videoconferencing%20PTZ%20Camera/RoboSHOT-12E-USB/

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 10 months ago

Parrot's older consumer drones. They took really long to power up, and ran very hot.

I believe you could telnet into them too, although that was later discovered to be a bug and not a feature

[–] [email protected] 6 points 10 months ago (2 children)
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[–] [email protected] 6 points 10 months ago

The reMarkable runs on Linux too! It's an eink paper tablet

[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago

I know at least few components in the power grid that run on top of linux

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