[Haifux] Login console freezes: Eli's weekly riddle

[Shachar Shemesh]

On 07/11/10 00:44, Eli Billauer wrote:
> and I can only hope that those who maintain the software controlling 
> my car's airbag are doing so with a deeper understanding of what each 
> software component stands.

Can't speak for the airbag industry. I do and did have clients in the 
aeronautics industry, though, and I can categorically tell you that 
things there are much much much better. A typical semi-critical[1] 
software piece designed to run in a civilian aircarft's cockpit gets 
allocated a minimum of 9 hours of QA for each hour of development. There 
are whole companies dedicated to code reviewing and certifying, and 
there are strict, often draconian, software design and style restrictions.

I'm not sure what I feel about such bugs in the Linux kernel, but it[2] 
does not diminish my safe feeling while flying.

Shachar

1 - Semi-critical - the pilot might, indirectly, rely on the information 
received, but it does not, itself control the aircraft, nor does it even 
provide flight-critical data. Maps are non-critical (uncertified). Maps 
showing the aircraft's position on them are semi-critical, and must be 
certified.
2 - Which is not to say that other things might.

-- 
Shachar Shemesh
Lingnu Open Source Consulting Ltd.
http://www.lingnu.com