Navy Chooses Linux on XServe


In a $1.9 million deal, the US Navy has chosen to install XServes - but not running their default OS X operating system, The Register's Andrew Orlowski notes.

Instead, the racks of 260 XServes will run Yellow Dog Linux. The servers will be used for image processing on Navy submarines.

The third-party reseller is Terra Soft, which was granted special permission from Apple to install the Linux OS instead of OS X. Terra Soft also developed a custom kernel and drivers for Fiber Channel, according to the article, as well as hardware mods.

Analysis: Although this isn't likely to be a trend, it does demonstrate the flexibility of Apple hardware and the PPC chip. And, let's face it: if the choice is between selling hardware or software, Cupertino is sensible in choosing the former, particularly for contracts of this size (and publicity value).