Sign in / up

back to article Windows XP spotted on Royal Navy's spanking new aircraft carrier

The Royal Navy’s new aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth appears to be using Windows XP. The ship is a year from completion, so there is plenty of time yet to bin it for a more up-to-date and secure version of the venerable operating system. The Ministry of Defence is not returning our calls, but this could always be, as one …

COMMENTS

Post your comment
House rules Send corrections
Add to 'My topics' unstar *

Page:

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Windows

    XP or wallpaper? And.. uhm, so?

    First of, as mentioned in the article itself, this screenshot proves nothing. For all we know it could simply be a background and nothing more. Not an uncommon thing to do. When I picked up Vista I really liked one of the standard backgrounds, when I moved to Win7 the default (blue/white) gave me headaches so I got the previous yellow/green Vista background back. So if you guys spotted that you'd conclude that I'd still run Vista? ;)

    But even if this is so... Although XP support has been EOL'ed for consumers this doesn't include commercial licenses. Several companies can still rely on XP updates, after paying a certain fee of course. So yeah; even if he was using XP then this doesn't automatically mean that he's using an outdated and thus totally insecure environment. .... for now.

    14 6 Reply
    1. big_D Silver badge
      Reply Icon

      Re: XP or wallpaper? And.. uhm, so?

      Embedded XP is still supported and still gets updates.

      10 1 Reply
      1. chivo243 Silver badge
        Reply Icon

        Re: XP or wallpaper? And.. uhm, so?

        @big_D

        Get your updates for the next 20 some days?

        Windows XP Embedded Service Pack 3 (SP3). This is the original toolkit and componentized version of Windows XP. It was originally released in 2002, and Extended Support will end on Jan. 12, 2016.

        But as others have mentioned, it could be just a wallpaper.

        5 0 Reply
    2. JetSetJim
      Reply Icon

      Re: XP or wallpaper? And.. uhm, so?

      It does look remarkably like the chaps laptop is running that screen as there doesn't seem to be a taskbar at the bottom of it. So it's more like a device potentially running XP is being used by a technician who is working on the construction, and it's unclear if it is (a) connected into the local network, or (b) likely to be left connected when the ship is at sea all ready for war.

      3 0 Reply
    3. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: XP or wallpaper? And.. uhm, so?

      "First of, as mentioned in the article itself, this screenshot proves nothing. For all we know it could simply be a background and nothing more. Not an uncommon thing to do."

      .. but not on systems that are shielded for military use, as that is usually locked down as well. However, it IS indeed Windows XP. Dev cycles are very long at the MOD DPA for a variety of reasons, (some of them not so good) and approval processes move at the same sedate pace, hence Windows XP and matching hardware. Rest assured that it will all move to more recent versions of Windows, just 10 years later, so think 2020 for Windows 7 to finally reach UK field deployment :-).

      I have the impression the US is more agile.

      2 2 Reply
      1. Humpty McNumpty
        Reply Icon

        Re: XP or wallpaper? And.. uhm, so?

        I'm pretty sure I recall a similar article right here on El Reg describing the newest US ships (Destroyers IIRC) as running Windows 2000 so I wouldn't count on the US being any more agile. This was several years ago however and I cannot be bothered to find it,

        0 0 Reply
    4. swschrad
      Reply Icon

      for much better comedy wallpaper

      search on BSOD screensaver

      0 0 Reply
      1. Alan Brown Silver badge
        Reply Icon

        Re: for much better comedy wallpaper

        "search on BSOD screensaver"

        Yeah, that works great until PHB comes in, sees the display and hits the reset button.

        2 0 Reply
    5. I. Aproveofitspendingonspecificprojects
      Reply Icon

      Re: XP or wallpaper? And.. uhm, so?

      I have been hearing rumours about a smaller version of XP. I have no idea how legal it would be to use it but doubt the brave hearts of joke on the high Cs or C++s would be scared of something an ocean away.

      Would they?

      Steady boys steady, always be updaty.

      0 0 Reply
  2. Gordon 10
    FAIL

    how is this news?

    I would have given you a pass if it had been a bit more jokey - but Win4War is certified until 2025 or something equally ridiculous.

    It wont stop the Nato fleet getting p0wned by Chinese Hackers during the Spratly's incident pencilled in by the NWO for 2019 but its not a laughing stock...yet.

    9 1 Reply
    1. Chris King
      Reply Icon

      Re: how is this news?

      I would have given you a pass if it had been a bit more jokey - but Win4War is certified until 2025 or something equally ridiculous.

      DEC supposedly made a similar deal with Uncle Sam for VMS back in the early 90's, and that was for something like 25 years. No doubt Compaq (and later HP) had to honour that deal.

      4 0 Reply
      1. Anonymous Coward
        Reply Icon
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: how is this news?

        "DEC supposedly made a similar deal with Uncle Sam for VMS ... No doubt Compaq (and later HP) had to honour that deal."

        And, unforeseen at that time, VMS lives on and the port of VMS to x86-64 is on the roadmap, with many of the well known VMS engineers involved in the work. Not by HP(E), obviously, who remain as clueless as ever. Meantime VMS continues to be available and supported on them IA64 things.

        http://www.vmssoftware.com/updates.html

        40th birthday soon.

        8 0 Reply
        1. Philip Lewis
          Reply Icon

          Re: how is this news?

          Indeed. I was looking at the website the other day. I spent 25 years in the VMS/Rdb world, then I got buried in the kindergarten with WindowsServer2008/SQLServer. Oh dear ...

          I guess there will always be clients for VMS, but the bottom line is that the children in charge at most sites don't understand anything at all, so the likelihood of VMS being used on bespoke systems is low. Most of the talent in the employment pool had to leave for better pastures during the HP "reign of terror", so it is actually probably rather hard to man a VMS project these days.

          3 0 Reply
          1. Natalie Gritpants
            Reply Icon

            Re: how is this news?

            If it's that hard shouldn't it be possible to train someone? The documentation ought to be sorted out by now.

            0 0 Reply
            1. Steve Davies 3 Silver badge
              Reply Icon

              Re: how is this news?

              VMS was easy to learn. The Help system makes the ones on Windows and Unix/Linux man pages look very sad.

              on the command line it was always 'if in doubt type "Help"'

              It was context sensitive and included samples.

              20 years of my working life was spent at Dec in Reading.

              There was a big blood letting before HP and that was done by Compaq.

              8 1 Reply
              1. GBE
                Reply Icon

                Re: how is this news?

                > It was context sensitive and included samples.

                And a very nice article about wombats complete with a picture which would display on graphics-capable terminals like a VT220/240.

                (That may have been the help system built into one of the VMS apps -- I forget.)

                0 0 Reply
                1. Anonymous Coward
                  Reply Icon
                  Anonymous Coward

                  wombats => Datatrieve

                  "a very nice article about wombats complete with a picture which would display on graphics-capable terminals like a VT220/240."

                  Happy days.

                  "the help system built into one of the VMS apps"

                  That'll be DATATRIEVE (caps intended):

                  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DATATRIEVE

                  [wiki]

                  DATATRIEVE is a database query and report writer tool [ ... ] DATATRIEVE's command structure is nearly plain English, and it is an early example of a Fourth Generation Language (4GL).

                  <snip>

                  DATATRIEVE adopted the wombat as its notional mascot; the program's help file responded to “HELP WOMBAT” with factual information about real world wombats.

                  [/wiki]

                  Additionally, the user group newsletter was called "The Wombat Examiner:

                  http://dtrwiz.home.netcom.com/dtrfaq.html - includes image of wombat

                  See also (advanced users in particular):

                  https://www.ibphoenix.com/resources/documents/history/doc_295

                  1 0 Reply
                2. Peter Gathercole Silver badge
                  Reply Icon

                  Re: how is this news? @GBE

                  The picture on the VT220 would have to have been ASCII art, as the VT220 was a mono text only terminal, although it had box draw characters and other ANSI 'Advanced' video features.

                  The VT240 was a ReGIS capable greyscale graphics terminal. The VT241 was colour, although it would look crude against even a VGA PC monitor now.

                  0 0 Reply
                3. HPCJohn
                  Reply Icon

                  Re: how is this news?

                  Wombats? I never saw that one.

                  But as it is Christmas time, I remember the VMS festive train in which an ASCII train ran round a track on a VT200 terminal.

                  Anyone else remember this, and maybe there is a screenshot somewhere?

                  1 0 Reply
                  1. Anonymous Coward
                    Reply Icon
                    Anonymous Coward

                    Re: how is this news?

                    "an ASCII train ran round a track on a VT200 terminal."

                    http://www.vt100.net/animation/ and doubtless elsewhere too

                    1 0 Reply
          2. Anonymous Coward
            Reply Icon
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: how is this news?

            "it is actually probably rather hard to man a VMS project these days."

            I'm sure that's what the agencies say. VMS is awkward for them these days because it looks like the plural of virtual machine, and therefore their search engines have trouble finding candidates, even if the deprecated form of the OS name is used (OpenVMS).

            In the real world, there are still VMS people around, and they're probably quite experienced and quite productive (and by now multi-skilled) even if they may cost a bit more than a fresh from college graduate with a certificate in web page design.

            "the children in charge at most sites don't understand anything at all, so the likelihood of VMS being used on bespoke systems is low. "

            Sad, but frequently true, with occasional exceptions which have tended not to be widely publicised by Compaq or HP. Maybe the new developers (VSI) will change that one day.

            5 0 Reply
          3. Anonymous Coward
            Reply Icon
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: how is this news?

            Bespoke systems running on VMS are still in use and still being developed in many places , and not just for the military. Of course they will be legacy systems that are twenty years old or more that just keep on keeping on to the annoyance no doubt of many a CTO.

            1 0 Reply
        2. Anonymous Coward
          Reply Icon
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: how is this news?

          Now if somebody would just revive Tru64 aka Digital UNIX aka OSF/1, all would be right with the world again. Oh, and Alpha too, of course, although I guess China is already doing that...

          2 0 Reply
          1. Anonymous Coward
            Reply Icon
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: how is this news?

            "if somebody would just revive [ ... ] Alpha too, of course, although I guess China is already doing that..."

            That was the story in 2011. Since then - nothing significant I've seen, in fact almost nothing at all (that isn't a rehash of 2011 stories). Have you seen anything ? Might one expect e.g. gcc and/or bintools patches? If there was something in the wings, it might be more relevant than it was a couple of years ago, now that IA64 is officially deaded, rather than just undead. China's Huawei were one of the few IA64 faithful, they actually announced IA64 servers, though who knows whether (or what) they actually delivered.

            0 0 Reply
      2. GruntyMcPugh Silver badge
        Reply Icon

        Re: how is this news?

        Indeed, Patriot missiles used to use MicroVAXes and DECNET communications protocols, I presume these were retired some time ago, but I'd wager they were one of the longer lasting installations.

        0 0 Reply
    2. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: certified until 2025 or something equally ridiculous

      That's quite common for military and critical infrastructure (power plants etc). You can't build a new air craft (carrier), tank, submarine or nuclear plant every couple of years just because some of the parts/systems used are no longer on the market. (Or no longer updated)

      Those things are certified for 20, 30 years easily, and the manufacturer also has to make sure the supply chain for everything covered will exist and be operational until then. That's one of the many reasons why military contracts are so ridiculously expensive.

      Look for example at the Bell UH-1D Helicopter. "Some" of them are still flying around, almost 60 years since they were first built. The US Army only retired them in 2005; they've been in active service for 49 years there!

      4 0 Reply
      1. a_yank_lurker
        Reply Icon

        Re: certified until 2025 or something equally ridiculous

        Try the B-52, it is still in service. I believe the last ones were built in the 60's so the ones flying are ~50 years old.

        2 0 Reply
        1. James O'Shea
          Reply Icon

          Re: certified until 2025 or something equally ridiculous

          "Try the B-52, it is still in service. I believe the last ones were built in the 60's so the ones flying are ~50 years old."

          There's at least one B-52 which has had pilots from three different generations of the same family fly it. Grandfather, back when it was new, father, son. Seriously. It's the Family Bomber.

          0 0 Reply
          1. x 7
            Reply Icon

            Re: certified until 2025 or something equally ridiculous

            "Try the B-52, it is still in service. I believe the last ones were built in the 60's"

            1963 I believe

            0 0 Reply
  3. IglooDude

    That's a great idea! I think I'm going to start putting a Win95-emulation wallpaper on my Mint desktops and see who reacts (and how).

    14 0 Reply
    1. GitMeMyShootinIrons
      Reply Icon

      It'd be more convincing with the BSOD screen saver too.

      12 0 Reply
    2. Jos V
      Reply Icon

      Well, a bunch of moons back a friend came asking for help buying a laptop, and setting it up. This was his first -own- computer in his life.

      I set him up with Ubuntu (10.04 I think it was), and installed the Win98 theme on it. For about a year he didn't know better than that he was using Windows. Never had complaints either. He was just using it to do some browsing and... well, browsing, with Firefox.

      Unfortunately this ended when he wanted to play this cool game he got from someone, which was a MS game. The same "someone" was outraged that he would be running Linux, so he downgraded the OS to XP.

      I never touched his laptop anymore and reassigned all help desk duties to the traitor!

      So yeah, unlikely, but not inconceivable for the guy in the picture not actually running 95.

      0 0 Reply
  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    How does the advertisement on the radio go again?

    "you'll be working with technology so advanced that most people don't even know it exists"

    8 0 Reply
    1. dogged
      Reply Icon

      in fairness that's the RAF. Although Crab Air were always full of shit.

      1 1 Reply
      1. RPF
        Reply Icon

        Of course the seaweed-suckers are so much more....manly?

        http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-449887/Iran-hostage-Mr-Bean-branded-disgraceful-mother.html

        1 1 Reply
        1. dogged
          Reply Icon

          > http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-449887/Iran-hostage-Mr-Bean-branded-disgraceful-mother.html

          I dunno about that, you'd have to ask Lewis Page. I was never Navy.

          However, 1) shame on you for linking the Daily Fail as evidence of anything ever and 2) yes, she does seem like a disgraceful mother, abandoning her kid for her sister to raise and then slagging him off publicly in a shitty excuse for a newspaper.

          0 0 Reply
    2. Phil W
      Reply Icon

      "you'll be working with technology so advanced in age that most people don't even know it still exists"

      20 0 Reply
  5. John Lawton
    FAIL

    IE?

    Their in-house missile firing application probably requires IE6 and Active-X

    10 0 Reply
    1. Franco
      Reply Icon

      Re: IE?

      Nah, it'll be a macro.

      It looks like you're trying to bomb Syria. Would you like me to help?

      15 0 Reply
      1. Anonymous Blowhard
        Reply Icon

        Re: IE?

        Or "It looks like you're trying to bomb Siri. Would you like me to help?"

        Don't you just love Auto Correct?

        15 0 Reply
        1. Smartini
          Reply Icon

          Re: IE?

          Would you like to play a game of global thermonuclear war?

          7 0 Reply
        2. Someone Else Silver badge
          Reply Icon
          Coat

          @ Anonymous Blowhard -- Re: IE?

          "It looks like you're trying to bomb Siri. Would you like me to help?"

          And the buttons are: [Yes] and [Hell, Yes]

          7 0 Reply
  6. Timmy B

    Or they hare using XP in some kind of test / debug way....

    That XP (perhaps) screen is in front of other screens and has cables running off to the side of the desk. But who cares. I'd have thought that all the various parts are separate and distinct. Certainly for mission critical stuff.

    I find it quite interesting that they are running Windows at all. I may really love windows but I would want all of my systems on a battle ship running on something where I have full and unfettered access to the source code. After all I may get my banking hacked, etc. but I'm unlikely to start a war with windows!

    3 1 Reply
    1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge
      Reply Icon
      Linux

      Re: Or they hare using XP in some kind of test / debug way....

      "but I'm unlikely to start a war with windows!"

      Don't be silly. That ones been running for years right here. See icon :-)

      1 0 Reply
  7. m0rt

    Blue screen of, quite literally, death!

    "No. 1, please enter this firing solution...oh bugger!"*

    * I have no idea what would really be said in these circumstances. In case you didn't realise.

    1 0 Reply
  8. Grikath
    Devil

    umm yeah...

    And what they show on the screens *publicly* would bear any connection to Reality™ of course.

    0 0 Reply
    1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge
      Reply Icon

      Re: umm yeah...

      What? You mean like a password on screen during a TV news report?

      (I would provide a link but my Google-Fu has Google-gone)

      0 0 Reply
  9. wolfetone Silver badge
    Coat

    The Royal Navy seem to be all at sea with their choice of operating system.

    Don't they?

    3 0 Reply
    1. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      I'm slightly surprised they're not still running Windows NT.

      0 0 Reply
      1. Stoneshop
        Reply Icon
        Coat

        Windows NT

        That's Naval Technology, right?

        (the oilskin one, thanks)

        3 0 Reply

Page:

POST COMMENT House rules

Not a member of The Register? Create a new account here.

Forgotten password ?

  • Enter your comment

  • Add an icon

Anonymous cowards cannot choose their icon

Other stories you might like