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Cougaar 10.4.6 Released With Source 139

Posted by Hemos from the go-out-and-get-it dept.
Anonymous Software Agent writes "Cougaar release 10.4.6 has been posted . As always, all source code is available via anonymous CVS. Cougaar is an open-source Java-based architecture for the construction of distributed agent-based applications. It is the product of an eight-year DARPA-funded research project in highly scalable and survivable multi-agent systems. Cougaar is currently used in next-generation military logistics systems, commercial applications, and research projects. Cougaar release 10.4.6 adds survivable yellow pages and white pages services, and multiple other performance and reliability improvements."
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Cougaar 10.4.6 Released With Source More

Cougaar 10.4.6 Released With Source

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  • I'm glad you explained what Cougar is (Score:2, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Because I thought it was the latest version of OS X and I wasn't caring, but now I do.

    • Re:I'm glad you explained what Cougar is (Score:5, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 05, 2003 @01:40AM (#7394030)
      My first thought upon seeing the name was that it was some kind of rejected pokemon.

      <ASH> Look! It's conducting rapid, large scale, distributed logistics planning and replanning!
      <COUGAAR> COOOO-GAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRR!
    • I thought it was Cougar Bourbon [fosters.com.au] with open source code! I was about to set up a homemade distillery and save myself some money!

    • More to the point (Score:4, Insightful)

      by 0x0d0a ( 568518 ) on Wednesday November 05, 2003 @02:43AM (#7394216) Journal
      Because I thought it was the latest version of OS X and I wasn't caring, but now I do. ...wasn't caring...

      Okay, I have a low opinion of Slashdotters that insist that software release announcements should stay on Freshmeat. I want to *know* when the next Linux kernel release and the next minor release of GNOME is, and it's big, discussable news.

      However, this is a bugfix release of an obscure package. I realize that the editor was probably feeling more than a little whimsical, but dammit..can't Slashdot have an "Oddball" category? Stuff that the editor can dump things into if he sees something that whets his fancy, but is wildly unfit to go into the "News for Nerds" section? Things like "Lindows CEO Claims Microsoft CEO Porks His Sister" or "Random Extremely Obscure Package 10.4.6 Released" could go? It'd be a great grabbag for April 1.
      • Okay, I have a low opinion of Slashdotters that insist that software release announcements should stay on Freshmeat. I want to *know* when the next Linux kernel release and the next minor release of GNOME is, and it's big, discussable news.

        They should create a "releases" section and put all this sort of stuff in there.

        Then, for people like me, who don't care about the release of BSD 4.12343.137pre4 can hide the category and be done with it.

      • > this is a bugfix release of an obscure package

        The big deal about this particular release was that the source code for this large DARPA-sponsored project is now accessible for browsing [cougaar.org] or for checking out with anonymous CVS [cougaar.org].
    • I thought I dropped into a coma, woke up, and had missed all of 10.3, as well as 10.4, 10.4.1, etc...

      Then I read it, and got depressed... cuz now it means I have class in an hour.

  • DAMNIT! (Score:5, Funny)

    by NoData ( 9132 ) <`moc.oohay' `ta' `_ataDoN_'> on Wednesday November 05, 2003 @01:30AM (#7393998)
    And here a just shelled out $129 to upgrade to Panthaar.

  • Unending confusion (Score:4, Funny)

    by murdox ( 721607 ) on Wednesday November 05, 2003 @01:33AM (#7394007) Homepage
    No kidding- and when it comes down to it, the next release of Mac OS X will probably be called Cougar! So there will eventually be a Cougar 10.4.6 as well as a Cougaar 10.4.6. Good grief...

    Jeff Warren
    www.ceggos.com [ceggos.com]

  • Not free (Score:4, Informative)

    by Dancin_Santa ( 265275 ) <DancinSanta@gmail.com> on Wednesday November 05, 2003 @01:34AM (#7394015) Journal
    While certainly generous, the Cougaar license is designed specifically to prevent anyone from profiting from the sale of the software:

    3. Licensee may use, sell or give away the Cougaar Software or any Derivative Work, alone or as a component of an aggregate software distribution containing Licensee Software, Cougaar Applications and/or programs from several different sources. No royalty or other fee is required. If Licensee sublicenses the Cougaar Software or Derivative Works, Licensee may charge fees for warranty or support, or for accepting indemnity or liability obligations of customers, provided that Licensee does not charge for the Cougaar Software or Derivative Work.

    That along makes it unfree.
    • While certainly generous, the Cougaar license is designed specifically to prevent anyone from profiting from the sale of the software

      I disagree, people can profit from it the same way they profit from other OSS projects. Without looking at it in depth, it seems to me a clone of the Mozilla Public License. Not Free in the GNU/Richard Stallman sense, but it does appear to meet the Open Source definition. If not, I'm sure ESR would be interested since they use the Open Source trademark.

    • The more times I read that clause the less sense it makes. It begins very straight forwardly, saying "Licensee may use, sell or give away the Cougaar Software or any Derivative Work...". Okay, so, fine: I can sell it. The last part is where the double-take happens: "If [insert conditions here] provided that Licensee does not charge for the Cougaar Software or Derivative Work." I don't get it. Can I sell it, or can't I?

      Perhaps the intended limitation is that if one intends to stand behind one's work for a f

    • Re:Not free (Score:5, Interesting)

      by Brandybuck ( 704397 ) on Wednesday November 05, 2003 @02:44AM (#7394220) Homepage Journal
      Not quite. Before you get your panties in a bunch, look closer.

      It's quite explicit that you can "sell or give away the Cougaar Software or any Derivative Work". Case solved. You can sell it.

      The second term is a bit puzzling. "If Licensee sublicenses the Cougaar Software or Derivative Works...Licensee does not charge for the Cougaar Software or Derivative Work". The key word here is "sublicenses".

      You can sell the software or its derivatives all you want. Only if you sublicense it are you forbidded to charge for the software itself (though you may certainly charge for the media, bandwidth, support, manuals, etc). When you sublicense, the recipient is getting the license from YOU, not from the original author. This is a subtle distinction, and one few ever make in the Free Software World. What does it mean?

      Not being a lawyer, I suspect it's primarily to mollify the legal types. Note that sublicensing is required to offer indemnity or liability (even if it weren't explicitly stated in the license). I suspect that this means if you create a business off of the software, you cannot sell the software itself, but only the warranty and support.

      The license is Free as in FSF. Don't worry about it.
      • "The license is Free as in FSF. Don't worry about it."

        The GPL lists [gnu.org] free software licenses, if you want to check their opinion on a license. Cougaar isn't listed.

        The open source initiative [opensource.org] also lists licenses which qualify to be called Free Software. Cougaar isn't listed.

        Is Cougaar using one of the listed licenses, or has it been sent to GNU for analysis?

        • Re:Not free (Score:3, Insightful)

          by Brandybuck ( 704397 )
          Cougaar might not be listed by the FSF or OSI, but it still meets their requirements and definitions. Morality isn't defined by Papal Bulls any more than software freedom is defined by the pronouncements of RMS. The reason Cougaar isn't listed is because it's new and the FSF and OSI haven't gotten around to stamping it with their imprimaturs.

          Free Software isn't defined by lists of licenses. Open Source Software isn't defined by lists of licenses.
      • It seems like it is to fend off SCO-like legal exploits whereby an intermediary distributing ([re]licensing?) a certain piece of code must take responsibility for any liabilities, and cannot "pass the buck" up to the original project. E.g., let's say A Big Company, licenses some IP, combines it with Said Project, and relicenses Said Project, charging for "support". Hopefully the above license indemnifies Said Project from any liability if A Big Company puts legally questionable IP into the stuff it is rel
    • Indeed, no Cougaar license has been approved by OSI [opensource.org].

      Cougaar folks, you need to get this fixed.

    • It never said it was "Free Software", it said it was "Open Source".

      A Good Read [fsf.org] about Free Software vs OSS.
      • Its open source, not Open Source. Some people
        get their knickers in a knot about such
        petty distinctions. It's free software, but
        its not Free Software, likewise.
    • The part that makes the Cougaar license unfree by my standards is the requirement that derivative works be sent to the original authors. If they recommended this practice, or encouraged it, I wouldn't have a problem. Requiring it, though, will get to be a burden in the long run, particularly if lots of software makes such a requirement.
      John Sauter (J_Sauter@Empire.Net)

  • Sounds scary... (Score:4, Funny)

    by patiwat ( 126496 ) on Wednesday November 05, 2003 @01:38AM (#7394026)
    > DARPA-funded research project in highly
    > scalable and survivable multi-agent systems.
    > Cougaar is currently used in next-generation
    > military logistics systems, commercial
    > applications, and research projects.

    Sounds like a certain Cyberdyne-developed distributed neural-net supercomputer that could integrate all of the USs strategic arsenal under a single command structure, and would survive a nuclear armagedden... gulp... lets just make sure there is a deadman backdoor switch.

    • Re:Sounds scary... (Score:3, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward
      lets just make sure there is a deadman backdoor switch

      screw that, i just want to make sure we get hot naked cyborg chicks from the future out of the deal
    • Just imagine what will happen when this gets integrated into the next Windows virus with a subscription bugtraq...
    • Sounds like a certain Cyberdyne-developed distributed neural-net supercomputer that could integrate all of the USs strategic arsenal under a single command structure, and would survive a nuclear armagedden... gulp... lets just make sure there is a deadman backdoor switch.

      Well arnie's in government now, and you thought terminator was a work of fiction - the t800 realised the only way to deal with the problem was via the democratic process. Skynet funding bill - denied!

  • I think this is the future of computing. (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Sheetrock ( 152993 ) on Wednesday November 05, 2003 @01:40AM (#7394032) Homepage Journal
    Essentially, agent-based computing is P2P used in a positive way -- multiple redundant systems working together to achieve a common goal, much as is done by ants in a colony.

    Like the Internet, but with other goals than networked communications. I think this is the sort of thing that will finally bring the convergence that was always talked about in regards to the Internet (an alarm clock, coffee, toaster, car starter, etc. that are aware of your schedule, not unlike the opening scene of Back To The Future).

    Does C# have anything like this, or is this easily portable to C# or any other strongly typed portable languages such as Python? It'd be nice to have another alternative to Java, which seems to cause problems for some people.

    • It's too late for me to actually try to understand this, but have you looked at Erlang at all? P2P type clustering to form redundant applications spanning multiple systems is pretty natural in Erlang.
      • One of the goals of agent systems is to allow agents to run on other people's computers. Of course if you let your computer run someone else's agent, then you want some kind of assurance that the agent isn't malicious. Because of the Halting Problem, you can never prove that an agent isn't malicious without running it -- however statically typed languages allow you to make way more assurances (if not proofs) about what a program is going to do. Unfortunately, Erlang isn't statically typed; therefore Erlang
    • So what are some applications that need this technology?

      I did some research on agent technology when I was in grad school, related to controling mobile robots. I understand why you'd need agents in that context.

      I can also see some uses on distributed web searches, information foraging, stuff like that.

      But now I'm working for a certain large consulting company that has now decided to branch into making Xbox chips...I've been writing apps for insurance companies, governments, etc. I'm not sure how agent
    • Does C# have anything like this, or is this easily portable to C# or any other strongly typed portable languages such as Python? It'd be nice to have another alternative to Java, which seems to cause problems for some people.

      Nothing wrong with Java...it is becoming quite ubiquitous everywhere except Windows client-side programming, and it may make a comeback there. There is no production-quality C# solution for Linux, most Unixen or the Mac yet, whereas Java is quite mature and fast. gcj (though not a Jav

    • Erlang is one of the few languages that has lightweight and scalable concurrency, distribution and fault isolation/control built it.

      Java is a far worse contender for such a project. Unless you hate functional style.
    • > agent-based computing is P2P used in a positive way

      Ah yes, that's why DARPA funded this, to
      KILL PEOPLE in a POSITIVE way.

      As opposed to NEGATIVE uses like SHARING
      ENTERTAINMENT.

  • Big Cats? (Score:1, Redundant)

    by dmayle ( 200765 )
    With a name like Cougar, and a release of 10.4.6, I thought someone had released the next version of OS X! (Bad Slashdot, bad...)

  • Don't fall for it! (Score:3, Funny)

    by Black Parrot ( 19622 ) on Wednesday November 05, 2003 @01:45AM (#7394047)


    > Cougaar is an open-source Java-based architecture for the construction of distributed agent-based applications.

    I heard it was just a variant of the Nigerian e-mail scam.

  • Is Java already eight years old?

  • Not quite done yet... (Score:4, Insightful)

    by po8 ( 187055 ) on Wednesday November 05, 2003 @01:56AM (#7394081)

    ...needs more buzzwords.

    • Hows this?

      "Cougaar release 10.4.6 has been posted . As always, all source code is available via anonymous CVS. Cougaar is an open-source Java-based cyber-architecture for the construction of distributed cyber-agent-based applications. It is the product of an eight-year DARPA-funded cyber-research project in highly scalable and survivable multi-agent cyber-systems. Cougaar is currently used in next-generation military logistics cyber-systems, commercial applications, and research cyber-projects. Cougaar r
    • where are the homogeneous nuggets of meta-data ?

  • Good release testing strategy (Score:5, Funny)

    by darnok ( 650458 ) on Wednesday November 05, 2003 @02:06AM (#7394112)
    1. Create new release
    2. Install shiny new distributed agents on Web servers
    3. Announce new release on Slashdot
    4. Examine performance of Web server agents under extreme load. Saves all that expensive load testing time and expense...
    5. Announce new "stress tested version" shortly afterwards

  • The Cougaar FAQ (Score:4, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 05, 2003 @02:30AM (#7394181)
    It seems just about no one has heard about Cougaar before (I know I haven't), and very few know what agents/aglets are, so here is a link to the FAQ [cougaar.org]!

    Posted anonymously to prevent carma whoring, since 2001.
  • ... does not seem to be popular (presumably due to complexity).

    CC.
  • I see everybody was thinking the same thing i was... 10.4 was in development.

  • ...I thought I had slept through another OS X release for a second!

  • Java was a mistake for this project (Score:5, Interesting)

    by axxackall ( 579006 ) on Wednesday November 05, 2003 @03:31AM (#7394354) Homepage Journal
    Java is not the language designed for distributed agents. For that I would use Erlang or Mozart or even Mercury, but not Java.

    In those languages distributed programming itself is solved more elegant and error proof. Besides, they have very strong mechanism of constraint logic. Even more - distributed constraint logic. And no need to repeat that functional programming languages are more effective for complicated logical tasks.

    Oppositely, in Java the agent developer feels like in assembly. Don't repeat me the mantra about the garbage collector: functional programming languages have it since 1957 (first Lisp).

    Well, if brains of their project decision makers are already corrupted by procedural programming (or even worse - by merketing hype of Java) then nothing can fix that. It's just one more government-wasted effort.

    • Re:Java was a mistake for this project (Score:5, Insightful)

      by laird ( 2705 ) <lairdp@gm a i l.com> on Wednesday November 05, 2003 @04:05AM (#7394439) Journal
      In a philosophical sense, I agree (somewhat), but in a pragmatic sense I think you're wrong.

      While people have certainly been programming mobile agents in many languages for a very long time, there's nothing wrong with implementing them in Java. Java is a fairly nice language with a good security model and portable bytecode. Having used both to write agents, I can say that it's not quite as nice for writing mobile agents as Telescript (the language that General Magic designed for implementing mobile agents), but it's not bad. Sure, SmallTalk or Lisp are simpler and cleaner in many ways, and Erlang, etc., have some nice, though somewhat esoteric advantages, but Java has the fairly reasonable advantages that it's a widely known and extremely well supported language.

      And as for preferring declarative programming to procedural programming, well, all I can say is that different models suit different kinds of problems, and different kinds of programmers. Changing both programming languages and programming paradigms (i.e. procedural to declarative) and throwing mobile agents into the mix) is extemely challenging to a development team. Not that it can't be done, but it's way harder (for a large team) than just introducing mobile agents implemented in a language everyone knows. Take one step at a time, or you lose people. I know, back in the 80's I was on a number of large Smalltalk projects, and making the leap to OOP, Client/Server and learning Smalltalk all at once was a barrier than many engineers couldn't hurdle. Sure, the stars got it, and were amazingly productive, but everyone else was blocked.

      That being said, if you have a small team of stars, and a project that doesn't require a larger team, go for it -- you may be extremely successful. But I don't think that makes anyone who decides to implement mobile agents in Java wrong, just a little less daring. :-)
    • If it was written in Erlang or Mozart or Mercury, nobody would use it, since nobody knows anything about these languages.

      Sure, in Java it is probably harder to write these kinds of distributed agents, but a lot more people can hack all kinds of interesting stuff onto the agents just because they can read Java code.

      just mod me down to flamebait

      --Blerik
    • For a community which supposedly dislikes FUD, /. sure dishes it out by the bucketload whenever Java is mentioned.

      I used to work in telecommunications and I've used C, C++, Erlang and Java to write server / client code in and they're all pretty good fits (well, C and C++ are nicer for networking in Unix than Windows IMO but YMMV).

      Java's main selling point for this kind of work is that it manages complexity extremely well, and has very efficient networking and threading.

      You claim that the project's decisi
      • Speaking about Python, can you point me to any content-management server with functionality at least like in Zope/Plone, written in Java *AND* taking same or less memory with the same performance? Don't even bother to mention Cocoon and Struts - they are far behind Zope/Plone in terms of *already* implemented functionaliy and in terms of how it's easy to extend it dynamically on the fly.
      • "very efficient networking "

        Are we talking about the same language that requires a SEPERATE THREAD for every network connection?? Thats not what I'd call efficient,
        convenient or logical.
        • "very efficient networking " Are we talking about the same language that requires a SEPERATE THREAD for every network connection?? Thats not what I'd call efficient, convenient or logical.
          No, I'm talking about the language which has multiplexed selectors since version 1.4. (Java, just in case you were having problems with your facts, which, evidently you were)
    • Nah - Java was used for the same reason it is used for lots-o-p2p systems: designed for ubiquity and portable binaries... and it doesn't suck as much as lots of other choices.

      I do know that Cougaar developers use Linux, Windows and OSX, so portability is a reality here.

    • Why can't you ivory tower academic types give it a rest with this functional programming crap

      1) Functional languages are NOT more efficient. They are complex, convoluted and utterly non intuitive.

      2) Procedural programming follows the way people think. Functional doesn't.

      3) Garbage collection? Is that supposed to be a GOOD thing?? If you want efficient binaries you do your own memory management.

      4) Functional programs are NOT less bug prone.
  • For a moment then I thought Cougar was the next incarnation of OSX
  • This comes out of a project designed to produce "...highly scalable and survivable multi-agent systems"?

    Maybe it should be renamed "Smiith". :-)

  • Ok, I've went to the site, I've glanced over the FAQ, I've even been to the "Project Site", and still it is not clear to me what use a piece of software like this is useful for.

    It sounds to me like this project, like many others before it, is headed down a spiral of software uselessness really fast. They've already lost my vote. It seems pretty useless to me.
    • Greetings from the University of Utah. My software practices class has been focusing on Multi-agent Systems the entire semester. Most of us probably would have preferred a first-person shooter, but the point is to learn about debugging, writing maintainable code, optimization, and the like.

      The idea behind an agent is that you create a semi-autonomous piece of software that can communicate with other agents, get information from other agents and the surrounding environment, and take actions based on

  • Red Dwarf (Score:2, Funny)

    by arafel ( 15551 ) *
    I'd find it easier to read the project description if I didn't keep thinking of Rimmer in Red Dwarf announcing he'd found a Quagaar warrior. Gah.
  • Isn't it a bit late for "Talk Like A Pirate Day"?

  • Business Straategy (Score:3, Funny)

    by TheTranceFan ( 444476 ) on Wednesday November 05, 2003 @12:26PM (#7397695) Homepage
    1. Naame aan ideaa aafter aan aanimaal.
    2. Aad aa few extraa 'aa's.
    3. Profit!
  • ...from the FUTAR!

    Apple has ruined using feline monikers for software.

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