Why Do Computers Still Crash?

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Why Do Computers Still Crash?

Posted by Cliff on Tuesday May 20, 2003 @12:55PM from the shouldn't-this-have-been-fixed-by-now dept.

geoff lane asks: "I've used computers for about 30 years and over that time their hardware reliability has improved (but not that much), but their software reliability has remained largely unchanged. Sometimes a company gets it right -- my Psion 3a has never crashed despite being switched on and in use for over five years, but my shiny new Zaurus crashed within a month of purchase (a hard reset losing all data was required to get it running again). Of course, there's no need to mention Microsoft's inability to create a stable system. So, why are modern operating systems still unable to deal with and recover from problems? Is the need for speed preventing the use of reliable software design techniques? Or is modern software just so complex that there is always another unexpected interaction that's not understood and not planned for? Are we using the wrong tools (such as C) which do not provide the facilities necessary to write safe software?" If we were to make computer crashes a thing of the past, what would we have to do, both in our software and in our operating systems, to make this come to pass?

16 of 1,224 comments (clear)

Easy by PerlGuru · 2003-05-20 12:57 · Score: 4, Funny

Same reason cars crash.... people ;-)
Whose computers still crash? by fishbowl · 2003-05-20 12:59 · Score: 4, Funny

Crash? What crash?

radagast% uptime
8:56pm up 582 day(s), 12:45, 22 users, load average: 0.00, 0.00, 0.01

--
-fb Everything not expressly forbidden is now mandatory.
1. Re:Whose computers still crash? by Anonymous Coward · 2003-05-20 13:04 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  load average: 0.00, 0.00, 0.01
  
  easy to keep a computer up if you never use it ;)
2. Re:Whose computers still crash? by UserGoogol · 2003-05-20 13:50 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Well... in my day I had to write games with just seven transistors and a piece of cheese! And I thought I was lucky. Kids today. Geez.
  
  Granted, I'm 16, but that's not the point.
  
  --
  "Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity." -- Hanlon's Razor
3. Re:Whose computers still crash? by Dr.+Photo · 2003-05-20 13:57 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Reboot? What reboot?
  
  Now, when was the last time you tested those init scripts? :)
  
  Init scripts? You heathen!!
  
  Rebooting is a special occasion, signalling the coming of the harvest season, or the installation of a new kernel. Accordingly, the High Priest shall bring the system up by hand, typing in the ancient incantations from the sacred scrolls.
  
  Init scripts are for the weak of faith. Let ye not be tempted by the daemons of rc-dot-d!
4. Re:Whose computers still crash? by Guppy06 · 2003-05-20 14:58 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  "Accordingly, the High Priest shall bring the system up by hand, typing in the ancient incantations from the sacred scrolls."
  
  Would those sacred scrolls, perchance, be small, yellow, and stuck all around the monitor screen?
5. Re:Whose computers still crash? by fucksl4shd0t · 2003-05-20 19:17 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Kind of like how my 2 year old daughter carrying dishes to the sink. She's trying to be helpful, but occasionally she drops one.
  HEh. My daughter's 4 and she's never accidentally dropped a dish. That doesn't mean she's never broken one, though....
  My son's two, and it's impossible to tell if he drops dishes on purpose or on accident, because he does it so much.
  Should've named my daughter Linux and my son Windows. Now we're having another one, what should I name him? BSD? What's he gonna do? Sit there and whine about how nobody loves him 'cuase he's the only true eunich left? Or is he gonna spend his time crying because right after he's born they're gonna cut him into three pieces and each person will claim their piece is better than the whole?
  Wow, first time I've ever trolled BSD. I feel strangely liberated...
  
  --
  Like what I said? You might like my music
Re:Simple ... by cscx · 2003-05-20 13:01 · Score: 4, Funny

Actually the Zaurus he mentions crashing in the article runs a roll-your-own Linux kernel... ;)
because someone was very curious and decided to... by null-sRc · 2003-05-20 13:01 · Score: 4, Funny

*0;

never follow the null pointer they said... what are they hiding there????

--
-judging another only defines yourself
Re:Simple ... by orbbro · 2003-05-20 13:13 · Score: 5, Funny

And, when the cocaine that let's YOU do all these things wears off, you'll crash!

--
"It's an erotic, spectacular scene that captures the thrusting, violent, vibrant world Bohemian spirit..."
Re:And by jdray · 2003-05-20 14:06 · Score: 4, Funny

Isn't that "restore him from backup?"

--
The Spoon
Updated 6/28/2011
Debian. by twitter · 2003-05-20 14:14 · Score: 4, Funny

Debian tested in every state, works good everywhere. I have yet to prove that it does not work anywhere in any way. I can not say the same thing for any other software I've ever run on a PC.

--
Friends don't help friends install M$ junk.
Re:Simple, yes, for other reasons by drinkypoo · 2003-05-20 14:39 · Score: 5, Funny

Can you imagine a Windows recall?

I must be able to, I'm feeling flushed and my nipples are hard.

--
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
Re:In my CompSci class.. by KrispyKringle · 2003-05-20 16:02 · Score: 4, Funny

And just when being into computers was starting to get "cool" (think The Matrix, Hackers, or Swordfish) someone like you comes along and start talking about Dungeons and Dragons. There go my chances of getting laid. There go all our chances of getting laid.
Re:it DOES cause an error by fucksl4shd0t · 2003-05-20 18:50 · Score: 4, Funny

Here in the Slashdot world of "definately" and "righting", I've learned that any posted comment that makes high-school-level grammatical or spelling errors is not worth my time and I immediately skip the post. I've been doing this quite rigorously lately -- blah blah blah "seperate" PAGE DOWN.
You are just asking for it. :) Yes, you are. So here it is:
"high-school-level" should not be hyphenated. That is a High School level grammatical error.
That sound you hear is the toilet flushing your shit away.

--
Like what I said? You might like my music
Re:Computers don't crash by TheOldFart · 2003-05-20 19:13 · Score: 4, Funny

Eliminate the user. That takes care of half of the problems...