Humans should have known better than to play with fire. Everyone knows that fire is the domain of God--He created lightning. It is foolish for humans to dabble in this domain. Ever since humans started lighting their own fires, often using strange chemical potions which we all know are bad, fire has devastated the human race. Buildings burn down and little children get scarred for life. The government supports this evil activity by operating fire departments--most of the damage is covered up by taxpayer-subsidised dollars. And for what benifit? So we can eat cooked food?
I recently learned that most virii are not harmful, but are in fact beneficial. Bacteriophages, which carry genes that bacteria need to get their work done, are critical to our planet's survival because they are critical to bacteria's survival. Without bacteria, toxins and certain types of ions would accumulate and eventually life would cease to exist.
The human immune system also uses bacteriophages (which it in turns supports and hosts) to fight against bacteria that are harmful to the human body.
Of course, a virus can go wrong if its genes get mixed up, which results in bad things--sometimes even through a secondary effect through a mixed-up bacteriophage which in turn corrupts a bacterium; this happened with the pathogen responsible for cholera at some point in history.
I'm hoping that soon, we'll be able to learn more about how virii work so that our bodies can work with them, rather than against them, and so that we'll also learn how better how the amazing system of bacteria works in maintaining the earth.
Linux doesn't scale very well beyond two CPUs, and beyond four, adding more CPUs can sometimes make things worse. Thus, it can't scale to 16 CPUs.
Ultra Penguin doesn't let user space programs run in 64-bit mode. This makes it rather useless for 64-bit applications. AlphaLinux can, but the gcc/gas code generator for the Alpha is not very good--thus AlphaLinux is slower than NT (which is shameful).
We've still got a lot of work to do, but it's good to see SGI's announcement--they can give us some help on the high end (as they've already done with things such as their large-memory patches).
The framebuffer Xserver is extremely slow since it uses no hardware acceleration at this time. (Project like KGI/GGI will help by combining the simplicity and reliability of framebuffers with robust acceleration.) Since one of the main features of the Visual Workstation was excellent graphical performance (including hardware OpenGL), using an Xserver more suited to a microVAX's framebuffer seems somewhat subpar.
I just hot swapped the other day when a disk failed in my RAID 1 (mirroring) setup. I just had to take out the disk that was making lots of noise and plop another one in. Unfortunately the md and raid1 driver didn't automatically populate the new drive, so I had to take my box down to single user mode and cat/dev/hda>/dev/hdc *grin*.
Actually, the term FUD came about by the CEA of Amdahl when he first started making S/370 clones and IBM used FUD marketing tactics against him (i.e. Amdahl can't build a computer, they only have 25 staff, Amdahl has no support infrastructure, blah blah blah). The CEO of Amdahl thus invented the term FUD (but certainly not the technique, *grin*).
Cheers, Joshua.
Re:Multi-head & Xinerama: How are they?
on
XFree86 News
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· Score: 2
I got multihead working on my experimental XF86 3.9 setup a number of months ago. The first thing you should know is that few devices other than the Matrox work (the S3 and Trident do not work, at least not now).
The second thing to know is that 3.9 is highly unstable, especially with multihead. Feel free to fix bugs and submit patches if you do hack around with the 3.9.15 release, though. =)
(I actually played with multihead on a Microchannel/XGA-2 system, but that's another story).
Cheers, Joshua.
Re:XFree86 needs the GPL! NOT
on
XFree86 News
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· Score: 2
Actually any XF86 source can be GPL'd. Even the GNU project uses X11 and XFree86--if it's good enough for RMS, it's good enough for you, too. =)
X11 doesn't have the advertising clause of the BSD licence, so basically X11 code can ``become'' any other licence. It's truly all things to all people.
The electromagnetic radiation produced from a power line with an exobit carrier is going to radiate gamma rays in the 0.3 nanometer range. In addition, the circuitry neccessary to modulate that fast over copper has got to be ridiculous. I have yet to see any electronics that can handle that kind of data rate.
While I certainly hope this company's claims are true--I wouldn't mind a gigabit pipe into my home--those promising `virtually unlimited' bandwidth should be viewed with the same skepticism those who promised virtually unlimited energy from a cold cup of water were in the last decade. Let them prove their work--perhaps write an article for a scientific journal detailing their work (they may patent their work if they need to keep it a secret)[1].
Cheers, Joshua.
[1] This is not intended to be an endorsement of the current patent situation.
I like to backup one of my filesystems which has huge files (a 6.4GB file and a 2.5GB file). I use GNU tar with it. Simply use the -M switch, and tar doesn't have any problems with the huge files. I'm not sure if SysV tar supports it (i.e. the tar in any non-GNU Unix system). Note that the filesystem I am using (JFS) supports big files and I had to use emx v0.9d to support 64-bit file lengths (I'm using OS/2).
You can also use AMANDA backup, which I use on my GNU/Linux machines for backup. It seems to handle the large backup sizes acceptably.
Finally, you can always just split up huge files using dd.
Does this mean I can finally use my IA/A (complete with 3MB of VRAM and print/scan option) in my creaking PS/2 Model 80 with Netscape 4.6? Doing that would be too funny. (Well, I've actually already done that, but across the LAN; I'd like to do it on the same machine).
{sigh} I wish IBM hadn't killed AIX PS/2. It ran really well on a 386-genre hardware and the X11R4 implementation was good in terms of performance. The Token Ring driver is also better than the one in the Linux kernel {grin}.
Seriously, I have to wonder just what ``Linux'' binaries AIX is going to run, as GNU/Linux doesn't run in the same CPU mode as AIX does on the high-end PowerPCs (e.g. G4 and allegedly G5).
I need to get back to work on GNU/2 and OS/GNU (OS/2, GNU, and Linux integration software). It'll be cool once it works.
Cheers, Joshua.
Metadata `mode' and file utilities
on
UK Linux Conf
·
· Score: 2
This very thing, copying files that have metadata associated with them, is what makes metadata a nightmare. On OS/2, we called these extended attributes, and taking care of the EAs was always a pain. OS/2 has a DosCopy system call which properly copies the extended attributes over, but what if you're processing data as standard input or output? Extended attributes were useful for some things such as associating an icon with a file or storing compiled bytecodes for a program, but handling the out-of-band data was never, ever, fun.
We really need an object-oriented filesystem if we want concepts like these. To get that, we also need an object-oriented language (Java is a good choice, C++ doesn't count due to lack of things like decent memory management) and on object-oriented kernel (Hurd might fit the bill some day).
Will I be able to "od." and get a directory dump on an ext3 filesystem like I can on a 'proper' Unix system?
No, because a proper Posix system doesn't define what opening a directory as a stream should do (IIRC, it does define an error code for such an action). Thus, attempting to read a directory as a file results in undefined behavior--on older Linux kernels, you got the raw directory; on Seventh Edition UNIX, you got data blocks which the C library's opendir(3) functions and friends actually used; on Windows, OS/2, DOS, or newer Linux kernels, you get an error.
The proper way to read a directory is the system calls to open and search a directory.
SGI recently announced they were donating their XFS, which is a journalled filesystem, to Linux. I don't know if they will really donate it (i.e. release the code under the GPL), but we'll see. If they do, it will be a great gain for the GNU/Linux community, although it would somewhat deprecate Tweedie's work.
I haven't been able to find more information on SGI's donation of XFS. Anyone have some links?
Your statement is totally illogical. Why should a game maker invest MILLIONS of dollars in research and development on a game, and then release it for free? How would they pay their bills? I defy you to explain this.I fail to see why a game release for the GNU/Linux platform would neccessarily have to be released for free. A defy you to explain how you conjured such a notion.;P
It is very tempting to set up a Slackware 4 box, especially since I see that it's also available with the superb 2.0.37pre kernel (I'm running 2.0.37 on my production box now as I've had some minor troubles with 2.2). Having glibc already in there would be a real plus; back when I ran Slackware because it was better than Red Hat;p and Debian was a non-entity, I disliked having to build or copy boatloads of libraries to a new machine. Granted, the Slackware I was running in December before I switched to Debian didn't look like Slackware at all (I was 100% glibc based, rearranged the filesystem to my liking, etc.), but that's what Slackware is all about.
Again, it's tempting. But Slackware doesn't have the ability to install no non-freed packages {grin}.
SLS was the first distribution. SLS was much more fun than whipping out your cross-compiler and building Linux, gcc in a.out format, C library, base tools, etc. on a DOS or OS/2 system (I believe Minix also did the job, but I didn't have Minix back then). However, when Slackware came it, it's packaging system was so superior to SLS's (I don't remember much about SLS, but I do remember that Slackware's packaging system seemed so much nicer!) that all of us made the switch. In the same way, Red Hat gained market share through better package management, and Debian is now the best distribution due to its supreme package management (now, if I could just get Debian with Slackware's nice S-Lang package selecter!).
EmuHQ may have violated copyright law if they did not get Nintendo's permission for lifting almost the entire FAQ verbatim.
EmuHQ would have if it were not for the concept on copyright law that allows ``fair use'' of copyrighted works for such uses as review, criticism, or parody.
... that people tend to refer to a GNU system with a Linux kernel as ``Linux'', but it's even worse when people refer to a BSD system with a BSD/Mach kernel as ``DarwinLinux''. This is the best evidence of seen yet that Apple is willing to do anything to ride on the coattails of GNU, Linux, freed software, and ``Open Source''. Sadly, many have been all to eager to help them.
Apple, like Sun, IBM, Oracle, SGI, and Microsoft, are the enemy. They pollute the world with more non-freed software aimed at the horizontal market. If Apple is really committed to GNU/Linux, they will release their Mac OS GUI under a freed software licence such as the GPL. So far, they've only displayed a willingness to release code that was already freed (e.g. Mach) under a more-restrictive licence.
Just because Apple is anti-Microsoft does not mean they are our friends. Yes, they have produced nice hardware, but so has Microsoft--I like the Microsoft IntelliMouse. That doesn't mean I embrace Microsoft's vision of one operating system for the entire world.
Apple is more proprietary than Microsoft--Microsoft has usually shown a willingness towards open hardware designes. Apple won't even come that far. As far as Apple is concerned, they should be the only hardware vendor. Standards-based specifications such as SCSI or USB help this situation somewhat, but I recall in recent history a great difficulty on the part of the LinuxPPC team in getting decent specs on the iMac.
Hopefully, anal freed-software fanatics such as I will be able to steer the DarwinLinux group in the right direction. I certainly wouldn't mind any improvements in FreeBSD, as I've found it a wonderful kernel (I just want Debian GNU/FreeBSD;þ). I am not writing this to show my hate for Apple; I'm simply pointing out that they are yet another huge corporation, such as my beloved IBM, that tends not to have any respect for the lowly hacker such as you and I.
I found out, unfortunately, that NetBSD doesn't support the Microchannel architecture very well (which, surprisingly, Linux 2.2 suppors nicely). This disappointed me, because I wanted BSD's superior VM on my slow PS/2. Oh well, can't have it all.
What I really want is a Debian GNU/BSD, with Debian's pleasant APT, decent GNU tools, as opposed to the dated 4.4BSD/Lite tools, and same filesystem layout as Debian GNU/Linux. That would be heavenly.
Through in GNU/OS/2 while you're at it. Thanks.;p.
Slashdot Mirror
Cheers,
J. Rodd
Cheers,
Joshua.
Cheers,
Joshua.
Cheers,
Joshua.
The human immune system also uses bacteriophages (which it in turns supports and hosts) to fight against bacteria that are harmful to the human body.
Of course, a virus can go wrong if its genes get mixed up, which results in bad things--sometimes even through a secondary effect through a mixed-up bacteriophage which in turn corrupts a bacterium; this happened with the pathogen responsible for cholera at some point in history.
I'm hoping that soon, we'll be able to learn more about how virii work so that our bodies can work with them, rather than against them, and so that we'll also learn how better how the amazing system of bacteria works in maintaining the earth.
Cheers,
Joshua.
Ultra Penguin doesn't let user space programs run in 64-bit mode. This makes it rather useless for 64-bit applications. AlphaLinux can, but the gcc/gas code generator for the Alpha is not very good--thus AlphaLinux is slower than NT (which is shameful).
We've still got a lot of work to do, but it's good to see SGI's announcement--they can give us some help on the high end (as they've already done with things such as their large-memory patches).
Cheers,
Joshua.
Cheers,
Joshua.
Cheers,
Joshua.
Cheers,
Joshua.
The second thing to know is that 3.9 is highly unstable, especially with multihead. Feel free to fix bugs and submit patches if you do hack around with the 3.9.15 release, though. =)
(I actually played with multihead on a Microchannel/XGA-2 system, but that's another story).
Cheers,
Joshua.
X11 doesn't have the advertising clause of the BSD licence, so basically X11 code can ``become'' any other licence. It's truly all things to all people.
Cheers,
Joshua.
While I certainly hope this company's claims are true--I wouldn't mind a gigabit pipe into my home--those promising `virtually unlimited' bandwidth should be viewed with the same skepticism those who promised virtually unlimited energy from a cold cup of water were in the last decade. Let them prove their work--perhaps write an article for a scientific journal detailing their work (they may patent their work if they need to keep it a secret)[1].
Cheers,
Joshua.
[1] This is not intended to be an endorsement of the current patent situation.
You can also use AMANDA backup, which I use on my GNU/Linux machines for backup. It seems to handle the large backup sizes acceptably.
Finally, you can always just split up huge files using dd.
Cheers,
Joshua.
{sigh} I wish IBM hadn't killed AIX PS/2. It ran really well on a 386-genre hardware and the X11R4 implementation was good in terms of performance. The Token Ring driver is also better than the one in the Linux kernel {grin}.
Seriously, I have to wonder just what ``Linux'' binaries AIX is going to run, as GNU/Linux doesn't run in the same CPU mode as AIX does on the high-end PowerPCs (e.g. G4 and allegedly G5).
I need to get back to work on GNU/2 and OS/GNU (OS/2, GNU, and Linux integration software). It'll be cool once it works.
Cheers,
Joshua.
We really need an object-oriented filesystem if we want concepts like these. To get that, we also need an object-oriented language (Java is a good choice, C++ doesn't count due to lack of things like decent memory management) and on object-oriented kernel (Hurd might fit the bill some day).
Cheers,
Joshua.
No, because a proper Posix system doesn't define what opening a directory as a stream should do (IIRC, it does define an error code for such an action). Thus, attempting to read a directory as a file results in undefined behavior--on older Linux kernels, you got the raw directory; on Seventh Edition UNIX, you got data blocks which the C library's opendir(3) functions and friends actually used; on Windows, OS/2, DOS, or newer Linux kernels, you get an error.
The proper way to read a directory is the system calls to open and search a directory.
Cheers,
Joshua.
I haven't been able to find more information on SGI's donation of XFS. Anyone have some links?
Cheers,
Joshua.
Cheers,
Joshua.
Again, it's tempting. But Slackware doesn't have the ability to install no non-freed packages {grin}.
Cheers,
Joshua.
Cheers,
Joshua.
EmuHQ would have if it were not for the concept on copyright law that allows ``fair use'' of copyrighted works for such uses as review, criticism, or parody.
Apple, like Sun, IBM, Oracle, SGI, and Microsoft, are the enemy. They pollute the world with more non-freed software aimed at the horizontal market. If Apple is really committed to GNU/Linux, they will release their Mac OS GUI under a freed software licence such as the GPL. So far, they've only displayed a willingness to release code that was already freed (e.g. Mach) under a more-restrictive licence.
Just because Apple is anti-Microsoft does not mean they are our friends. Yes, they have produced nice hardware, but so has Microsoft--I like the Microsoft IntelliMouse. That doesn't mean I embrace Microsoft's vision of one operating system for the entire world.
Apple is more proprietary than Microsoft--Microsoft has usually shown a willingness towards open hardware designes. Apple won't even come that far. As far as Apple is concerned, they should be the only hardware vendor. Standards-based specifications such as SCSI or USB help this situation somewhat, but I recall in recent history a great difficulty on the part of the LinuxPPC team in getting decent specs on the iMac.
Hopefully, anal freed-software fanatics such as I will be able to steer the DarwinLinux group in the right direction. I certainly wouldn't mind any improvements in FreeBSD, as I've found it a wonderful kernel (I just want Debian GNU/FreeBSD ;þ). I am not writing this to show my hate for Apple; I'm simply pointing out that they are yet another huge corporation, such as my beloved IBM, that tends not to have any respect for the lowly hacker such as you and I.
What I really want is a Debian GNU/BSD, with Debian's pleasant APT, decent GNU tools, as opposed to the dated 4.4BSD/Lite tools, and same filesystem layout as Debian GNU/Linux. That would be heavenly.
Through in GNU/OS/2 while you're at it. Thanks. ;p.
/me ncurses Netscape
Netscape is too dumb to understand pnm:// URLs. Grr.
Try this corrected link.
Cheers.
/me ncurses Netscape
Netscape is too dumb to understand pnm:// URLs. Grr.
Try .
Cheers.