I am sure Rational would love to create a whole mass of programmers that can generate code that only makes sense to the Rational tools...
It's interesting you say that. There was a presentation at my workplace some time ago where some Rational bonehead talked about replacing all programing languages with a kind of uber-UML.
Interesting, but I doubt the people who have given us "innovations" such as Rose and XDE will be able to provide such a beast.
Like any big software project there is plenty of room for the developers to add intentional defects that, even with some sort of version control system, are pretty untraceable or might appear to be honest mistakes when/if eventually discovered.
On an issue this big I have a hard time believing there won't be some developers that side with free use and supply backdoors and/or easily exploitable sections of code. Yes they'll be code reviews and the like, but imho bad coding and corporate sabotage will ultimately succeed.
And that's why I'd like to suggest that all the terrible code written at MS over the years causing daily reboots, exploit after exploit, horrid app usability are really things to be cheered and the sneaky coders lauded. Way to go guys.. Keep gumming up the works. You're all heroes in my eyes.
Now, I find that work is a place of relaxation, where I can focus on something and get it done.
So let me get this straight... You're advocating bringing a child into this world purposefully to make your home life so wretched that your previously terrible work-life pales in comparison. That sounds like the answer:)
All joking aside, I think some people are more prone to stress and if they're having a hard time at work perhaps a more suitable form of relief would be to take a vacation.
On a related note, years and years ago with an off brand sound card, I had a bit of a problem that I could effectively only have one app playing at a time, I'd play mp3's in winamp and I couldn't hear sound effects in Quake 2
That's funny you say that because I'm pretty sure older oss drivers did just lock/dev/dsp (or something similiar). I always took it for granted until I switched to alsa and I can play sound from multiple apps at the same time (with the same card - onboard sb64 clone, using the ess1371 driver)
Hi, The contractors in question *did* indeed work for IBM and I agree with you that AIX will probably not last too much longer due to SCO and other factors.
You're right about the windows software angle, sadly.
I'd like to hear stories from anyone concerning linux use within IBM. The contractors who are working with me (large credit card company producing banking software) were moaning to me the other day that even though IBM is gung-ho about linux they are still primarily a windows shop (e.g. sales people and even developers [those not doing linux development at least]) are all on windows or aix boxes and not linux. His words (somewhat paraphrased) were "Linux... good enough for our customers, but not us..."
Does anyone have info to the contrary? I love free software and linux (although I'd jump ship the second something "cooler" comes along:) and I appreciate IBMs current posturing, I'm just a little worried by the above sentiments.
We linux prorammers/geeks/hackers created the material from which RedHat assembled redhat Advanced Server. If RedHat thinks that they can arrogantly charge $1500,= for a install cdrom + shrinkwrapped box, they are wrong.
RedHat has quite a number of prominent kernel hackers on their payroll. So if/when Cox et al. have a problem with these licensing practices I too will be concerned. Until then, everyone needs to make a buck and if big IT houses are willing to take it up the backside, so be it.
Piracy against the book publishing firms makes no damn sense. They don't screw the customers...
There is no "robin hood" rationalization for this, there is no way to justify it...
I agree that most books are moderately priced in the US, but what about text books? I just started my school's master's program and just one of my books last semester was over $100 ($80 - used). If it was available via this sort of service I would be tempted to say the least...
It seems clear to me that you sir are an idealist and I am the cynic. I must admit I am little envious of your willingness to believe but all in all I suppose we'll just have to agree to disagree as this thread has become long, tedious, and painfully off topic. Good day.
The USA is one of the very few countries on earth where the military is held accountable.
Come now.... the US military is held accountable in as much as when forced to admit they did something wrong due to an overwhelming amount of evidence, public opinion, and a threat to funding they will select a scapegoat (read: no longer useful high ranking officer) who will be reprimanded (read: dishonerable discharge with no real punishment and most likely quite generous severence pay (read: bribe))
As a US citizen, I do not believe my coutry has ever had my interests at heart and its brute squad is not something I care to side with either.
I realize everyone thinks SCO's actions are sleezy and MS is being oportunistic, but I really think this lawsuit is good for linux as a whole and me in particular. Why? The chicks. The current scenario is:
random girl: can I check my email?
me: sure...
girl: your desktop looks weird, I want to go home now. I'm confused...
but if linux does include stolen code it becomes dangerous:
different girl: mmmm, is that linux you're using?
me: why yes... it is (sly smile)
girl: you're so dangerous, take me now.... on the keyboard...
One can always dream:)
(And before you make wild geek accusations, yes I do have a girl friend and this was intended to be funny:)
Broken Saint's animation is cool, but the story bores me I'm afraid to say. (I think I just get tired of reading and wish they included a voice audio).
I also wish they had a "play the whole story" button, it's a pain waiting for their lovely, but ultimately time wasting graphics as I navigate between episodes. And before you say anything yes, I am aware they provide zipped copies of the episodes for download and easy viewing (I think this is very nice of them).
In my book the best flash animation site has got to be this one. I just wish new episodes were made available a little more frequently.
My major concern with windows (I have a win2k laptop at work) is the huge number of both udp and tcp ports open seemingly by default. As an experiment I shutdown the majority of my services and still there were more than 10 open.
I'm mainly a unix person and I like to know what each port is connected to and why. Perhaps you can point me in the correct direction, but I have yet to find good documentation on what each port is used for. Also anyone know if there is a lsof or fuser work alike for windows? Maybe I'll go look for that right now.
Oh great guru, I have seen the light! YOu are correct.. a man who gassed his own people, and practiced genocide against another, and has consistantly warred with his neighbors to the point of requiring coalition action should be allowed to reign unchecked.
I appreciate your sarcasm, but I think my point remains valid. We are not the international police and by acting as such we will only further complicate our weakening foreign relations
"we" cannot move against china. We dont have the manpower. Nor does the rest of Europe want to, due to close proximity and the chance of ass-kicking they would recieve. Of course, the way to stop it would be to bankrupt them by not buying their crappy products.. but good ole "Pro USA" Wal-Mart continues to sell crappy Chinese products at a much lower rate than comparable american products, meanwhile bemoaning the loss of jobs and manufacturing.
My vote is for good old fashioned isolationism. As Americans we have our silly little borders, let's guard them and solve the civil and economic problems here and now.
As for Iraq, China, and any other nation for that matter, let the leaders do as they will. I don't care to know the various attrocities that occur within their country. We are hardly free of sin ourselves. It is assinine to assume we can make other countries as "Civilized" as we are through military action, occupation, and forced democracy.
We should be watching from a distance, solving disputes between countries via the UN and casting a blind eye to anything that doesn't directly affect us.
I realize my beliefs may be considered inhumane, and I'm advocating allowing people to suffer. Yet won't their freedom taste all the sweeter when it is gained first hand rather than having it forced down their throat?
They are thrown into the er, hell... Theta quadrant and must struggle tirelessly to avoid the multitudes of vicious alien races and ultimately make it back to Earth. Yeah that sounds about right. Where the Star Trek I used to love?:(
He (hussein) has been thumbing his nose at us for 12 years, ignoring our sanctions, and recently, openly mouthing off.
This is hardly a reason to go to war. There is no reason why someone is his own country should not be allowed to tell the US to 'stick it' once and a while. Additionally the demand that Hussein leave Iraq is insane.
I agree that Hussein probably has ties to what America has defined as terrorism, but so what? How many puppet regimes have we propped up? How many American dollars buy weaponry for foreign nations as we watch the bloodshed from afar. How many countries must we occupy before we can truly feel safe about the state of the world? All of them?
It saddens me that this once great nation has now become the school yard bully of our humble ball of mud.
That's all well and good (I love debian btw), but a large number of utilities seem to give this for a manpage:) That's just silly.
UNDOCUMENTED(7) Linux Programmer's Manual UNDOCUMENTED(7)
NAME
undocumented - No manpage for this program, utility or function.
DESCRIPTION
This program, utility or function does not have a useful manpage.
Before opening a bug to report this, please check with the Debian Bug
Tracking System (BTS) at if a bug has already
been reported. If not, you can submit a wishlist bug if you want.
If you are a competent and accurate writer and are willing to spend the
time reading the source code and writing good manpages please write a
better man page than this one. Please contact the package maintainer
in order to avoid several people working on the same manpage.
Try the following options if you want more information.
foo --help, foo -h, foo -?
info foo
whatis foo, apropos foo
check directories/usr/share/doc/foo,/usr/lib/foo
dpkg --listfiles foo, dpkg --search foo
locate '*foo*'
find / -name '*foo*'
The documentation might be in a package starting with the same name as
the package the software belongs to, but ending with -doc or -docs.
As an employee, it's not "your computer".... Sorry. Pink fonts in Monotype Corsiva on a light blue background makes it tough for me to troubleshoot. Don't put your kid's picture up as wallpaper
I somewhat agree, but I think people should be allowed to customize their work environment if that makes them more productive/happier.
My (ok, my company's) computer is just a tool and as long as I don't damage it (or if I do as long as I can fix it:) I feel I have the right to do with it as I please, barring anything that is specifically banned by the company (pornography,etc)
Additionally, I feel I am allowed to eat anything I find in the refrigerator, do a strip-tease for security cameras, and urinate in garbage cans:).
However, Microsoft's EULA prevents a user from doing this, even if they have 20 copies of Windows.
Surely this isn't correct... is it?
I'm afraid it is, but companies/schools/everyone ignores this all the time with products like Norton Ghost or PQDI.
With NT4 and 2K Ghost Walker (or some other tool) was also required to make sure your cloned machines had different sids (I'm not sure if that is still true with XP).
At every company I've ever worked all desktop windows boxes are made from one of these cloning programs, so it can't be that illegal, right:)
Anyone aware of any efforts to map all prime numbers? It seems as though this would be a more worthy use of my computers free cycles and could possbily help efforts like this in the future.
Slashdot Mirror
I am sure Rational would love to create a whole mass of programmers that can generate code that only makes sense to the Rational tools...
It's interesting you say that. There was a presentation at my workplace some time ago where some Rational bonehead talked about replacing all programing languages with a kind of uber-UML. Interesting, but I doubt the people who have given us "innovations" such as Rose and XDE will be able to provide such a beast.
Like any big software project there is plenty of room for the developers to add intentional defects that, even with some sort of version control system, are pretty untraceable or might appear to be honest mistakes when/if eventually discovered.
On an issue this big I have a hard time believing there won't be some developers that side with free use and supply backdoors and/or easily exploitable sections of code. Yes they'll be code reviews and the like, but imho bad coding and corporate sabotage will ultimately succeed.
And that's why I'd like to suggest that all the terrible code written at MS over the years causing daily reboots, exploit after exploit, horrid app usability are really things to be cheered and the sneaky coders lauded. Way to go guys.. Keep gumming up the works. You're all heroes in my eyes.
Now, I find that work is a place of relaxation, where I can focus on something and get it done.
So let me get this straight... You're advocating bringing a child into this world purposefully to make your home life so wretched that your previously terrible work-life pales in comparison. That sounds like the answer :)
All joking aside, I think some people are more prone to stress and if they're having a hard time at work perhaps a more suitable form of relief would be to take a vacation.
On a related note, years and years ago with an off brand sound card, I had a bit of a problem that I could effectively only have one app playing at a time, I'd play mp3's in winamp and I couldn't hear sound effects in Quake 2
That's funny you say that because I'm pretty sure older oss drivers did just lock /dev/dsp (or something similiar). I always took it for granted until I switched to alsa and I can play sound from multiple apps at the same time (with the same card - onboard sb64 clone, using the ess1371 driver)
Hi, The contractors in question *did* indeed work for IBM and I agree with you that AIX will probably not last too much longer due to SCO and other factors.
You're right about the windows software angle, sadly.
I'd like to hear stories from anyone concerning linux use within IBM. The contractors who are working with me (large credit card company producing banking software) were moaning to me the other day that even though IBM is gung-ho about linux they are still primarily a windows shop (e.g. sales people and even developers [those not doing linux development at least]) are all on windows or aix boxes and not linux. His words (somewhat paraphrased) were "Linux... good enough for our customers, but not us..."
Does anyone have info to the contrary? I love free software and linux (although I'd jump ship the second something "cooler" comes along :) and I appreciate IBMs current posturing, I'm just a little worried by the above sentiments.
We linux prorammers/geeks/hackers created the material from which RedHat assembled redhat Advanced Server. If RedHat thinks that they can arrogantly charge $1500,= for a install cdrom + shrinkwrapped box, they are wrong.
RedHat has quite a number of prominent kernel hackers on their payroll. So if/when Cox et al. have a problem with these licensing practices I too will be concerned. Until then, everyone needs to make a buck and if big IT houses are willing to take it up the backside, so be it.
Piracy against the book publishing firms makes no damn sense. They don't screw the customers...
There is no "robin hood" rationalization for this, there is no way to justify it...
I agree that most books are moderately priced in the US, but what about text books? I just started my school's master's program and just one of my books last semester was over $100 ($80 - used). If it was available via this sort of service I would be tempted to say the least...
It seems clear to me that you sir are an idealist and I am the cynic. I must admit I am little envious of your willingness to believe but all in all I suppose we'll just have to agree to disagree as this thread has become long, tedious, and painfully off topic. Good day.
The USA is one of the very few countries on earth where the military is held accountable.
Come now.... the US military is held accountable in as much as when forced to admit they did something wrong due to an overwhelming amount of evidence, public opinion, and a threat to funding they will select a scapegoat (read: no longer useful high ranking officer) who will be reprimanded (read: dishonerable discharge with no real punishment and most likely quite generous severence pay (read: bribe))
As a US citizen, I do not believe my coutry has ever had my interests at heart and its brute squad is not something I care to side with either.
I realize everyone thinks SCO's actions are sleezy and MS is being oportunistic, but I really think this lawsuit is good for linux as a whole and me in particular. Why? The chicks. The current scenario is:
random girl: can I check my email?
me: sure...
girl: your desktop looks weird, I want to go home now. I'm confused...
but if linux does include stolen code it becomes dangerous:
different girl: mmmm, is that linux you're using?
me: why yes... it is (sly smile)
girl: you're so dangerous, take me now.... on the keyboard...
One can always dream :)
(And before you make wild geek accusations, yes I do have a girl friend and this was intended to be funny :)
Broken Saint's animation is cool, but the story bores me I'm afraid to say. (I think I just get tired of reading and wish they included a voice audio).
I also wish they had a "play the whole story" button, it's a pain waiting for their lovely, but ultimately time wasting graphics as I navigate between episodes. And before you say anything yes, I am aware they provide zipped copies of the episodes for download and easy viewing (I think this is very nice of them).
In my book the best flash animation site has got to be this one. I just wish new episodes were made available a little more frequently.
here you go
Ok, ok, I promise never to cheat in multiplayer games again, just for love of god change the color scheme on this page.
P.O.O.P. just isn't sexy enough to attract these modern programmers. *ducks*
My major concern with windows (I have a win2k laptop at work) is the huge number of both udp and tcp ports open seemingly by default. As an experiment I shutdown the majority of my services and still there were more than 10 open.
I'm mainly a unix person and I like to know what each port is connected to and why. Perhaps you can point me in the correct direction, but I have yet to find good documentation on what each port is used for. Also anyone know if there is a lsof or fuser work alike for windows? Maybe I'll go look for that right now.
Oh great guru, I have seen the light! YOu are correct.. a man who gassed his own people, and practiced genocide against another, and has consistantly warred with his neighbors to the point of requiring coalition action should be allowed to reign unchecked.
I appreciate your sarcasm, but I think my point remains valid. We are not the international police and by acting as such we will only further complicate our weakening foreign relations
"we" cannot move against china. We dont have the manpower. Nor does the rest of Europe want to, due to close proximity and the chance of ass-kicking they would recieve. Of course, the way to stop it would be to bankrupt them by not buying their crappy products.. but good ole "Pro USA" Wal-Mart continues to sell crappy Chinese products at a much lower rate than comparable american products, meanwhile bemoaning the loss of jobs and manufacturing.
My vote is for good old fashioned isolationism. As Americans we have our silly little borders, let's guard them and solve the civil and economic problems here and now.
As for Iraq, China, and any other nation for that matter, let the leaders do as they will. I don't care to know the various attrocities that occur within their country. We are hardly free of sin ourselves. It is assinine to assume we can make other countries as "Civilized" as we are through military action, occupation, and forced democracy.
We should be watching from a distance, solving disputes between countries via the UN and casting a blind eye to anything that doesn't directly affect us.
I realize my beliefs may be considered inhumane, and I'm advocating allowing people to suffer. Yet won't their freedom taste all the sweeter when it is gained first hand rather than having it forced down their throat?
They are thrown into the er, hell... Theta quadrant and must struggle tirelessly to avoid the multitudes of vicious alien races and ultimately make it back to Earth. Yeah that sounds about right. Where the Star Trek I used to love? :(
He (hussein) has been thumbing his nose at us for 12 years, ignoring our sanctions, and recently, openly mouthing off.
This is hardly a reason to go to war. There is no reason why someone is his own country should not be allowed to tell the US to 'stick it' once and a while. Additionally the demand that Hussein leave Iraq is insane.
I agree that Hussein probably has ties to what America has defined as terrorism, but so what? How many puppet regimes have we propped up? How many American dollars buy weaponry for foreign nations as we watch the bloodshed from afar. How many countries must we occupy before we can truly feel safe about the state of the world? All of them?
It saddens me that this once great nation has now become the school yard bully of our humble ball of mud.
That's all well and good (I love debian btw), but a large number of utilities seem to give this for a manpage :) That's just silly.
/usr/share/doc/foo, /usr/lib/foo
UNDOCUMENTED(7) Linux Programmer's Manual UNDOCUMENTED(7)
NAME
undocumented - No manpage for this program, utility or function.
DESCRIPTION
This program, utility or function does not have a useful manpage.
Before opening a bug to report this, please check with the Debian Bug
Tracking System (BTS) at if a bug has already
been reported. If not, you can submit a wishlist bug if you want.
If you are a competent and accurate writer and are willing to spend the
time reading the source code and writing good manpages please write a
better man page than this one. Please contact the package maintainer
in order to avoid several people working on the same manpage.
Try the following options if you want more information.
foo --help, foo -h, foo -?
info foo
whatis foo, apropos foo
check directories
dpkg --listfiles foo, dpkg --search foo
locate '*foo*'
find / -name '*foo*'
The documentation might be in a package starting with the same name as
the package the software belongs to, but ending with -doc or -docs.
As an employee, it's not "your computer".... Sorry. Pink fonts in Monotype Corsiva on a light blue background makes it tough for me to troubleshoot. Don't put your kid's picture up as wallpaper
I somewhat agree, but I think people should be allowed to customize their work environment if that makes them more productive/happier.
My (ok, my company's) computer is just a tool and as long as I don't damage it (or if I do as long as I can fix it :) I feel I have the right to do with it as I please, barring anything that is specifically banned by the company (pornography,etc)
Additionally, I feel I am allowed to eat anything I find in the refrigerator, do a strip-tease for security cameras, and urinate in garbage cans :).
However, Microsoft's EULA prevents a user from doing this, even if they have 20 copies of Windows.
Surely this isn't correct... is it?
I'm afraid it is, but companies/schools/everyone ignores this all the time with products like Norton Ghost or PQDI.
With NT4 and 2K Ghost Walker (or some other tool) was also required to make sure your cloned machines had different sids (I'm not sure if that is still true with XP).
At every company I've ever worked all desktop windows boxes are made from one of these cloning programs, so it can't be that illegal, right :)
Now, I know I'm not the only one who read that as kil'n people and rapidly openned it to find out where I could get my automatic weapon too.
By all in my previous post I really mean 'as many as possible' for obvious reasons.
Anyone aware of any efforts to map all prime numbers? It seems as though this would be a more worthy use of my computers free cycles and could possbily help efforts like this in the future.