(This is from Eric Raymond's The Art Of Unix Programming, which I'm currently reading.)
"The most basic argument for prototyping first is Kernighan & Plauger's:
90% of the functionality delivered now is better than 100% of it delivered never”.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Thursday, March 4, 2010
News Item
It appears that Oracle is being a good neighbor with respect to open source-ing some things, or rather continuing to (subsequent to the Sun acquisition). This story indicates that the OpenSolaris project will undergo basically no change and that a commitment is being made to its future. Certainly this will benefit Oracle by the encouraging of experimentation with file systems and software features now under its control (like ZFS, the combined file system and LVM) but I see the continuing maintenance and free availability of any decent (-nix-oid) system as a good thing. In the words of the nerd-rock band DEVO, "duty now for the future"!
Monday, March 1, 2010
The Anti-Book-Review Times Two
Since I have two computing-related books to review and have not finished them yet, I'll let you in on the locations thereof. Both have online free versions in various places; here's some that I know about.
THE ART OF UNIX PROGRAMMING by Eric Raymond
Mr. Raymond has been around programming since way the hell back and offers this best-practices book that can do at least three things: document the early computing culture, acclimatize programmers to the Unix world that may have come from other environments and focus the efforts of other programmers who are Unix-native. Here's one of the book's many online homes:
Click HERE
NMAP NETWORK SCANNING
The Official Nmap Project Guide to Network Discovery and Security Scanning
by Gordon “Fyodor” Lyon
Living at the venerable nmap.org, this is a less-than-complete version (buy it to get everything) but this version is merely lacking in all examples and extended discussions. All the basics are here. The tool's free and the bad guys use it, too, so if you're a White Hat Wannabe like me, you have no choice but to get right with Nmap.
Click HERE
So now, let's see if I can finish these before you do - and before you scoop me on your blog.
THE ART OF UNIX PROGRAMMING by Eric Raymond
Mr. Raymond has been around programming since way the hell back and offers this best-practices book that can do at least three things: document the early computing culture, acclimatize programmers to the Unix world that may have come from other environments and focus the efforts of other programmers who are Unix-native. Here's one of the book's many online homes:
Click HERE
NMAP NETWORK SCANNING
The Official Nmap Project Guide to Network Discovery and Security Scanning
by Gordon “Fyodor” Lyon
Living at the venerable nmap.org, this is a less-than-complete version (buy it to get everything) but this version is merely lacking in all examples and extended discussions. All the basics are here. The tool's free and the bad guys use it, too, so if you're a White Hat Wannabe like me, you have no choice but to get right with Nmap.
Click HERE
So now, let's see if I can finish these before you do - and before you scoop me on your blog.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Well, happy December and stuff!
First, some housekeeping details: you may have noticed that I don't update quite as often as in the past. I am no longer an officeholder at the Houston Area League of PC Users, but that organization continues improvement efforts and reorganization as we speak, or type (check their site for the latest).
Second, I continue to press onward with technological interests such as the open source movement, computer security, backup methodology, unusual internet content, publishing, et cetera.
Thirdly, I'll use this blog to prognosticate and pass on interesting tidbits to whomever reads this blog, as well as for my own use (as an online link repository, for example).
Upcoming topics here may include...
The Nmap book by the Nmap guy
BackTrack 4 final release changes and progress
Recent TRK changes and improvements
Adventures In Learning Perl (hopefully without attacking competing languages much)
Adventures In Deleted File Recovery (or Oops I Did It Again, and in a different oddball file format this time)
So stay tuned and let's see what I come up with.
Second, I continue to press onward with technological interests such as the open source movement, computer security, backup methodology, unusual internet content, publishing, et cetera.
Thirdly, I'll use this blog to prognosticate and pass on interesting tidbits to whomever reads this blog, as well as for my own use (as an online link repository, for example).
Upcoming topics here may include...
The Nmap book by the Nmap guy
BackTrack 4 final release changes and progress
Recent TRK changes and improvements
Adventures In Learning Perl (hopefully without attacking competing languages much)
Adventures In Deleted File Recovery (or Oops I Did It Again, and in a different oddball file format this time)
So stay tuned and let's see what I come up with.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
I've made a momentous discovery.
Although I am mostly ashamed at having been talked into establishing a Facebook account, I have found something about that system that's actually socially redeeming. Somebody established "INTERCAL Enthusiasts" on FB. I'm not even a proper programmer and this is funny to me:
Here is the "Hello, world" program in INTERCAL:
DO ,1 <- #13
PLEASE DO ,1 SUB #1 <- #234
DO ,1 SUB #2 <- #112
DO ,1 SUB #3 <- #112
DO ,1 SUB #4 <- #0
DO ,1 SUB #5 <- #64
DO ,1 SUB #6 <- #194
DO ,1 SUB #7 <- #48
PLEASE DO ,1 SUB #8 <- #22
DO ,1 SUB #9 <- #248
DO ,1 SUB #10 <- #168
DO ,1 SUB #11 <- #24
DO ,1 SUB #12 <- #16
DO ,1 SUB #13 <- #214
PLEASE READ OUT ,1
PLEASE GIVE UP
For more of whatever the above is, go to
The Intercal Place
, which is outside FB and should be given the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Yes, from OUR Congress.
Here is the "Hello, world" program in INTERCAL:
DO ,1 <- #13
PLEASE DO ,1 SUB #1 <- #234
DO ,1 SUB #2 <- #112
DO ,1 SUB #3 <- #112
DO ,1 SUB #4 <- #0
DO ,1 SUB #5 <- #64
DO ,1 SUB #6 <- #194
DO ,1 SUB #7 <- #48
PLEASE DO ,1 SUB #8 <- #22
DO ,1 SUB #9 <- #248
DO ,1 SUB #10 <- #168
DO ,1 SUB #11 <- #24
DO ,1 SUB #12 <- #16
DO ,1 SUB #13 <- #214
PLEASE READ OUT ,1
PLEASE GIVE UP
For more of whatever the above is, go to
The Intercal Place
, which is outside FB and should be given the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Yes, from OUR Congress.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Tech Fest A Resounding Success
About a half-dozen denizens of Hal were present at the "users groups" table that Tech Fest afforded us, and the one other group that showed, the Houston Java Users Group. As for us, we got over six sheets' worth of email contacts and I'd guess that it totals to over 100 people expressing interest (Chris or Jim Ward may have the sheets and therefore could give an accurate count).
The scene was mostly .net developers but about 20% of the subjects were applicable to other things. It was well attended by head hunters, too; I'll be there next year.
The scene was mostly .net developers but about 20% of the subjects were applicable to other things. It was well attended by head hunters, too; I'll be there next year.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
NEWS
HAL-PC FUNDRAISER POSTPONED
Due to various time constraints, the Sept. 7th BBQ has been put off at least 6-8 weeks. Stay tuned to the Hal-PC site for re-scheduling notices.
LINUX 101 ROCKS YOUR SOCKS
I dropped into the Linux 101 SIG (special interest group) meeting after the executive committee broke up for the night (and John Davis and me had finished talking about the Houston Punk scene) and saw that they are drawing about the healthy half-dozen or so that my SIG used to draw (I think they're doing OK as well). And I'm not just pimping them because they (Linux 101, 1st Tue. of Month, 7pm, Hal-PC) looked at the latest Linux Mint. But that helped.
Due to various time constraints, the Sept. 7th BBQ has been put off at least 6-8 weeks. Stay tuned to the Hal-PC site for re-scheduling notices.
LINUX 101 ROCKS YOUR SOCKS
I dropped into the Linux 101 SIG (special interest group) meeting after the executive committee broke up for the night (and John Davis and me had finished talking about the Houston Punk scene) and saw that they are drawing about the healthy half-dozen or so that my SIG used to draw (I think they're doing OK as well). And I'm not just pimping them because they (Linux 101, 1st Tue. of Month, 7pm, Hal-PC) looked at the latest Linux Mint. But that helped.
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