Re: [tlug] Bashing away at Unix

[Attila Kinali <attila@example.com>]

On Sun, 16 Mar 2008 04:30:14 -0800
"SL Baur" <steve@example.com> wrote:

> On 3/16/08, Attila Kinali <attila@example.com> wrote:
> 
> > Sorry to destroy your dreams, but that's not true.
> >  Unless you are prepared to port all software you use
> >  to the new OS (resp base system) you are running
> >  (which is ever changing because it's OSS).
> >
> >  Eg. just try to compile some software that wasn't touched
> >  since 2000 or so. You'll have a hard time, believe me.
> 
> Eh?  I'm currently working with software at work that hasn't been
> touched in much longer than that.  What "new system" are you referring
> to?

A current Linux (or other Unix) system.
Or the unixoid system you'll use in a year or two.

> Umm, I still use XEmacs 21.1 at work (which is the default XEmacs
> they supply) and the one I released in 1999 before a crowd of
> (cheering, lol) emacs and other open source developers at the 1999
> m17n conference in Tsukuba.
> 
> Turnbull-sensei was there.  XEmacs 21.1 still rocks, after a decade.

Then you are lucky to just have compiled XEmacs. Try any other
0815 software you find out there. Just tracking down why it
does not work with this or that library although the major
and minor versions are right (but the subsubsubsubminor isn't)
can be quite time consuming.

Especially software that comes from the g-corner[1] of the unix
world or depends on such software can be very annoying.
It once took me 6 hours to get a Ti calculator link program
that wasn't even half a year old to compile, just because
autoshit and gtk were a little bit different at very obscure
points than what the author of the link program had used.

> It doesn't take very much reading of lkml to know what Linus (may the Goddess
> bless and guide him) has to say about folks who break user-space APIs.
> It's not kind.

Yes, but unfortunately, too many people think that's only something
the kernel has to care about, because with OSS you always have
the source that you can change/adapt and recompile...

I don't think i have to mention what i'd like to do with
these people....

> And your point is?

Never trust code you haven't written yourself.
Especialy not if it starts with a "g" or with "auto"


			Attila Kinali

[1] g-corner means here both gtk/gnome and gnu

-- 
Praised are the Fountains of Shelieth, the silver harp of the waters,
But blest in my name forever this stream that stanched my thirst!
                         -- Deed of Morred