Linux-Advocacy Digest #294, Volume #33 Mon, 2 Apr 01 21:13:05 EDT
Contents:
Re: What is user friendly? (The Ghost In The Machine)
Re: Hey, JS PL was Re: Microsoft abandoning USB? (GreyCloud)
Re: NT multitasking: some humiliating defeats! :) ("Quantum Leaper")
Re: Communism, Communist propagandists in the US...still..to this day. (GreyCloud)
Re: Why does Open Source exist, and what way is it developing? (mlw)
Re: Communism (GreyCloud)
Re: Treason (was Re: Communism) ("RTO Trainer")
Re: OT: Treason (was Re: Communism) (GreyCloud)
Re: Is StarOffice 5.2 "compatible" w/MS Office 97/2000? (GreyCloud)
Re: What is user friendly? (The Ghost In The Machine)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (The Ghost In The Machine)
Crossposted-To:
alt.destroy.microsoft,comp.os.ms-windows.advocacy,comp.os.ms-windows.nt.advocacy,soc.singles
Subject: Re: What is user friendly?
Date: Tue, 03 Apr 2001 00:12:11 GMT
In comp.os.linux.advocacy, green
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
wrote
on Sun, 1 Apr 2001 18:54:46 +1000
<9a6q80$v1g$[EMAIL PROTECTED]>:
>
>"The Ghost In The Machine" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in
>message news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]...
[snip for brevity]
>> If you like that test, you'll *love* this one:
>>
>> NT> cd C:\Program Files\Plus!\Microsoft Internet
>>
>> That's right, no quotes or escapes. Just bare spaces!
>
>until you try to load say a game like
>
>c:\games\half life\half life
>
>
>Microsoft Windows 2000 [Version 5.00.2195]
>(C) Copyright 1985-2000 Microsoft Corp.
>
>C:\>c:\games\half life\half life
>'c:\games\half' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
>operable program or batch file.
>
>C:\>cd games\half life
>
>C:\Games\Half Life>
>
>doesn't quite work.
Now you've *really* given me a headache....BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.....
So much for command consistency!
--
[EMAIL PROTECTED] -- NT. When it absolutely, positively, has to look
like an OS on drugs.
EAC code #191 56d:08h:30m actually running Linux.
Darn. Just when this message was getting good, too.
------------------------------
From: GreyCloud <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: Hey, JS PL was Re: Microsoft abandoning USB?
Date: Mon, 02 Apr 2001 18:11:32 -0700
Giuliano Colla wrote:
>
> "T. Max Devlin" wrote:
> >
> > Said JS PL in alt.destroy.microsoft on Mon, 2 Apr 2001 07:54:09 -0400;
> > >"T. Max Devlin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> > >news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]...
> > >> Said Roger in alt.destroy.microsoft on Sun, 01 Apr 2001 15:50:25 -0500;
> > >> >On Sat, 31 Mar 2001 22:27:22 -0500, someone claiming to be JS PL
> > >> >wrote:
> > >> >>"Roger" <roger@.> wrote in message
> > >> >>news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]...
> > >> >
> > >> >>> Off topic for this thread, but Max has claimed at least two
> > >> >>> conversations with you re: a problem with IE which was solved by
> > >> >>> replacement of a video card. Since he originally claimed it was me,
> > >> >>> in spite of being corrected before (and since it is, after al, Max)
> > >> >>> I'm inclined to take his recent version of the fantasy with a huge
> > >> >>> grain of salt.
> > >> >>>
> > >> >>> Do you recall the threads he's babbling about?
> > >> >
> > >> >>I remember having a problem with a bad video driver causing screen
> > >freezes a
> > >> >>couple years ago, right about the time Win98SE came out. It was a
> > >problem
> > >> >>with a Viper V550 and WinSE which reared its ugly head most often while
> > >IE
> > >> >>was open. Changing the card out fixed the problem.
> > >> >
> > >> >As I thought: driver, not hardware, and not exclusively IE.
> > >>
> > >> He replaced the card; claiming now that he did so merely to replace the
> > >> driver hardly supports his expertise, I'd say.
> > >
> > >That's because your not an expert I'd say. Here's what an expert does:
> >
> > Let me just say here that I'm very pleased you were dumb enough to get
> > into this again.
> >
> > >Sees that there are random screen freezes. Knows from experience that screen
> > >freezing is almost always due to a video card (hardware or driver). Also
> > >knows from experience that he's looking at two choices A.) 30 minutes to 3
> > >hours of troubleshooting the existing card and driver for a 50% chance of
> > >fixing it at all. B.) 10 minutes to replace the card with a known good card
> > >for a 99% chance it will be fixed for good. There might be some people who
> > >choose A but the smart money is on B.
> >
> > No, an expert asks the first question anyone else would when you first
> > notice a problem. You ask yourself "what changed?" This question you
> > had answered in your very first post on the subject: you had installed
> > IE5. Knowing from experience that these random screen freezes did not
> > occur before you installed IE5, and knowing from your observation that
> > they did occur after, it is worth considering that installing IE5 may
> > have been the problem, had you any expertise in the matter at all. You
> > bought a brand new video card, who's drivers obviously did not make
> > apparent the bug which nevertheless still exists in IE5 (in reality, we
> > know it may not, but only because it is not possible to distinguish
> > between IE5 and Windows, once it is installed), and then loudly
> > proclaimed your cluelessness on alt.destroy.microsoft.
> >
> > How on earth can replacing the video card because IE5 screwed up your
> > system *possibly* be anything but IE5 being crappy, and you being
> > clueless?
> >
>
> The effect I noticed after IE5 installation on my laptop, was that the
> cards of the solitary game I used to play, had become transparent during
> their movement, letting see through the backgroud. Subsequent disinstall
> of IE5 didn't remove the visual change.
> I couldn't believe that there was a relation, so I cross checked with a
> desktop at work. I verified that solitaire cards were opaque, I
> installed and uninstalled IE5, and cards were now transparent. The
> effect was pleasant, so I didn't complain too much, but I had some
> feeling of a situation very far from "clean".
>
> --
Yes. As a rule, when you install software and things start going
haywire you then have to start using techniques to isolate the problem.
With MS and IE, the rules have been changed. A few dlls got replaced.
The usual is to check in with the video vendor to see if they have any
updates. If the vendor has folded,... well then you have to rip out the
video card for a new one.
With DEC if you opted to upgrade vms you have to make sure that there
aren't any hardware ECOs that are needed. Some depts. failed to do this
thinking they could keep their budget low... leading to weird symptoms.
> Giuliano Colla
>
> *** The best way to convince another is
> to poke on his head with a club until he's
> convinced. - J. Stalin (attrib. to) ***
--
V
------------------------------
From: "Quantum Leaper" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Crossposted-To:
alt.destroy.microsoft,comp.os.ms-windows.advocacy,comp.os.ms-windows.nt.advocacy
Subject: Re: NT multitasking: some humiliating defeats! :)
Date: Tue, 03 Apr 2001 00:17:25 GMT
"Chronos Tachyon" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in
message news:ow1y6.18339$[EMAIL PROTECTED]...
> [Sorry if the cancel doesn't take and this gets double-posted.]
>
> On Mon 02 Apr 2001 06:45, Ayende Rahien wrote:
>
> [Snip]
> >
> > PKUnzip is an *old* utility, which is almost totally replaced by windows
> > comression programs, but what the hell, let's do it, okay?
> > ftp://ftp.simtel.net/pub/simtelnet/msdos/arcers/pk250dos.exe
> [Snip]
>
> I hate to break it to you, but PKZip 2.50 is actually a Win32 console
> application in disguise. The last version of PKZip for 16-bit DOS was
> 2.04g, released circa 1992.
>
Anyone using PKZip 2.04g on NT should be shot, since we don't know what
Barry's friend is using, a good guess would be 2.50, since it does long
file names.
------------------------------
From: GreyCloud <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: Communism, Communist propagandists in the US...still..to this day.
Date: Mon, 02 Apr 2001 18:15:44 -0700
Dana wrote:
>
> Aaron R. Kulkis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]...
> > Dana wrote:
> > >
> > > Scott Erb <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> > > news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]...
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Dana wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > No Erb, you are the one that is wrong. We are a constitutional
> republic.
> > > We
> > > > > are not a liberal democracy, that form of socialism
> > > >
> > > > No, you're wrong.
> > >
> > > No erb, you are wrong. You fail to realize what the modern incarnation
> of
> > > the term liberal is. The modern liberal is not a classical liberal like
> > > Locke, Hobbs. Modern liberals are socialists. That is why there is such
> a
> > > negative feeling towards the term liberal democracy. That is practiced
> in
> > > Europe, and it is socialism.
> > >
> > > Liberal Democracy means a Democratic Republic based
> > > > on liberal principles.
> > >
> > > It is not based on liberal principles, it is based on socialism
> > > It is not liberal in the sense of classical liberalism.
> > >
> > > Ideological liberalism is a belief in limited
> > > > government and a claim that humans have the inherent right of life,
> > > > liberty and property, based on the work of among others, John Locke.
> > > > Liberalism is an ideological opponent of socialism.
> > >
> > > And a liberal democracy is socialism, just look at Europe.
> > > >
> > > > Classical liberalism saw a very, very limited government (Milton
> > > > Friedman considers himself a classical liberal), "new" liberalism
> > > > associated with developments in Britain and thinkers like John Stuart
> > > > Mill argues that to have real liberty and equal opportunity the state
> > > > must institute some kind of social welfare programs. Both are at base
> > > > ideologically liberal, socialism is something else.
> > >
> > > When the state gets involved with social welfare programs, you have
> > > socialism, which leads to fascism once the state gets involved in the
> means
> > > of production/controls industry.
> > > >
> > > > > is found in Europe in
> > > > > countries like Germany. And our federalism is not Germany's
> >federalism.
> > > >
> > > > Germany in some ways has a stronger federalism than ours,
> > > Socialism is socialism.
> > > their states
> > > > choose who serves in their upper house, much like the US Senate was
> > > > chosen before direct popular vote to the Senate was ratified.
> > >
> > > Which was a mistake.
> > > >
> > > > Dana, your ignorance of the basics here shows that perhaps you need to
> > > > do some reading on this. I'll later on post a set of books you could
> > > > start with; at this point, you are in over your head.
> > >
> > > No erb, it is you who is showing ignorance/dishonesty. You are a
> socialist
> > > and you have claimed the title liberal, but you are not liberal in the
> > > fashion of Locke.
> > >
> > > We go over this with you a couple of times a year. And each time you are
> > > proven wrong. And you wonder why so called instructers like you get no
> > > respect. Well we all you teach is revision and some misguided facts, you
> > > deserve no respect. All you need to do is be honest. A liberal democracy
> is
> > > socialism.
> >
> > I wonder how Scott Erb would feel if he gets his wish of an all-powerful
> > government, and along the way, he gets carted off to some gulag....
>
> It would be poetic justice.
> It is not that Erb is ignorant, he is very dishonest. And to think he is
> teaching this to his students.
He was already challenged for his credentials. No response yet. Hey,
anybody can come in and claim to be a prof. or PHD in something.
> >
> > --
> > Aaron R. Kulkis
> > Unix Systems Engineer
> > DNRC Minister of all I survey
> > ICQ # 3056642
> >
> > K: Truth in advertising:
> > Left Wing Extremists Charles Schumer and Donna Shelala,
> > Black Seperatist Anti-Semite Louis Farrakan,
> > Special Interest Sierra Club,
> > Anarchist Members of the ACLU
> > Left Wing Corporate Extremist Ted Turner
> > The Drunken Woman Killer Ted Kennedy
> > Grass Roots Pro-Gun movement,
> >
> >
> > J: Other knee_jerk reactionaries: billh, david casey, redc1c4,
> > The retarded sisters: Raunchy (rauni) and Anencephielle (Enielle),
> > also known as old hags who've hit the wall....
> >
> > I: Loren Petrich's 2-week stubborn refusal to respond to the
> > challenge to describe even one philosophical difference
> > between himself and the communists demonstrates that, in fact,
> > Loren Petrich is a COMMUNIST ***hole
> >
> > H: "Having found not one single carbon monoxide leak on the entire
> > premises, it is my belief, and Willard concurs, that the reason
> > you folks feel listless and disoriented is simply because
> > you are lazy, stupid people"
> >
> > G: Knackos...you're a retard.
> >
> >
> > F: Unit_4's "Kook hunt" reminds me of "Jimmy Baker's" harangues against
> > adultery while concurrently committing adultery with Tammy Hahn.
> >
> > E: Jet is not worthy of the time to compose a response until
> > her behavior improves.
> >
> > D: Jet Silverman now follows me from newgroup to newsgroup
> > ...despite (C) above.
> >
> > C: Jet Silverman claims to have killfiled me.
> >
> > B: Jet Silverman plays the fool and spews out nonsense as a
> > method of sidetracking discussions which are headed in a
> > direction that she doesn't like.
> >
> > A: The wise man is mocked by fools.
--
V
------------------------------
From: mlw <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: Why does Open Source exist, and what way is it developing?
Date: Mon, 02 Apr 2001 20:26:03 -0400
Karel Jansens wrote:
> In reality, random mutations play a very minor part in how species
> change. Genetics are far more important. Without sexual reproduction,
> species change at a much slower rate; without mutations, we would
> probably not notice any difference.
I think this is wrong. It is through random mutation that new features are
developed. A slight discoloration here, an odd shaped bone there, should one of
these allow a creature to escape a predator, somehow survive better in an
environment, or even be more attractive to the opposite sex, violla! something
that will carry on to the next generation. If the offspring are successful,
then we have a small step in evolution.
There is precedent.
--
I'm not offering myself as an example; every life evolves by its own laws.
========================
http://www.mohawksoft.com
------------------------------
From: GreyCloud <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: Communism
Date: Mon, 02 Apr 2001 18:23:31 -0700
The Ghost In The Machine wrote:
>
> In comp.os.linux.advocacy, T. Max Devlin
> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> wrote
> on Mon, 02 Apr 2001 03:41:06 GMT
> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>:
> >Said The Ghost In The Machine in alt.destroy.microsoft on Mon, 02 Apr
> >>In comp.os.linux.advocacy, T. Max Devlin
> >><[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >> wrote
> >>on Sun, 01 Apr 2001 17:18:29 GMT
> >><[EMAIL PROTECTED]>:
> >>>Said Aaron R. Kulkis in alt.destroy.microsoft on Sun, 01 Apr 2001
> >>>>"T. Max Devlin" wrote:
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Said Aaron R. Kulkis in alt.destroy.microsoft on Sat, 31 Mar 2001
> >>>>> [...]
> >>>>> >Fascists kill the poor first.
> >>>>> >Communists kill the rich first.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Meanwhile, Aaron concentrates on anyone who disagrees with him, rich or
> >>>>> poor.
> >>>>
> >>>>No. Only those who lie.
> >>>>
> >>>>Disagreement is ok, as long as you don't tell lies in the process.
> >>>
> >>>I've been here for years; I've yet to see a single person you disagree
> >>>with that you do not eventually insist is lying.
> >>>
> >>>>> >In fascism, industry "owns" the government.
> >>>>> >In Communism, the government "owns" industry.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Amazingly clueless.
> >>>> ^^^^^^^^
> >>>>
> >>>>You misspelled "accurate"
> >>> ^^^^^^^^
> >>>You misspelled "clueless"
> >>
> >>You both have misspelled "cogent, logical argument". :-)
> >>
> >>(Side note: as I understand it, communism in its pure form is
> >>an economic system, always (at least, when done at the country level)
> >>implemented by some sort of authoritarian rule as it is not compatible
> >>with the "natural human state" of being greedy -- or, as a friend of
> >>mine once put it, "having enlightened self-interest",
> >>which sounds better and is more accurate.)
> >
> >Well, that's the problem. For a country to be "communist", "communism"
> >needs to be defined as a political system or it becomes a
> >self-conflicted concept. You can't run a country with capitalism,
> >regardless of how important capitalism is to running a country. Your
> >point is valid, as communism is often seen as a social philosophy
> >indicating an economic model (socialism), and whether a communist or
> >socialist country uses one or the other label is relatively meaningless.
>
> Agreed, from an operational standpoint. It'll be interesting to see
> how the Chinese experiment holds out (they're trying for the combination
> of an authoritarian government and a capitalist economy, apparently), but
> it's clear that communism and authoritarianism/socialism track very
> closely in actual implementations.
>
> >
> >But I was trying to illuminate, by simply pointing it out, that for
> >Aaron to berate both Marx, who was simply a philosopher, and the USSR,
> >simply because both were communist, is to indicate that certain thoughts
> >are not aloud to be thought. This seems to me to ironically mirror
>
> Or maybe not allowed to be expressed aloud. :-)
>
> >Marx's own work, of course, and makes clear that Kulkis is about as
> >close to a fascist as you can get and still live a responsible life.
> >
> >I do think its just playing with fire giving him a gun, of course. But
> >only as a military person; as a private citizen, I'm afraid he should be
> >as free to own a firearm as any other person. Now isn't that a scary
> >idea?
>
> No more than some of the others I can think of, admittedly. If a
> country has to protect itself from its own citizenry, it will have
> some nasty problems. I do not buy into the "let's get the guns off
> the street" arguments of HCI, although I'm not sure how to reduce
> the carnage at this time (ideally, the citizenry would shoot them
> dead, or threaten to, and they'd think twice about shooting their
> rivals -- of course, the gangsters might also shoot the citizenry,
> but then other citizenry might step in!).
>
> It has already been noted elsewhere that Hitler disarmed
> the citizenry first. I think the US government hasn't quite gone
> that far, but it's possible we're being seduced into giving up
> a primary line of defense against a tyrannical organization.
>
> Paranoid? Perhaps. But "it can't happen here" can happen here.
>
>From what I've been keeping track of so far is the constant pressure to
remove handguns and possibly rifles. Everytime you hear of a nasty
shooting that's the first clarion call of the liberals. But if somebody
is beheaded by a sword or a piece of sharp metal from whatever you don't
hear a peep from them. Slow pressure will usually yield results.
> [.sigsnip]
>
> --
> [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- insert random misquote here
> EAC code #191 56d:23h:10m actually running Linux.
> Microsoft. When it absolutely, positively has to act weird.
--
V
------------------------------
From: "RTO Trainer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Crossposted-To: alt.destroy.microsoft,us.military.army,soc.singles
Subject: Re: Treason (was Re: Communism)
Date: Tue, 03 Apr 2001 00:27:05 GMT
"Joseph T. Adams" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:9a7dvj$14b$[EMAIL PROTECTED]...
> In comp.os.linux.advocacy Aaron R. Kulkis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> :> amounts to is rounding upo everyone who disagrees with him. I know you
> :> don't agree with that, I remember you from m.a.m. (I used to be Son of
> :> ATF).
>
> : So, in other words, you're a brother-in-arms with police-state goons.
>
> : How...reassuring.
>
>
> Please don't be too quick to judge someone you don't know.
>
> "Son of ATF" was a frequent poster on misc.activism.militia, an
> audience which, as as one might guess, has never been terribly fond of
> the BATF. However, it took a lot of courage to post in that forum in
> the first place, and he turned out to be far from a "yes-man" or
> apologist for the ATF, the federal government, or anyone else.
>
> I was a member of a Patriot/Militia organization (a good one at the
> time), and his father was an ATF agent. Naturally, our perspectives
> were very different, and we didn't always agree.
>
> However, his integrity won him the respect of a lot of people on all
> sides of the discussion, myself included.
>
>
It was reasoned, considered responses to me that also won you my respect,
Joe. Thanks, for that and for the kind things you've said here.
------------------------------
From: GreyCloud <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: OT: Treason (was Re: Communism)
Date: Mon, 02 Apr 2001 18:30:30 -0700
"T. Max Devlin" wrote:
>
> Said Aaron R. Kulkis in alt.destroy.microsoft on Mon, 02 Apr 2001
> 13:25:50 -0400;
> >Roger Perkins wrote:
> >>
> >> Also his demonstrated instability and hostility towards the US government.
> >> Officers must be loyal. aaron isn't.
> >
> >I'm loyal to the US Constitution. We are a nation of LAWS, not men.
> >Anyone officer who demands that you swear your loyalty to HIM instead
> >of the Constitution is a dangerous individual who should be put out of
> >the military IMMEDIATELY.
> >
> >
> >Are you saying that an officer should accept orders from a modern
> >day Benedict Arnold, just because said officer is his superior?
> >
> >Loyalty without brains => police state, moron.
>
> Are you saying an E5 has the power to disobey a lawful order because he
> believes it conflicts with his private interpretation of the
> Constitution?
>
Yes! Remember the german troops of WWII?? Or the holocaust?? A lot of
those claimed to be following orders as well. There were a few that
disobeyed those orders and had protected the few jewish people that they
could. Thats why the JDL wants no one to forget the holocaust and that
one should always question orders. The old "Do or die, yours isn't to
question why" attitude doesn't cut it.
> --
> T. Max Devlin
> *** The best way to convince another is
> to state your case moderately and
> accurately. - Benjamin Franklin ***
--
V
------------------------------
From: GreyCloud <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: Is StarOffice 5.2 "compatible" w/MS Office 97/2000?
Date: Mon, 02 Apr 2001 18:34:17 -0700
Pete Mullins wrote:
>
> Regardless of how Word users look, they expect the documents that they
> receive can be opened and intelligible. Since everyone uses Word, this can
> usually be taken for granted. On the odd occasion that they receive a
> document that does not originate from Word, of course it is great if the
> document can be opened. The odd formatting error can be forgiven in this
> case. But then it is a one-in-a-million occurrence.
>
Since when does everybody "uses Word"? I don't. Buy an IBM you'll get
the Lotus products bundled in. I don't need word.
> --
> ____________________________
> Pete Mullins
> Email: pmullin@
>
> "Ian Davey" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]...
> > In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Stefaan
> A Eeckels) wrote:
> >
> > >This experience has taught me that Word users don't seem
> > >to mind "minor" formatting problems when opening third-party
> > >documents.
> >
> > That's because they tend to look pretty crappy anyway, so you don't
> normally
> > notice.
> >
> > ian.
> >
> > \ /
> > (@_@) http://www.eclipse.co.uk/sweetdespise/ (dark literature)
> > /(&)\ http://www.eclipse.co.uk/sweetdespise/libertycaptions/ (art)
> > | |
--
V
------------------------------
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (The Ghost In The Machine)
Crossposted-To:
alt.destroy.microsoft,comp.os.ms-windows.advocacy,comp.os.ms-windows.nt.advocacy
Subject: Re: What is user friendly?
Date: Tue, 03 Apr 2001 00:40:35 GMT
In comp.os.linux.advocacy, GreyCloud
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
wrote
on Sun, 01 Apr 2001 01:56:48 -0800
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>:
>The Ghost In The Machine wrote:
>>
>> soc.singles removed from followups. (Um....insert your own joke regarding
>> weird crossposts here, folks. :-) )
>>
>> In comp.os.linux.advocacy, Jan Johanson
>> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>> wrote
>> on 24 Mar 2001 16:13:02 -0600
>> <3abd1b3f$0$28213$[EMAIL PROTECTED]>:
>> >
>> >"Aaron R. Kulkis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
>> >news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]...
>> >
>> >> Which gets back to my main point:
>> >>
>> >> Mafia$oft sticks you with code compiled for an 80486, and nothing
>> >> better....even if you're running a Pentium III.
>> >
>> >Wrong. There is Pentium specific code in NT as well as Windows 2000. There
>> >are also processor specific speed ups for the PII and PIII OP sets, as well
>> >as specific speedups for MMS, SSE and SSEII.
>> >
>> >>
>> >> Linux installs an 80386 kernal and apps BUT, it lets you re-make the
>> >kernal
>> >> and apps, so that you are using executable code that was optimized for
>> >> your CPU.
>> >
>> >So, can't run linux on a 286 without a recompile eh?
>>
>> Can't run Linux on a 286 at all; it requires a flat address space.
>> At least, last time I checked. :-) Someone might have snuck in some
>> detection code deep in the kernel, but it would definitely require
>> a recompile with an intelligent compiler that can translate the
>> flat address space into segment:paragraph form. (And that's assuming
>> no code mucks with the translation tables and/or card registers in an
>> incompatible fashion within the drivers or modules during something
>> like DMA setup. Oy vey....)
>>
>> No, g++ isn't quite that intelligent, at least as far as I've
>> looked at it. :-)
>>
>
>More intelligent than VC++6.0. I have the MSDN CD-rom set. VC has
>trouble with multiple inheritance and the MSDN admits it by showing
>possible work-arounds. g++ seems to handle multiple inheritance quite
>well. As time goes on g++ will improve.
Which is funny because ATL uses multiple inheritance (and templates)
pretty heavily. Take a look at VC++ wizard-generated code sometime. :-)
>
>> Not sure if this is a bug or a feature or merely a reflection of the
>> sad legacy of backward compatibility we've been saddled with
>> because of the monopolistic tendencies of the software market -- said
>> tendencies being created either by ourselves (because we like it that
>> way?), or by a certain gigantic software vender that even now is still
>> trying to dominate the market, explaining that it's doing so
>> "for the sake of the naive user".
>>
>> Also, because Intel was first, Motorola second. The 68000 series
>> was superior in terms of register usage and addressing capability.
>>
>
>Using the "register" specification in a C program is far more useful on
>processors with orthogonal register usage than on Intel processors.
>Wish I could afford better, but all I can do now is get used VAXens.
Now there was a nice machine language. None of this weird r/m stuff
or oddball bitmasking for different ops; one just has a byte opcode
and a series of operands, which could be immediate, memory, PIC,
register, offset(register), indexed (which even took into account
the size of the operand)...compilers would be almost trivial.
There was complete orthogonality of 12 of its 16 registers (R0 was
dedicated to returns, but it could also be used), R12 = FP, R13 = AP,
R14 = SP, R15 = PC, if memory serves; in a pinch, one could probably
use AP as a scratch register, too). If one wanted to, one could
also use the very powerful macro assembler. I forget the specifics
of floating point (I think there was a separate set of registers for that),
but it was also well supported, with the usual instructions for
converting ints to floats/doubles, etc.
Of course, the VAX does disallow certain instruction types; moving
to an immediate operand or jumping to a register will most likely
result in an illegal instruction exception of some sort
(I forget the details, now). :-)
It also had a well-engineered argument/stack frame, which everyone was
expected to follow (and which was supported by CALLS, CALLG,
and various PUSHes and POPs).
VMS wasn't too bad, athough it tried to do too much; the one thing
I miss was the asynchronous service trap, which basically got called
when I/O completed. It also had some funny notions regarding
redirect ("ASSIGN SYS$INPUT filename" [*], as opposed to the simple "<").
But it was robust and well-documented, complete with built-in HELP
with a tree of topics. It felt like a very very heavy OS at the time,
but the VAXes I used at my employment had all of 5 and 8 megabytes
which means that compared to Win2k, it was a virtual featherweight!
Unfortunately, as usual, we got the schlock x86 architecture which
has got to have the weirdest set of registers I've seen in a micro,
barring such oddballities as the 6502 (anyone else remember (22,X)
and (22),Y indirect addressing modes? :-) ).
At least the 386+ is usable now. :-)
[rest snipped]
[*] I might have the arguments reversed. There was also an option on
the DCL ASSIGN command that could indicate whether the assignment
was for the duration of the process, or merely for the next image
(VMS differentiated between the two). However, I forget the
specific flag.
--
[EMAIL PROTECTED] -- insert random misquote here
EAC code #191 56d:08h:46m actually running Linux.
Microsoft. When it absolutely, positively has to act weird.
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