* Posts by -bat.

28 publicly visible posts • joined 30 Jan 2010

FreeBSD 14.2 wants to woo Docker fans, but still struggles with Wi-Fi

-bat.

Re: linuxulator containers

Yup, it "just works" for me too... e.g.

# podman run --rm --os=linux -ti docker.io/drwetter/testssl.sh https://www.theregister.com/

Which runs the testssl application, in a container, on my BSD machine. It's really nice!

Or try simply running a base Alpine image

# podman run --rm --os=linux -ti docker.io/alpine cat /etc/os-release

FreeBSD 13.1 is out for everything from PowerPC to x86-64

-bat.

Re: Question

"I'd have thought that BSD binaries would probably run on MacOS"

Back when macOS was NextStep, it would certainly run Unix binaries without recompilation. The executable format was different, so there was a program to convert auto files to mach-O files (atom?), but you could take a binary off a 68030 SunOS workstation, copy it to your 68030 NeXT cube, convert the format, and run it just fine.

Actually, the existence of 'atom' as part of the base system would imply it wasn't just possible, but was a supported feature.

ELKS and Fuzix: Linux – and Unix – writ very, very small

-bat.

...and just for the hell of it, actual BSD (2.11) running in 128K

https://github.com/chettrick/discobsd

Last release being a few weeks ago. Interesting for the same reasons, as micro-controllers are also parts with no memory management. Not going to run on CP/M class machines, but even so, impressive. Also useful as these are modern parts, so if I needed to use one and wanted an OS platform, this is what I would choose.

Linux has nearly half of the desktop OS Linux market

-bat.

Oddly enough, I would say generally yes, we do. Mach only replaces a small bit of the kernel, the rest is BSD. Source code is on GitHub and if you take a look then the usual BSD kernel files are there, and include the Berkley copyright in them, below the Apple bits. I haven't written kernel level stuff for MacOS, but I did for OpenStep, and you could simply take BSD kernel code and port it in a direct manner.

So, yes it's BSD underneath, and BSD at the command line too [though getting a little less so - vi to replaced with vim recently for example]. Sys-admining it, however, is *not* BSD-like, as someone else has commented. Don't try and configure things by editing files in /etc or you will end up very exasperated. But at a user level, if you are familiar with BSD you will find MacOS a lot more familiar than Linux is.

[ I suspect this is a moot point though, as the quantity of people in the world who are really only used to Unix and have no significant experience with Linux are pretty small in this day and age. That's me, but then I am old. And stubborn ;) ]

Two new Linux desktops – one with deep roots – come to Debian

-bat.

Re: Display postscript?

Yeah,'tis me ;-) Still in Angel, and still enjoying your writing. Am still on the same old twisted email if you want to drop me a line... its been, uh, a while!

-bat.

Re: Display postscript?

Certainly you used to be able to use the DPSPrintf functions in GNUstep - I havent used it in a long time, but it was compatible when I last did. It didnt use Cairo though, it used Libart.

Your security failure was so bad we have to close the company … NOT!

-bat.

Re: Upside down images

I did exactly this to my flatmate! Again, using squid, (plus image magic in my case). Flatmate comes home, and browses the web for about 15 minutes - without noticing all images are upside down!

I idn't have the patience to wait any longer, so I actually went into his room and pointed it out to him. Turns out the only website he had been browsing was for some music festival in Cambridge, and had just assumed "hippies don't know how to write websites" when he saw the reversed pictures.

Check out Codon: A Python compiler if you have a need for C/C++ speed

-bat.

"is it still Python or some other language that looks a bit like Python?"

Well, they say this about it:

"Codon is a Python-compatible language, and many Python programs will work with few if any modifications:"

So, no, not actually Python - but looks more that just 'a bit' like it. Besides, anyone who has been around a few years is used to coming across variants of languages - how many variants of BASIC or PASCAL or FORTH have you seen over the years ? It's not an issue if you are starting a new project surely ? If you are feeding existing code into it though, then that may well be painful.

Google's Go may add telemetry that's on by default

-bat.

Re: Confused.

You have confused two different sets of developers here:

The compiler developers want the telemetry on the functions being used in the compiler.

To do that they need telemetry from developers using the compiler in the real world on their own projects.

So the developers who are crying out for the data are not the set of developers who would need to enable it. Theres no logical disconnect here, just two different groups of people, both called "developers". I have no problem with people adding telemetry to their own code. [ though the argument of "how do you know its not sending dat about what it is compiling?" is valid ]

-bat.

OK, that was funny ;)

9front releases new version of Plan 9 OS fork: The Golden Age of Ballooning

-bat.

Plan9 at York

Yeah, York was good for that kind of thing - only reason I ever got exposure to Plan9 at all, and some of the odder corners of the Unix world. Inferno (based on Plan9) was distributed from a spin-off company on the science park I believe. Even looked at using it for some stuff at some point in the 1990's. We settled on NEXTStep instead though. Had I gone to any other University I would probably not have seen so many weird and wonderful Unix variants and things inspired by them, and its stood me in good stead ever since. Hopefully I can get as far as retirement without ever having to use Linux ... because there are so many more interesting things out there :-)

Upgrading what might be the world's oldest running Linux install

-bat.

The hardware does appear to have been migrated, but a fresh OS install is unnecessary when you can in-place upgrade the existing one. that way you dont have to reconfigure everything. I have a similar box, albeit nowhere near as as old, installed with FreeBSD back in about 2000-odd, and has been upgraded repeatedly ever since. Including a move to 64 bit in-place (as 64 bit kernels run 32 bit binaries. It seemed like the easiest option, and still does. What does a fresh install give me apart from a lot of work to do ?

Apple's new MacBook Air: Is the jump to M2 silicon worth another $200?

-bat.

Re: It *might* have been worth it...

"The only edge case for an M2 is someone who wants the lightest possible computer available with the most performance."

or MagSafe

thats enough to sway it for me - having kids running about the place, the rate my USB-C based MacBook Pro has ended up on the floor is measured in 'times per day' as the most useable unit sadly. Its not going to its as long as its MagSafe predecessor, simply for that reason.

I would gladly pay an extra 200 quid for MagSafe, as it will pay for itself over the long term, Simple as that.

[ oldest kid is about to start secondary school in September, and needs a laptop. Was looking at the two Air's, and then realised that theres no contest give then chaos in an eleven year olds bedroom. Its the MagSafe one ]

Minimal, systemd-free Alpine Linux releases version 3.16

-bat.

Re: Under a minute?

What 1980's machine could boot Unix from cold in seconds ?

Debian faces firmware furore from FOSS freedom fighters

-bat.

Re: Fighting the wrong people in the wrong place

"GPL is only horrible if you want to take free (libre) code and make it not be free any more."

... but thats actually a useful thing to do, isnt it ? Nintendo take BSD, add a shed-load of bits to it, and now my kids have a Switch to play on. It's, no longer Libre, but you can't argue that Nintendo haven't added value doing that, which they can legitimately charge for.

and if I want to download and run BSD, well, I can still do that, so nothing has been taken away from me *shrug*

Joe Danger rides to the rescue as ageing title tugs at the heartstrings

-bat.

These guys deserve a huge amount of credit for doing this. I have an autistic son, who loves playing Geometry Dash. or did, as it doesn't run properly on the latest version of iOS and his iPad updated. No sign of an update for the game, and I suspect there wont be one. I see him occasionally re-opening it just to see if it works again. He's OK, not utterly distraught - but it was one of his favourite things, and one day it just stopped working.

Say helloSystem: Mac-like FreeBSD project emits 0.5 release

-bat.

Re: The UI

Or one of those old 'bellows' type cameras to represent an electronic speed camera, or a steam train to represent a level crossing....

...oh, actually, we do those too don't we ? :-)

University duo thought it would be cool to sneak bad code into Linux as an experiment. Of course, it absolutely backfired

-bat.

If these things never became commits, then whats being reverted ?

Thats an awful lot of files for things which never made it into the kernel apparently. Which makes me wonder if by reverting anything from U of M they are actually just getting rid of legitimate stuff, because the research stuff never made it in. I looked at a few of the, and they dont look either malicious or no-ops. So I am puzzled.

Wine pops cork on version 6.0 of the Windows compatibility layer for *nix systems

-bat.

Re: Don't forget Crossover Office

Often wondered if the word 'app' is, unfortunately, going to be the most enduring legacy of NeXT. Because you can trace a direct route from the 3 letter directory extension we used for code bundles there, there through to OSX, through to the iPhone, and hence everyone calling mobile phone code 'apps' after Apples advertising campaign of the time. Ho hum.

Nokia 5310: Retro feature phone shamelessly panders to nostalgia, but is charming enough to be forgiven

-bat.

Re: Quit telling me which box I fit in

Ah, the 515 - that was a fantastic phone. But Vodafone did *something* to their network in the UK around a year and a half ago which made it crash almost every time it received an incoming call. I had three of them, all the same fault, my sister had two too, and both of those did the same. I assume it was Vidafone at fault as it dint do it in Portugal roamed onto any of their networks.

So now I have an iPhone. But the 515 (dual SIM!) I do miss....

Ever dream of being an astronaut? Now’s your chance. NASA wants new people for the Moon and Mars

-bat.

Remember when ESA did this?

I applied. Didn't get it obviously, (some guy called "Tim" did, if you have heard of him? :-) ), but it was great just applying, and not getting told 'nah' straight away. At primary school in the 1970 we all wanted to be astronauts - I managed to hang on to that, got an engineering degree, research experience, learned to fly, and then finally got a chance to actually go for it. So though we all wanted to be astronauts, and none of us are, for me the fact that I know I am not one because I tried my best and another candidate was better makes it not disappointing. Better than "I gave up on that as a silly idea and became X/Y/Z or whatever".

So, anyone thinking of applying for this - do so. Because the point where you fill out the job application form and you get to the little box where you have to answer the question "Why do you want to be an astronaut?" is a pleasure in itself [and I was so tempted just to write "Who doesn't?" in answer to that question :-)] ... and, because, you never know right ?

Cubans launching sonic attacks on US embassy? Not what we're hearing, say medical boffins

-bat.

Re: Experimenting with Low Frequencies

Interesting that you had to have both windows down. I get this effect in my current car, but only if I have the window down on one side but not the other. I assume its producing a (very low) note in the same was as blowing across the top of a milk bottle does. Having both windows down equally on each side stops the effect (but can then cause complaints of 'too windy' from the children ;-) )

Linus Torvalds pulls pin, tosses in grenade: x86 won, forget about Arm in server CPUs, says Linux kernel supremo

-bat.

well done

you've invented llvm :-)

(impressive achievement for one person though, has to be said!)

VENOM virtual vuln proves less poisonous than first feared

-bat.

Re: Snakebite made with cider and lager?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snakebite_(drink)

Theres a lot of things called "snakebite" served round the world - what were talking about here is specifically what you would get if you asked for "a pint of snakebite" in a pub in the UK. As a sad old goth who travels a lot I have been unpleasantly surprised by what I get when I have asked for a snakebite abroad though, I have to say! Cultural differences eh ?

Netgear XAV5001 500Mb/s powerline Ethernet adaptor

-bat.

How many bits do you think there are in a byte ?

"a mean speed of 9.96MB/s or 79.67Mb/s"

9.96MB/s is actually 99.6Mb/s - in serial data there are (usually) 10 bits in a byte, not 8. Has been this way ever since the RS232 standard stumbled out of the primordial ooze, complete with a start bit and a stop bit framing each character sent. These days we use something called 4B5B, which is a bit more sophisticated, but the "8 becomes 10" ratio is the same. So many people grumble about not getting full line speed due to this simple error.

Ironicly, the only place where the "8" actually gives the correct reslt is on 100 meg Ether, because that actually runs at 125MHz, so the two wrong calculations cancel each other out.

How languages can live together without killing each other

-bat.

@jose-bernardo

Uh, he wasn't suggesting Portuguese was a "dialect" of Spanish - what he was saying is that one of the languages spoken in some parts of Spain is Portuguese. Go to Olivenza sometime and you will observer the truth of this.

BBC kills off WML site

-bat.

So my Nokia 6250 is becomming obsolete then ?

It's a shame about WML - it was rather nice to code in. Not for phones, obviously, but for a long time Sky's interactive platform was all WML based. I haven't worked on that in years, but it was a very nice thing to use at the time - far better than HTML for what it was trying to do.

Am still keeping my 6250 however, even if I have nothing to browse ;-)

Google moves to extend DNS protocol

-bat.

Three octets ? Thats going to be useful for about 5 minutes!

Three octets is fine in an IPv4 world, but that not where we are all heading. IPv addresses are much longer, and to give the equivalent of /24 in IPv4 you need /48 - i.e. six octets. It surprises me that google would suggest only three, as they have been very good at promoting the roll-out of IPv6 (for example ipv6.google.com or the recent enabling of IPv6 content on youtube).

The idea of getting the end users address prefix is excellent, but to specify it as three bytes would be an amazing waste of an opporunity.