Monthly Archives: April 2001

Building a Linux system from scratch

Posted on by

Well I settled on a new short-term project.  Now that the Kylix book is done, I can play with the Linux system to learn a little more about the OS.  I’m going to see just how hard it is to get a Linux system up and running from scratch.  Here’s what I’m going to try:

From my Windows box, download a bootable Linux diskette image.  There’s probably somewhere I can get such a thing along with a program that will create a bootable diskette.  I’ll then pop that into my P200 and power up.  That should boot Linux on the machine.  Can I reformat the hard drive from this point, or do I need more stuff first?  I want a minimal system:  just enough so that I can download enough stuff to recompile the kernel.  Once I get the kernel optimized for my system, I’ll download and install whatever programs I need to create the system that I want.   This will include a mail program (sendmail, or similar program), an FTP server and client, Perl, Apache web server, etc.  As much as possible, I want to work from the lowest level possible–the source.  I want to see how easy it is to do this.

I expect that experiment to take some time.  I can probably get a working system with a customized kernel running in a weekend.  But finding, downloading, and installing everything else from sources I expect to take quite a while.  Obviously, I’ll have to download an executable bash shell, gcc, make, and a few other utilities.  From there, I should be able to rebuild all of my tools.

It’ll be an interesting experiment.

Bamberger Ranch

Posted on by

Debra and I joined her Master Gardener group today for a trip to Bamberger Ranch, in Blanco County south of Austin.  If you’ve ever been to a typical Central or West Texas ranch, this one will surprise you.  Where you’d normally see cedar breaks, large stands of mesquite trees, lots of prickly pear cactus, and acres of bare soil or very little vegetation, on this 5,500 acres you see native grasses, running streams, and many different kinds of native hardwood trees.  This is what the Hill Country looked like before ranchers’ practices of over grazing and fire suppression destroyed the native grasses.  When David Bamberger bought the Ranch in 1969, the State agricultural agent estimated that it could support one head of cattle for every 41 acres.  Now it will support one head every 18 acres.  In 1969 they cataloged 48 different species of birds on the Ranch.  Today they have over 150 species, including many that are considered endangered.  These bird species were not artificially reintroduced to the area.

There’s so much to see and learn on the Ranch that I could easily spend a week there and not get bored.  They have a Chiroptorium (a man-made cave built to house a million bats), and the largest known herd of Scimitar-horned Oryx in existence anywhere today.  This species of Oryx, native to Africa, is extinct in the wild.  The Ranch, in connection with the Species Survival Plan Program, has set aside 640 acres for the Oryx with the intention of reintroducing it into its native habitat.  Sadly, environmental conditions in its native African habitat are so bad that the species’ survival there is doubtful. 

I am beginning to realize that we humans can have a very large impact on our environment.  But it doesn’t have to be that way.  Like anything else, the quick and easy route is fine in the short term, but makes for long term problems.  By studying and working with natural processes, we can have self-sustaining farms and ranches that are much more productive in the long term. 

Book review: Galileo’s Daughter

Posted on by

I’ve been reading the book Galileo’s Daughter by Dava Sobel; the author of Longitude, which I reviewed last month. It’s billed as “a historical memoir of science, faith, and love.”  The book examines the life and work of of Galileo Galilei, weaving into the story many of the letters that his daughter sent to him from her convent throughout her life.  The book is almost a biography of Galileo, although very little is said about his childhood and there are some gaps in areas of his adult life.  More interesting, though, it its discussion of Galileo’s discoveries and publications.  The most interesting (and disturbing) to me is the idea of science, especially in Italy, being subject  to the whim of the Church and the Holy Office of the Inquisition.  A person could be tortured and killed for holding beliefs or publishing information (true or not) contrary to the Church’s official position.  Galileo’s publication of his Dialogue, a thinly-veiled approval of Copernicus’ heliocentric world view, almost cost him his life.  A 17th century scientist or philosopher had to tread very lightly indeed.  Galileo’s Daughter is a well-researched and informative book written in a very engaging style.  Highly recommended.

Email standards documents get an overhaul

Posted on by

The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)  Network Working Group this week released RFC2821 (Simple Mail Transport Protocol) and RFC2822 (Internet Message Format).  These RFCs obsolete the 20-year-old RFC821 and RFC822, respectively.  RFC2821, according to the Abstract, “is a self-contained specification of the basic protocol for the Internet electronic mail transport. It consolidates, updates and clarifies, but doesn’t add new or change existing functionality of the following.”  It goes on to list the RFCs that it incorporates.  Similarly, RFC2822 “specifies a syntax for text messages that are sent between computer users, within the framework of ‘electronic mail’ messages. This standard supersedes the one specified in Request For Comments (RFC) 822, ‘Standard for the Format of ARPA Internet Text Messages’, updating it to reflect current practice and incorporating incremental changes that were specified in other RFCs.”

I’m happy to see consolidation of the multiple SMTP RFCs into a single document.  One of the most difficult parts of understanding current standards is simply locating all of the relevant documents and understanding how they fit together.  Consolidation of this sort makes that task much easier.

The Earth is not moving?

Posted on by

Some people will believe anything.  Some time ago I ran across www.fixedearth.com, which bills itself as “the non-moving Earth and anti-evolution web page.”  The web site is one big advertisement for their book, “The Earth is not Moving.”  My knee jerk reaction was to dismiss these guys as crackpots and move on, but I try to keep an open mind.  So I studied the information on the site to see if they have some real evidence.  After reading the entire site, I can safely say that they are crackpots.  All they have is a rather selective interpretation of the Bible, and a lot of anti-science rhetoric that bashes evolution theory, and by extension all science.  There is no objective evidence either supporting a geocentric view, or refuting the heliocentric view.  Of course, when you “prove” that all science and especially mathematics is the work of Satan and therefore False, you have nothing left on which to base objective evidence.

My friend Jeff Duntemann tells me that this is a rather mild form of fundamentalism.  I guess I don’t want to see the more extreme versions.

Mountain biking on the Greenbelt

Posted on by

I broke out the mountain bike today to take a ride with a co worker on the Barton Creek Greenbelt.  It’s a 15 minute ride from the office to the trail head.  The trail itself follows Barton Creek for about 7 miles from Zilker Park upstream to the bottom of a very large hill, the top of which is in a subdivision that’s about a 15 minute ride from the office.  Conveniently located, that office where I work.

The Greenbelt is an enjoyable ride, but not very difficult.  The terrain is mostly flat, and there aren’t too many places with rocks or roots to make things technical.  The biggest hazard is the many hikers, runners, and people out strolling with their families, including unleashed dogs.  Most of the trail is forested, and there are many squirrels and other wildlife–especially at night.  It was a perfect day for a ride, except for one thing.  There’s water in Barton Creek.  And not just a little bit.  There were four places today where I had to pick up the bike and wade through waist-deep water.  Of course I’ll be wishing for water in a couple of months, when the creek dries out and it’s over 100 degrees outside.

I said that the terrain is mostly flat.  The hill at the end of the trail is called “The Hill of Life.”  I’m not sure why it’s called that.  I think “Life Sucker Hill” or “The Hill of Death” would be more appropriate.  The hill is something like 1/2 mile long and over 300 feet high.  It’s as wide as a 2-lane road, but very rocky with washouts and erosion barriers that make riding up it something of a technical challenge.  This hill would be difficult enough if it was paved, but the technical work combined with the steep grade makes it nearly impossible to climb without stopping at least once; either because you miss a step or because you’re sucking wind.  The descent sure is fun, although you have to be careful in some areas.

I really must get a cheap digital camera to carry around.  I’m not about to take the Digital ELPH through the creek, but I’d love to get some pictures before everything dries up.

New project won’t be COBOL

Posted on by

Not to worry.  Five minutes with my old Advanced COBOL book, and I decided that I really don’t want to get involved with COBOL again.  Not that I have anything against the language, per se, but I’d rather work with a more modern tool.  I’ve come to like strong typing, objects, and local variables.  I know that the COBOL 85 standard and the new proposed standard add some of that (mostly support for nested programs, including local variables), but the language just isn’t suited for the kind of work that interests me these days.  If I was writing business applications again, then maybe.  I’ve yet to find a language more suited for the banking industry than COBOL, but COBOL doesn’t handle GUI applications, parsing, or web transactions very well.  I think I can find something more interesting and challenging than writing a compiler for a 40-year-old computer language that I hope never to use again.

Looking for a new project

Posted on by

Where is it said that idle hands are the Devil’s tools?  Having finished the Kylix book, I find my hands somewhat idle.  I’ve been dabbling with some minor projects off and on during the book, and will likely finish one or two of them and nuke the rest.  (On a side note, if you decide to cancel a project, back it up onto a CD or something and then delete it from your hard drive.  Otherwise, you’ll be tempted to fiddle with it at inappropriate times.  Not that I’m speaking from experience or anything.)  At any rate, I ran across the Tiny COBOL project and actually started thinking about joining that effort.  I’m a member of that apparently rare breed of programmer who actually knows COBOL and C.  Interesting idea, but I’m not sure I’m ready to immerse myself into COBOL again.

Perhaps I’ll take a break from programming for a while.  At least at home (I do have a programming job).  I’ve been wondering what it takes to write publishable fiction.  Maybe I’ll take a stab at that.  And there’s always stuff to do in the yard and around the house–mulching under the trees, repainting a room, creating a new garden bed, etc.  I could even get more involved in amateur radio.  I’ve had my license for 10 years, but haven’t actually used a radio for 5.  There are plenty of things to do.  I just need to figure out what I want to do next.

My friend Jeff Duntemann once told me that being bored with life is like starving to death in a supermarket.  It’s possible, but you have to work at it. 

Electric hand dryers

Posted on by

Another thing that drives me nuts is those electric hand dryers in some (all too many) restrooms.  When I was a kid, these things scared me.  Push the button and a very loud monster starts blowing in your face.  As an adult, I’ve seen more than one kid come screaming out of the bathroom at McDonald’s, terrified of the hand dryer.

“To serve you better,” says the label on one model, “we have installed pollution-free electric hand dryers.”  Better for who?  I don’t know one person who thinks these devices constitute better service.  They only serve the management by eliminating the need for paper towels.  I especially like the instructions on one model:

1.  Push button.
2.  Rub hands under warm air.
3.  Stops automatically.

And some wit added:

4.  Dry hands on pants.

Which is what I and most other people end up doing.  Why don’t theatre owners just remove the silly hand dryers and install a sign:  “To make things more convenient for us, we request that you dry your hands on your pants.”  

Air fresheners stink!

Posted on by

“Air fresheners.”  Yuk!  As if mold, rotting garbage, and sewers weren’t bad enough.  People install these silly devices that supposedly freshen the air, but in reality do a very poor job of masking the real odor.  A pine scent in the bathroom, for example, makes the room smell like somebody pooped a pine tree.  The original odor was bad, true, but adding a cloying sweet smell on top of it is worse.  Whatever is in the air stinkifier is certainly more persistent than most other odors, and succeeds very well in keeping bad odors around.  Do you want your moldy garbage to smell like moldy cheap perfume?  Put one of those stick-on air fresheners near the garbage pail.

No amount of air freshener will get rid of a persistent odor like that.  The problem is lack of ventilation.  Well, that and laziness:  people would rather spend money masking an odor than taking the trash out every night.  Ventilation is a problem because people want their houses to be energy efficient.  They seal up every crack so there is very little air exchange with the outside.  It’s energy efficient, for sure, but this practice leads to lingering odors and (according to some) elevated indoor radon levels.  I think I’d rather burn a few extra kilowatts.