Wizard-level questions

[Sean Eric Fagan]

In article <120190 at uunet.UU.NET> rbj at uunet.UU.NET (Root Boy Jim) writes:
>My advice to wannabes is to RTFM. All of it. Several times.

Yes!!!!

>Forget 90% of the books out there. They're trying to beat
>around the bush for people who like to be led by the hand.

Hint:  if the book is by Kernighan, Ritchie, Thompson, Bach, Tannenbaum,
McKusick et al, and a few others, then it's worthwhile.  One of the most
useful books I had, back when all I knew was some C, was _Advanced UNIX
Programming_, by someone whose name I sadly forget.  But it was a good text,
and, after reading it, I went on to the more advanced books.  (It was what I
would actually consider an advanced beginner's book.  Still useful.)

>Ask questions if you get stuck. Don't worry if they are stupid
>ones. We like them, they're easier to answer. We asked them too.

But *please* ask them in the correct forum.  If you're unsure, read the
various comp.unix groups for a while, and send an email message to someone
you think knowledgeable.  Dan Bernstein, for example, is very knowledgeable,
and is a lot more polite in his email than he is in his postings... (hi, dan
8-))

>Read source code. Unfortunately, less system source is available,
>altho more public domain source is.

In that respect, if you want to get into the system hacking side of wizardry,
get Tannenbaum's _Operatings Systems:  Design and Implementation_, which is
an extremely good book in its own right, but you can also get source code to
a unix-clone (minix) from the publishers.

>Learn LISP. Learn why I said this.

So you can learn to make parenthetical comments properly? 8-)

-- 
Sean Eric Fagan  | "I made the universe, but please don't blame me for it;
sef at kithrup.COM  |  I had a bellyache at the time."
-----------------+           -- The Turtle (Stephen King, _It_)
Any opinions expressed are my own, and generally unpopular with others.