eric@snark.thyrsus.com (Eric S. Raymond) (03/03/91)
Submitted-by: jargon@thyrsus.com
Archive-name: jargon/part09
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X
Xhello, world: interj. 1. The canonical minimal test message in
X the C/UNIX universe. 2. Any of the minimal programs that emit
X this message. In folklore, the first program a C coder is supposed
X to write in a new environment is one that just prints "hello,
X world" to standard output (and indeed it is the first example
X program in {K&R}). Environments that generate an unreasonably
X large executable for this trivial test or which require a {hairy}
X compiler-linker invocation to generate it are considered to
X {lose} (see {X}). 2. Greeting uttered by a hacker making an
X entrance or requesting information from anyone present. "Hello,
X world! Is the {VAX} back up yet?"
X
Xhex: n. 1. Short for {{hexadecimal}}, base 16. 2. A six-pack
X of anything (compare {quad}, sense #2). Neither usage has
X anything to do with {magic} or {black art}, though the pun is
X appreciated and occasionally used by hackers. True story: as a
X joke, some hackers once offered some surplused ICs for sale to be
X worn as protective amulets against hostile magic. The chips were,
X of course, hex inverters.
X
Xhexadecimal:: n. Base 16. Coined in the early 1960s to
X replace earlier `sexadecimal', which was too racy and amusing for
X stuffy IBM, and later adopted by the rest of the industry.
X Actually, neither term is etymologically pure. If we take `binary'
X to be paradigmatic, the most etymologically correct term for base
X 10, for examples, is `denary' (compare `binary'), which comes from
X `deni' (ten at a time, ten each), a Latin `distributive' number;
X the corresponding term for base-16 would be something like
X `sendenary'. `Decimal' is from an ordinal number; the
X corresponding prefix for six would imply something like
X `sextidecimal'. The `sexa-' prefix is Latin but incorrect in this
X context and `hexa-' is Greek. The word `octal' is similarly
X incorrect; correct forms would be `octaval' (to go with decimal),
X or `octonary' (to go with binary). If anyone ever implements a
X base-3 computer, computer scientists will be faced with the
X unprecedented dilemma of a choice between two `correct' forms;
X both `ternary' and `trinary' have a claim to this throne.
X
Xhexit: /hek'sit/ n. A hexadecimal digit (0-9, and A--F or a--f).
X Used by people who claim that there are only *ten* digits,
X dammit; sixteen-fingered human beings are rather rare, regardless
X of what some keyboard designs might seem to imply (see
X {space-cadet keyboard}).
X
Xhidden flag: [scientific computation] n. An extra option added to a
X routine without changing the calling sequence. For example,
X instead of adding an explicit input variable to instruct a routine
X to give extra diagnostic output, the programmer might just add a
X test for some otherwise meaningless feature of the existing inputs,
X such as a negative mass. Liberal use of hidden flags can make a
X program very hard to debug and understand.
X
Xhigh bit: [from `high order bit'] n. 1. The most significant bit
X in a byte. 2. Also meaning most significant part of something
X other than a data byte, e.g. "Spare me the whole {saga}, just give
X me the high bit." See also {meta bit}.
X
Xhigh moby: /hie mohb'ee/ n. The high half of a stock {PDP-10}'s
X address space; the other half was of course the low moby. This
X usage has been generalized in a way that has outlasted the
X {PDP-10}; for example, at the 1990 Washington D.C. Area Science
X Fiction Conclave (Disclave) when a miscommunication resulted in two
X separate wakes being held in commemoration of the shutdown of MIT's
X last {ITS} machines, the one on the upper floor was dubbed the high
X moby and the other the low moby. All parties involved grokked this
X instantly. See {moby}.
X
Xhighly: [scientific computation] adv. The preferred modifier for
X overstating an understatement. As in: `highly nonoptimal', the
X worst possible way to do something; `highly nontrivial', either
X impossible or requiring a major research project; `highly
X nonlinear', completely erratic and unpredictable; `highly
X nontechnical', drivel written for {luser}s, oversimplified to the
X point of being misleading or incorrect (compare {drool-proof
X paper}). In other computing cultures, postfixing of {in the
X extreme} might be preferred.
X
Xhirsute: adj. Occasionally used humorously as a synonym for {hairy}.
X
XHLL: /aych-el-el/ n. [High-Level Language (as opposed to assembler)]
X Found primarily in email and news rather than speech. Rarely, the
X variants `VHLL' and `MLL' are found. VHLL = `Very-High-Level
X Language' and is used to describe a {bondage-and-discipline
X language} that the speaker happens to like; Prolog and Backus's FP
X are often called VHLLs. `MLL' = `Medium-Level Language' and is
X sometimes used half-jokingly to describe C, alluding to its
X `structured-assembler' image. See also {languages of choice}.
X
Xhobbit: n. 1. The High Order Bit of a byte; same as the {meta
X bit}. 2. The non-ITS name of vad@ai.mit.edu (*Hobbit*), master
X of lasers.
X
Xhog: n.,vt. Favored term to describe programs or hardware that seem
X to eat far more than their share of a system's resources, esp.
X those which noticeably degrade interactive response. *Not*
X used of programs that are simply extremely large or complex or
X which are merely painfully slow themselves (see {pig, run like
X a}). More often than not encountered in qualified forms, e.g.
X `memory hog', `core hog', `hog the processor', `hog
X the disk'. Example: "A controller that never gives up the I/O bus
X gets killed after the bus-hog timer expires."
X
Xholy wars: [from {USENET}, but may predate it] n. {flame war}s
X over {religious issues}. The paper by Danny Cohen that
X popularized the terms {big-endian} and {little-endian} in
X connection with the LSB-first/MSB-first controversy was entitled
X `On Holy Wars and a Plea for Peace'. Other perennial Holy
X Wars have included: {EMACS} vs. {vi}, my personal computer vs.
X everyone else's personal computer, {ITS} vs. {UNIX}, {UNIX}
X vs. {VMS}, {BSD} UNIX vs. {USG UNIX}, {C} vs. {{Pascal}},
X {C} vs. {LISP}, etc. ad nauseam. The characteristic that
X distinguishes {holy wars} from normal technical disputes is that
X most participants spend their time trying to pass off personal
X value choices and cultural attachments as objective technical
X evaluations. See also {theology}.
X
Xhome box: n. A hacker's personal machine, especially one he or she
X owns. "Yeah? Well, *my* home box runs a full 4.2BSD, so
X there!"
X
Xhook: n. A software or hardware feature included in order to
X simplify later additions or changes by a user. As another example,
X a simple program that prints numbers might always print them in
X base ten, but a more flexible version would let a variable
X determine what base to use; setting the variable to 5 would make
X the program print numbers in base five. The variable is a simple
X hook. An even more flexible program might examine the variable
X and treat a value of 16 or less as the base to use, but treat any
X other number as the address of a user-supplied routine for printing
X a number. This is a hairy but powerful hook; one can then write a
X routine to print numbers as Roman numerals, say, or as Hebrew
X characters, and plug it into the program through the hook. Often
X the difference between a good program and a superb one is that the
X latter has useful hooks in judiciously chosen places. Both may do
X the original job about equally well, but the one with the hooks is
X much more flexible for future expansion of capabilities ({EMACS},
X for example, is *all* hooks). The term `user exit' is
X synonymous but much more formal and less hackish.
X
Xhop: n. One file transmission in a series required to get a file
X from point A to point B on a store-and-forward network. On such
X networks (including {UUCPNET} and {FidoNet}), the important
X inter-machine metric is the number of hops in the shortest path
X between them, rather than their geographical separation. See
X {bang path}.
X
Xhose: 1. vt. To make non-functional or greatly degraded in
X performance, as in "That big ray-tracing program really hoses the
X system." See {hosed}. 2. n. A narrow channel through which
X data flows under pressure. Generally denotes data paths that
X represent performance bottlenecks. 3. n. Cabling, especially
X thick Ethernet cable. This is sometimes called `bit hose' or
X `hosery' (play on `hosiery') or `etherhose'. See also
X {washing machine}.
X
Xhosed: adj. Same as {down}. Used primarily by UNIX hackers.
X Humorous: also implies a condition thought to be relatively easy to
X reverse. Probably derived from the Canadian slang `hoser'
X popularized by the Bob and Doug Mackenzie skits on SCTV. See
X {hose}. It is also widely used of people in the mainstream sense
X of `in an extremely unfortunate situation'.
X
X Once upon a time, a Cray which had been experiencing periodic
X difficulties crashed, and it was announced to have been {hosed}.
X It was discovered that the crash was due to the disconnection of
X some coolant hoses. The problem was corrected, and users were then
X assured that everything was OK because the system had been rehosed.
X
Xhot spot: n. 1. [primarily C/UNIX programmers, but spreading] It
X is received wisdom that in most programs, less than 10% of the code
X eats 90% of the execution time; if one were to graph instruction
X visits versus code addresses, one would typically see a few huge
X spikes amidst a lot of low-level noise. Such spikes are called
X `hot spots' and are good candidates for heavy optimization or
X {hand-hacking}. The term is especially used of tight loops and
X recursions in the code's central algorithm, as opposed to (say)
X initial set-up costs or large but infrequent I/O operations. See
X {tune}, {bum}, {hand-hacking}. 2. The active location of a
X cursor on a bit-map display. "Put the mouse's hot spot on the
X `ON' widget and click the left button." 3. In a massively
X parallel computer with shared memory, the one location that all ten
X thousand processors are trying to read or write at once (perhaps
X because they are all doing a {busy-wait} on the same lock).
X
Xhouse wizard: [prob. from ad-agency lingo, `house freak'] n. A
X hacker occupying a technical-specialist, R&D, or systems position
X at a commercial shop. A really effective house wizard can have
X influence out of all proportion to his/her ostensible rank and
X still not have to wear a suit. Used esp. of UNIX wizards. The
X term `house guru' is equivalent.
X
XHP-SUX: /aych pee suhx/ n. Unflattering hackerism for HP-UX,
X Hewlett-Packard's UNIX port. Features some truly unique bogosities
X in the filesystem internals and elsewhere that occasionally create
X portability problems. HP-UX is often referred to as "hockey-pux"
X inside HP, and one respondent claims that the proper pronunciation
X is /aych-pee ukkkhhhh/ as though one were spitting. Another such
X alternate spelling and pronunciation is "H-PUX" /aych-puhks/.
X Hackers at HP/Apollo (the former Apollo Computer that was swallowed
X by HP in 1989) have been heard to complain that Mr. Packard should
X have pushed to have his name first, if for no other reason than the
X greater eloquence of the resulting acronym. Compare {buglix}.
X See also {Telerat}, {sun-stools}, {terminak}.
X
Xhuff: v. To compress data using a Huffman code. Various programs
X that use such methods have been called `HUFF' or some variant
X thereof. Oppose {puff}. Compare {crunch}, {compress}.
X
Xhumma: excl. A filler word used on various `chat' and `talk'
X programs when you had nothing to say but felt that it was important
X to say something. The word apparently originated (at least with
X this definition) on the MECC Timeshare System (MTS, a now-defunct
X educational time-sharing system running in Minnesota during the
X 1970s and early '80s) but was later sighted on early UNIX systems.
X
Xhumungous: /hyoo-muhng'g@s/ alt. `humongous' (hyoo-mohng'g@s)
X See {hungus}. This is now used in a similar sense in mainstream
X slang, but seems to have been in common use among hackers for years
X before it became established there. Some hackers believe it
X originated at the MIT AI lab in the Sixties and spread outward from
X there; alternatively, it may have been an early import from surfer
X slang via Stanford.
X
XHumor, Hacker:: n. A distinctive style of shared intellectual humor
X found among hackers, having the following distinctive
X characteristics:
X
X 1) Fascination with form-vs.-content jokes, paradoxes, and humor
X having to do with confusion of metalevels (see {meta}). One way
X to make a hacker laugh: hold an red index card in front of him/her
X with "GREEN", or vice-versa (note, however, that this is only
X funny the first time).
X
X 2) Elaborate deadpan parodies of large intellectual constructs such
X as specifications (see {write-only memory}), standards documents,
X language descriptions (see {INTERCAL}), and even entire scientific
X theories (see {quantum bogodynamics}, {computron}).
X
X 3) Jokes that involve screwily precise reasoning from bizarre,
X ludicrous, or just grossly counter-intuitive premises.
X
X 4) Fascination with puns and wordplay.
X
X 5) A fondness for apparently mindless humor with subversive
X currents of intelligence in it, for example: old Warner Brothers
X and Rocky & Bullwinkle cartoons, The Marx Brothers, the early
X B-52s, and Monty Python's Flying Circus. Humor which combines this
X trait with elements of high camp and slapstick is especially
X favored.
X
X 6) References to the symbol-object antinomies and associated ideas
X in Zen Buddhism and (less often) Taoism. See {has the X nature},
X {Discordianism}, {zen}, {ha ha only serious}, {AI koans}.
X
X See also {filk}, {retrocomputing}, and Appendix B. If you have an
X itchy feeling that all six of these traits are really aspects of
X one thing that is incredibly difficult to talk about exactly, you
X are (a) correct and (b) responding like a hacker. These traits are
X also recognizable (though in a less marked form) throughout
X {{Science-Fiction Fandom}}.
X
Xhung: [from `hung up'] adj. Equivalent to {wedged}. but more
X common at UNIX/C sites. Not generally used of people. Syn. with
X {locked up}, {wedged}; compare {hosed}. See also {hang}.
X A hung state is distinguished from {crash}ed or {down}, where the
X program or system is also unusable but because it is not running
X rather than because it is waiting for something. However, the
X recovery from both situations is often the same.
X
Xhungry puppy: n. Syn. {slopsucker}.
X
Xhungus: /huhng'g@s/ [perhaps related to current slang `humungous';
X which one came first (if either) is unclear] adj. Large, unwieldy,
X usually unmanageable. "TCP is a hungus piece of code." "This
X is a hungus set of modifications."
X
Xhyperspace: (hie'per-spays) n. A memory location that is *far*
X away from where the program counter should be pointing, often
X inaccessible because it is not even mapped in. "Another core
X dump... looks like the program jumped off to hyperspace
X somehow", (compare {jump off into never-never land}). This
X usage is from the SF notion of a spaceship jumping `into
X hyperspace', that is, taking a shortcut through higher-dimensional
X space --- in other words, bypassing this universe.
X
X= I =
X=====
X
XI didn't change anything!: interj. An aggrieved cry often heard as
X bugs manifest during a regression test. The {canonical} reply to
X this assertion is "Then it works just the same as it did before,
X doesn't it?" See also {one-line fix}. This is also heard from
X applications programmers trying to blame an obvious applications
X problem on an unrelated systems software change, for example a
X divide-by-zero fault after terminals were added to a network.
X Usually, their statement is found to be false. Upon close
X questioning, they will admit some major restructuring of the
X program that shouldn't have broken anything, in their opinion,
X but actually hosed the code completely.
X
Xi14y: n. Written-only abbrev. for `interoperability', which is an
X `i' followed by 14 letters followed by `y'. Used in the {X}
X community.
X
Xi18n: n. Written-only abbrev. for `internationalization', which is
X an `i' followed by 18 letters followed by `n'. Used in the {X}
X community.
X
XIBM: /ie bee em/ Inferior But Marketable; It's Better Manually;
X Insidious Black Magic; It's Been Malfunctioning; Incontinent Bowel
X Movement; and a near-{infinite} number of even less complimentary
X expansions, including `International Business Machines'. See
X {TLA}. These abbreviations illustrate the considerable antipathy
X most hackers have long felt for the `industry leader' (see {fear
X and loathing}).
X
X What galls hackers about most IBM machines above the PC level isn't
X so much that they're underpowered and overpriced (though that does
X count against them), but that the designs are incredibly archaic,
X {crufty}, and {elephantine}...and you can't *fix* them
X --- source code is locked up tight and programming tools are
X expensive, hard to find, and bletcherous to use once you've found
X them. With the release of the UNIX-based RIOS family this may have
X begun to change --- but then, we thought that when the PC-RT came
X out, too.
X
X In the spirit of universal peace and brotherhood, this lexicon now
X includes a number of entries marked `IBM'; these derive from some
X rampantly unofficial jargon lists circulated within IBM's own
X beleaguered hacker underground.
X
XIBM discount: n. A price increase. Outside IBM, this derives from
X the common perception that IBM products are generally overpriced
X (see {clone}); inside, it is said to spring from a belief that
X large numbers of IBM employees living in an area cause prices to
X rise.
X
Xice: [coined by USENETter Tom Maddox, popularized by William
X Gibson's cyberpunk SF: acronym, `Intrusion Countermeasure
X Electronics'] Security software (in Gibson's novels, software that
X responds to intrusion by attempting to literally kill the
X intruder). Also, `icebreaker': a program designed for cracking
X security on a system. Neither term is in serious use yet as of
X mid-1991, but many hackers find the metaphor attractive and both
X terms may develop a denotation in the future.
X
Xill-behaved: adj. 1. [numerical analysis] Said of an algorithm or
X computational method that tends to blow up due to accumulated
X roundoff error or poor convergence properties. 2. Software which
X bypasses the defined {OS} interfaces to do things (like screen,
X keyboard, and disk I/O) itself, often in a way that depends on the
X hardware of the machine it is running on or which is nonportable or
X incompatible with other pieces of software. In the IBM PC/MS-DOS
X world, there is a folk theorem (nearly true) to the effect that
X (due to gross inadequacies and performance penalties in the OS
X interface) all interesting applications are ill-behaved. See also
X {bare metal}. Oppose {well-behaved}, compare {PC-ism}. See
X {mess-dos}.
X
XIMHO: [from SF fandom via USENET; written acronym for In My Humble
X Opinion] Example: "IMHO, mixed-case C names should be avoided, as
X mistyping something in the wrong case can cause hard-to-detect
X errors --- and they look too Pascalish anyhow." Also seen in
X variant forms such as IMNSHO (In My Not-So-Humble Opinion) and IMAO
X (In My Arrogant Opinion).
X
Xin the extreme: adj. A preferred superlative suffix for many hackish
X terms. See, for example, `obscure in the extreme' under {obscure},
X and compare {highly}.
X
Xincantation: n. Any particularly arbitrary or obscure command that
X must be muttered at a system to attain a desired result. Not used
X of passwords or other explicit security features. Especially used
X of tricks that are so poorly documented they must be learned from a
X {wizard}. E.g. "This compiler normally locates initialized data
X in the data segment, but if you {mutter} the right incantation they
X will be forced into text space".
X
Xinclude: vt. [USENET] 1. To duplicate a portion (or whole) of
X another's message (typically with attribution to the source) in a
X reply or followup, for clarifying the context of one's response.
X See the section on inclusion styles in the front matter. 2.
X Derived from C: `#include <disclaimer.h>' has appeared in
X {sig block}s to refer to a notional `standard disclaimer
X file'.
X
Xinclude war: n. Excessive multi-leveled including within a
X discussion {thread}, a practice which tends to annoy readers. In
X a forum with high-traffic newsgroups, such as USENET, this can lead
X to {flame}s and the urge to start a {kill file}.
X
Xindent style: [C programmers] n. The rules one uses to indent code
X in a readable fashion; a subject of {holy wars}. There are four
X major C indent styles, as described below; all have the aim of
X making it easier for the reader to visually track the scope of
X control constructs. The significant variable is the placement of
X `{' and `}' with respect to the statement(s) they
X enclose and the guard or controlling statement (if, else, for
X while, or do) on the block, if any.
X
X `K&R style' --- Named after Kernighan & Ritchie, because the
X examples in {K&R} are formatted this way. Also called `kernel
X style' because the UNIX kernel is written in it, and the `One True
X Brace Style', abbr. 1TBS, by its partisans. The basic indent shown
X here is 8 spaces (or 1 tab) per level; 4 or 2 is occasionally seen,
X but is much less common.
X
X if (cond) {
X <body>
X }
X
X `Allman style' --- Named for Eric Allman, a Berkeley hacker who
X wrote a lot of the BSD utilities in it (it is sometimes called
X `BSD style'). Resembles normal indent style in Pascal and
X Algol. Basic indent per level shown here is 8 spaces, but 4 is
X just as common (esp. in C++ code).
X
X if (cond)
X {
X <body>
X }
X
X `Whitesmiths style' --- popularized by the examples that came
X with Whitesmiths C, an early commercial C compiler. Basic indent
X per level shown here is 8 spaces, but 4 is occasionally seen.
X
X if (cond)
X {
X <body>
X }
X
X `GNU style' --- Used throughout GNU EMACS and the Free Software
X Foundation code, and just about nowhere else. Indents are always 4
X spaces per level, with { and } halfway between the outer and
X inner indent levels.
X
X if (cond)
X {
X <body>
X }
X
X Statistically, surveys have shown the Allman and Whitesmiths styles
X to be the most common, with about equal mind share. K&R/1TBS used
X to be nearly universal, but is now much less common (the opening
X brace tends to get lost against the right paren of the guard part
X in an `if' or `while', which is a {Bad Thing}).
X Defenders of 1TBS argue that any putative gain in readability is
X less important than their style's relative economy with vertical
X space, which enables one to see more code on one's screen at once.
X Doubtless these issues will continue to be the subjects of {holy
X wars}.
X
Xinfant mortality: n. It is common lore among hackers that the chances
X of sudden hardware failure drop off exponentially with a machine's
X time since power-up (that is, until the relatively distant time at
X which mechanical wear in I/O devices and thermal-cycling stress in
X components has accumulated enough for the machine to start going
X senile). Up to half of all chip-and-wire failures happen within a
X new system's first few weeks; such failures are often referred to
X as `infant mortality' problems (or, occasionally, as `sudden
X infant death syndrome'). See {bathtub curve}, {burn-in period}.
X
Xinfinite: adj. Consisting of a large number of objects; extreme.
X Used very loosely as in: "This program produces infinite
X garbage." "He is an infinite loser." The word most likely to
X follow `infinite', though, is {hair} (it has been pointerd out
X that fractals are an excellent example of infinite hair). These
X uses are abuses of the word's mathematical meaning. The term
X "semi-infinite" denoting an immoderately large amount of some
X resource is also heard. "This compiler is taking a semi-infinite
X amount of time to optimize my program." See also {semi}.
X
Xinfinity: n. 1. The largest value that can be represented in a
X particular type of variable (register, memory location, data type,
X whatever). 2. `minus infinity': The smallest such value, not
X necessarily or even usually the simple negation of plus infinity.
X In N-bit twos-complement arithmetic, infinity is `2 ^ (N-1) -
X 1' but minus infinity is `- (2 ^ (N-1))', not `-(2 ^
X (N-1) - 1)'. Note also that this is different from `time T
X equals minus infinity', which is closer to a mathematician's usage
X of infinity.
X
Xinsanely great: adj. [Mac community, from Steve Jobs; also BSD UNIX
X people via Bill Joy] Something so incredibly {elegant} that it is
X imaginable only to someone possessing the most puissant of
X {hacker}-natures.
X
XINTERCAL: /in't@r-kal/ [said by the authors to stand for
X `Compiler Language With No Pronounceable Acronym'] n. A
X computer language designed by Don Woods and James Lyon in 1972.
X INTERCAL is purposefully different from all other computer
X languages in all ways but one; it is purely a written language,
X being totally unspeakable. An excerpt from the INTERCAL Reference
X Manual will make the style of the language clear:
X
X "It is a well-known and oft-demonstrated fact that a person whose
X work is incomprehensible is held in high esteem. For example, if
X one were to state that the simplest way to store a value of 65536
X in a 32-bit INTERCAL variable is:
X
X DO :1 <- #0$#256
X
X any sensible programmer would say that that was absurd. Since this
X is indeed the simplest method, the programmer would be made to look
X foolish in front of his boss, who would of course have happened to
X turn up, as bosses are wont to do. The effect would be no less
X devastating for the programmer having been correct."
X
X INTERCAL has many other peculiar features designed to make it even
X more unspeakable. The Woods/Lyons implementation was actually used
X by many (well, at least several) people at Princeton. The language
X has been recently re-implemented as C-INTERCAL and is consequently
X enjoying an unprecedented level of unpopularity; there is even an
X alt.lang.intercal newsgroup devoted to the study and ...
X appreciation of the language on USENET.
X
Xinteresting: adj. In hacker parlance, this word is not simply
X synonymous with `intriguing', but has strong connotations of
X `annoying', or `difficult', or both. Hackers relish a challenge,
X and enjoy wringing all the irony possible out of the ancient
X Chinese curse "May you live in interesting times". Oppose
X {trivial}, {uninteresting}.
X
XInternet address:: [techspeak] n. 1. [techspeak] An absolute
X network address of the form foo@bar.baz, where foo is a user name,
X bar is a {sitename}, and baz is a `domain' name, possibly
X including periods itself. Contrasts with {bang path}; see also
X {network, the} and {network address}. All Internet machines
X and most UUCP sites can now resolve these addresses, thanks to a
X large amount of behind-the-scenes magic and PD software written
X since 1980 or so. See also {bang path}, {domainist}. 2.
X More loosely, any network address reachable through Internet; this
X includes {bang path} addresses and some internal corporate and
X government networks.
X
X Reading Internet addresses is something of an art. Here are the
X four most important top-level functional Internet domains followed
X by a selection of geographical domains:
X
X com
X Commercial organizations.
X edu
X Educational institutions.
X gov
X U.S. government civilian sites.
X mil
X U.S. military sites.
X
X Note that most of the sites in the com and edu domains are in the
X U.S. or Canada.
X
X us
X Sites in the U.S. outside the functional domains.
X su
X Sites in the Soviet Union (only one really active one so far!).
X uk
X Sites in the United Kingdom.
X
X Within the `us' domain there are subdomains for the fifty
X states, generally with a name identical to the state's postal
X abbreviation. Within the `uk' domain there is an `ac' subdomain for
X academic sites and a `co' domain for commercial ones. Other
X top-level domains may be divided up in similar ways.
X
Xinterrupt: 1. [techspeak] n. On a computer, an event that
X interrupts normal processing and temporarily diverts
X flow-of-control through an "interrupt handler" routine. See also
X {trap}. 2. interj. A request for attention from a hacker.
X Often explicitly spoken. "Interrupt --- have you seen Joe
X recently?". See {priority interrupt}. 3. Under MS-DOS, the
X term `interrupt' is nearly synonymous with `system call', because
X the OS and BIOS routines are both called using the INT instruction
X (see {{interrupt list, the}}) and because programmers so often have
X to bypass the OS (going directly to a BIOS interrupt) to get
X reasonable performance.
X
Xinterrupt list, the:: [MSDOS] n. The list of all known software
X interrupt calls (both documented and undocumented) for IBM PCs and
X compatibles maintained and made available for free redistribution
X by Ralf Brown (ralf@cs.cmu.edu). As of early 1991, it had grown to
X approximately 1 megabyte in length.
X
Xinterrupts locked out: adj. When someone is ignoring you. In a
X restaurant, after several fruitless attempts to get the waitress's
X attention, a hacker might well observe that "She must have
X interrupts locked out." The synonym `interrupts disabled' is
X also common. Variations of this abound; "to have one's interrupt
X mask bit set" or "interrupts masked out"is also heard. See also
X {spl}.
X
Xiron: n. Hardware, especially older/larger hardware of {mainframe}
X class with big metal cabinets housing relatively low-density
X electronics (but also used of modern supercomputers). Often in the
X phrase {big iron}. Oppose {silicon}. See also {dinosaur}.
X
XIron Age: n. In the history of computing, 1961-1971 --- the formative
X era of commercial {mainframe} technology, when {big iron}
X {dinosaur}s ruled the earth (the hackish metaphors for the era
X aren't quite paleontologically correct). These began with the
X delivery of the first PDP-1, coincided with the dominance of
X ferrite {core}, and ended with the introduction of the first
X commercial microprocessor (the Intel 4004) in 1971. See also
X {Stone Age}.
X
Xiron box: [UNIX/Internet] n. A special environment set up to trap a
X {cracker} logging in over remote connections long enough to be
X traced. May include a modified {shell} restricting the hacker's
X movements in unobvious ways, and `bait' files designed to keep him
X interested and logged on. See also {back door}, {firewall
X machine}, {Venus flytrap}, and Clifford Stoll's account in
X `Cuckoo's Egg' of how he made and used one (see Appendix C).
X
Xironmonger: [IBM] n. Derogatory. A hardware specialist. Compare
X {sandbender}, {polygon pusher}.
X
XITS: /ie-tee-ess/ n. 1. Incompatible Time-sharing System, an
X influential but highly idiosyncratic operating system written for
X PDP-10s at MIT and long used at the MIT AI lab; much AI-hacker
X jargon derives from ITS folklore. After about 1982, most actual
X work was shifted to newer machines, with the remaining ITS boxes
X run essentially as a hobby and service to the hacker community.
X The shutdown of the lab's last ITS machine in May 1990 marked the
X end of an era and sent old-time hackers into mourning nationwide
X (see {high moby}). The Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden
X is maintaining one `live' ITS site at its computer museum (right
X next to the only TOPS-10 system still on the Internet), so ITS is
X still alleged to hold the record for OS in longest continuous
X `use'. See Appendix A. 2. A mythical image of operating system
X perfection worshipped by a bizarre, fervent retro-cult of old-time
X hackers and ex-users (see {troglodyte}, sense #2). ITS
X worshippers manage somehow to continue believing that an OS that
X supported only character I/O and monocase 6-character filenames in
X one directory per account remains superior to today's state of
X commercial art (their venom against UNIX is particularly intense).
X See also {holy wars}, {Weenix}.
X
XIWBNI: [acronym] It Would Be Nice If. No pronunciation, as this is
X never spoken, only written. Compare {WIBNI}.
X
XIYFEG: [USENET] Abbreviation for `Insert Your Favorite Ethnic
X Group'. Used as a meta-name when telling racist jokes on the net to
X avoid offending anyone. See {JEDR}.
X
X= J =
X=====
X
XJ. Random: /jay rand'm/ n. [generalized from {J. Random Hacker}]
X Arbitrary; ordinary; any one; `any old'. `J. Random' is often
X prefixed to a noun to make a name out of it. It means roughly
X `some particular' or `any specific one'. "Would you let
X J. Random Loser marry your daughter?". The most common uses are
X `J. Random Hacker', `J. Random Loser' and `J. Random Nerd'
X ("Should J. Random Loser be allowed to {gun} down other
X people?"), but it can be used simply as an elaborate version of
X {random} in any sense.
X
XJ. Random Hacker: [MIT] /jay rand'm hak'r/ n. A mythical figure
X like the Unknown Soldier; the archetypal hacker nerd. See
X {random}, {Suzie COBOL}. This may originally have been
X inspired or influenced by `J. Fred Muggs', a show-biz chimpanzee
X whose name was a household word back in the early days of the MIT
X Model Railroad Club.
X
Xjaggies: /jag'eez/ n. The `stairstep' effect observable when an
X edge (esp. a linear edge of shallow or steep slope) is rendered on
X a pixel device (as opposed to a vector display).
X
XJCL: n. 1. IBM's supremely {rude} `Job Control Language'.
X JCL is the script language used to control the execution of
X programs in IBM's batch systems. JCL has a very {fascist}
X syntax, and some versions will, for example, {barf} if two spaces
X appear where it expects one. Most programmers confronted with JCL
X simply copy a working file (or card deck), changing the file names.
X Someone who actually understands and generates unique JCL is
X regarded with the mixed respect which one gives to someone who
X memorizes the phone book. It is reported that hackers at IBM
X itself sometimes sing "I-B-M, J-C-L, M-o-u-s-e" to the toune of
X the Mickey Mouse Club theme to express their opinion of the beast
X (think about the original lyrics). 2. Any very {rude} software
X that a hacker is expected to use. "That's as bad as JCL." As
X with {COBOL}, JCL is often used as an archetype of ugliness even
X by those who haven't experienced it. See also {IBM}, {fear and
X loathing}.
X
XJEDR: n. Synonymous with {IYFEG}. At one time, the
X rec.humor.funny newsgroup on USENET tended to use JEDR instead of
X {IYFEG} or <ethnic>; this stemmed from a nearly successful
X attempt to kill the group once made by a loser with the initials
X JEDR after he was offended by an ethnic joke posted there (the
X practice was rationalized by the expanding these initials as `Joke
X Ethnic/Denomination/Race'). After much sound and fury JEDR faded
X away; this term appears to be doing likewise.
X
XJFCL: /jif'kl/ or /jaf'kl/ vt., obs. (alt. `jfcl') To cancel or
X annul something. "Why don't you jfcl that out?" The fastest
X do-nothing instruction on the PDP-10 happened to be JFCL, which
X stands for "Jump if Flag set and then CLear the flag"; this does
X something useful, but is a very fast no-operation if no flag is
X specified. Geoff Goodfellow, one of the jargon-1 co-authors, has
X long had JFCL on the license plate of his BMW. Usage: rare except
X among old-time PDP-10 hackers.
X
Xjiffy: n. 1. The duration of one tick of the system clock on the
X computer (see {tick}). Often 1 AC cycle time (1/60 second in the
X U.S. and Canada, 1/50 most other places) but more recently 1/100
X sec has become common. "The swapper runs every 6 jiffies"
X means that the virtual memory management routine is executed once
X for every 6 ticks of the clock, or about 10 times a second. 2.
X Confusingly, the term is sometimes also used for a 1-millisecond
X {wall time} interval. 3. Indeterminate time from a few seconds
X to forever. "I'll do it in a jiffy" means certainly not now and
X possibly never. This is a bit contrary to the more widespread use
X of the word. See also {Real Soon Now}.
X
Xjob security: n. When some piece of code is written in a
X particularly {obscure} fashion, and no good reason (such as time
X or space optimization) can be discovered, it is often said that the
X programmer was attempting to increase his job security (i.e., by
X making himself indispensable for maintenance). This sour joke
X seldom has to be said in full; if two hackers are looking over some
X code together and one points at a section and says `job security',
X the other one may just nod.
X
Xjock: n. 1. Programmer who is characterized by large and somewhat
X brute-force programs. See {brute force}. 2. When modified by
X another noun, describes a specialist in some particular computing
X area. The compounds `compiler jock' and `systems jock' seem to be
X the best established examples of this.
X
Xjoe code: /joh' kohd`/ n. 1. Code that is overly {tense} and
X unmaintainable. "{Perl} may be a handy program, but if you look
X at the source, it's complete joe code." 2. Badly written,
X possibly buggy.
X
X Correspondents wishing to remain anonymous have fingered a
X particular Joe at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory and observed
X that usage has drifted slightly; the original sobriquet `Joe code'
X was intended in sense #1.
X
XJR[LN]: /jay ahr en/, /jay ahr el/ n. The names JRN and JRL were
X sometimes used as example names when discussing a kind of user ID
X used under {TOPS-10}; they were understood to be the initials of
X (fictitious) programmers named `J. Random Nerd' and `J. Random
X Loser' (see {J. Random}). For example, if one said "To log in,
X type log one comma jay are en" (that is, "log 1,JRN"), the
X listener would have understood that he should use his own computer
X id in place of `JRN'.
X
Xjump off into never-never land: [from J. M. Barrie's `Peter
X Pan'] v. Same as {branch to Fishkill}, but more common in
X technical cultures associated with non-IBM computers that use the
X term `jump' rather than `branch'. Compare {hyperspace}.
X
X= K =
X=====
X
XK: /kay/ [from {kilo-}] n. A kilobyte. This is used both as a
X spoken word and a written suffix (like {meg} and {gig} for
X megabyte and gigabyte). The formal SI metric prefix for 1000 is
X `k'; some people use this strictly, reserving `K' for
X multiplication by 1024. See also {kilo-}.
X
XK&R: [Kernighan and Ritchie] n. Brian Kernighan & Dennis Ritchie's
X `The C Programming Language', esp. the classic and influential
X first edition (Prentice-Hall 1978, ISBN 0-113-110163-3). Syn.
X {White Book}, {Old Testament}. See also {New Testament}.
X
Xkahuna: /k@-hoo'nuh/ [IBM, from the Hawaiian title for a shaman] n.
X Synonym for {wizard}, {guru}.
X
Xkamikaze packet: n. The `official' jargon for what is more commonly
X called a {Christmas tree packet}. RFC1025, `TCP and IP Bake Off'
X says:
X
X 10 points for correctly being able to process a "Kamikaze"
X packet (AKA nastygram, christmas tree packet, lamp test
X segment, et al.). That is, correctly handle a segment with the
X maximum combination of features at once (e.g., a SYN URG PUSH
X FIN segment with options and data).
X
X See also {Chernobyl packet}.
X
Xken: /ken/ n. A flaming user. This was originated by the Software
X Support group at Symbolics because the two greatest flamers in the
X user community were both named Ken.
X
Xkgbvax: /kay-jee-bee-vaks/ n. See {kremvax}.
X
Xkill file: [USENET] n. (alt. `KILL file') Per-user file(s) used
X by some {USENET} reading programs (originally Larry Wall's
X `rn(1)') to discard summarily (without presenting for reading)
X articles which match some particularly uninteresting (or unwanted)
X patterns of subject, author, or other header lines. Thus to "add
X a person (or subject) to one's kill file" is to arrange for that
X person to be ignored by one's newsreader in future. By extension,
X it may be used for a decision to ignore the person or subject in
X other media. See also {plonk}.
X
Xkiller micro: [popularized by Eugene Brooks] n. A
X microprocessor-based machine that infringes on mini, mainframe or
X supercomputer performance turf. Often heard in "No one will
X survive the attack of the killer micros!", the battle cry of the
X downsizers. Used esp. of RISC architectures.
X
Xkiller poke: n. A recipe for inducing hardware damage on a machine
X via insertion of invalid values (see {poke}) in a memory-mapped
X control register; used esp. of various fairly well-known tricks on
X MMU-less {bitty box}es like the IBM PC and Commodore PET that can
X overload and trash analog electronics in the monitor. See also
X {HCF}.
X
Xkilo-: [from metric measure] pref. 1. Used with anything that
X naturally comes in powers of 2 (especially byte quantities),
X `kilo-' usually denotes multiplication by 1024. 2. With units of
X time or things that come in powers of 10, such as money, it retains
X its usual meaning of multiplication of 1000.
X
X Similarly, the higher metric prefixes may denote multiplication by
X powers of 1024 = 2 ^ 10 rather than of 1000:
X
X prefix binary decimal
X kilo- 1024 ^ 1 = 2 ^ 10 1,024
X mega- 1024 ^ 2 = 2 ^ 20 1,048,576
X giga- 1024 ^ 3 = 2 ^ 30 1,073,741,824
X tera- 1024 ^ 4 = 2 ^ 40 1,099,511,627,776
X peta- 1024 ^ 5 = 2 ^ 50 1,125,899,906,842,624
X exa- 1024 ^ 6 = 2 ^ 60 1,152,921,504,606,846,976.
X
X Confusion of 1000 and 1024 (or other powers of 2 and 10 close in
X magnitude), for example, describing memory in units of 500K or 524K
X (see {K}) instead of 512K, is a sure sign of the {marketroid}.
X See also {mega-}, {giga-}, {tera-}, {peta-}, {exa-}.
X
XKIPS: [acronym, by analogy with {MIPS} using {K}] n. Thousands
X (*not* 1024s) of Instructions Per Second. Usage: rare.
X
XKISS Principle: n. "Keep It Simple, Stupid". A maxim often
X invoked when discussing design to fend off {creeping featurism}
X and control development complexity. Possibly related to the
X {marketroid} maxim on sales presentations, "Keep It Short and
X Simple".
X
Xkit: [USENET] n. A source software distribution that has been
X packaged in such a way that it can (theoretically) be unpacked and
X installed according to a series of steps using only standard UNIX
X tools, and entirely documented by some reasonable chain of
X references from the top-level {README file}. The more general
X term {distribution} may imply that special tools or more
X stringent conditions on the host environment are required.
X
Xkluge: /klooj/ alt. kludge /kluhj/ [from the German `klug',
X clever; /klooj/ is the original pronunciation, more common in the
X US; /kluhj/ is reported more common in England. A plurality of
X hackers pronounce this word /klooj/ but spell it incorrectly as
X `kludge' (compare the pronunciation drift of {mung}). Some
X observers consider this appropriate in view of its meaning.] 1.
X n. A Rube Goldberg (or Heath Robinson) device in hardware or
X software. (A long-ago {Datamation} article by Jackson Granholme
X said: "An ill-assorted collection of poorly matching parts,
X forming a distressing whole.") 2. n. A clever programming trick
X intended to solve a particular nasty case in an expedient, if not
X clear, manner. Often used to repair bugs. Often involves
X {ad-hockery} and verges on being a {crock}. 3. n. Something
X that works for the wrong reason. 4. vt. To insert a kluge into a
X program. "I've kluged this routine to get around that weird bug,
X but there's probably a better way." 5. [WPI] n. A feature that
X is implemented in a {rude} manner.
X
Xkluge around: vt. To avoid a bug or difficult condition by
X inserting a {kluge}. Compare {workaround}.
X
Xkluge up: vt. To lash together a quick hack to perform a task; this
X is milder than {cruft together} and has some of the connotations
X of {hack up} (note, however, that the construction `kluge on'
X corresponding to {hack on} is never used). "I've kluged up this
X routine to dump the buffer contents to a safe place."
X
XKnights of the Lambda Calculus: n. A semi-mythical organization of
X wizardly LISP and Scheme hackers (the name refers to a mathematical
X formalism invented by Alonzo Church with which LISP is intimately
X connected). There is no enrollment list and the criteria for
X induction are unclear, but one well-known LISPer has been known to
X give out buttons and, in general, the *members* know who they
X are....
X
XKnuth: [Donald Knuth's `The Art of Computer Programming'] n.
X Mythically, the reference that answers all questions about data
X structures or algorithms. A safe answer when you do not know, as
X in "I think you can find that in Knuth." Contrast {literature,
X the}. See also {bible}.
X
Xkremvax: /krem-vaks/ [from the then large number of {USENET}
X {VAXen} with names of the form `foovax'] n. A fictitious USENET
X site at the Kremlin, announced on April 1, 1984, in a posting
X ostensibly originated there by Soviet leader Konstantin Chernenko.
X The posting was actually forged by Piet Beertema as an April Fool's
X joke. Other sites mentioned in the hoax were moskvax and
X {kgbvax}, which now seems to be the one by which it is
X remembered. This was probably the funniest of the many April
X Fool's forgeries perpetrated on USENET (which has negligible
X security against them), because the notion that USENET might ever
X penetrate the Iron Curtain seemed so totally absurd at the time.
X
X In fact, it was only 6 years later that the first genuine site in
X Moscow, demos.su, joined USENET. Some readers needed convincing
X that it wasn't another prank. Vadim Antonov (avg@hq.demos.su),
X the major poster from Moscow up to at least the end of 1990, was
X quite aware of all this, referred to it frequently in his own
X postings, and at one point twitted some credulous readers by
X blandly admitting that he *was* a hoax! [Mr. Antonov also
X contributed the Russian-language material for this File --- ESR]
X
X= L =
X=====
X
Xlace card: n. obs. A {{punched card}} with all holes punched (also
X called a `whoopee card'). Card readers jammed when they got to
X one of these, as the resulting card had too little structural
X strength to avoid buckling inside the mechanism. Card punches
X could also jam trying to produce these things due to power-supply
X problems. When some practical joker fed a lace card through the
X reader, you needed to clear the jam with a `card knife' ---
X which you used on the joker first.
X
Xlanguage lawyer: n. A person, usually an experienced or senior
X software engineer, who is intimately familiar with many or most of
X the numerous restrictions and features (both useful and esoteric)
X applicable to one or more computer programming languages. A
X language lawyer is distinguished by the ability to show you the
X five sentences scattered throughout a 200-plus page manual which
X together imply the answer to your question "if only you had
X thought to look there". Compare {wizard}, {legal},
X {legalese}.
X
Xlanguages of choice: n. {C} and {LISP}. Essentially all hackers
X know one of these and most good ones are fluent in both. Smalltalk
X and Prolog are also popular in small but influential communities.
X
X There is also a rapidly dwindling category of older hackers with
X FORTRAN, or even assembler, as their language of choice. They
X often prefer to be known as <real programmer>s, and other hackers
X consider them a bit odd (see `The Story of Mel, a Real Programmer'
X in Appendix A). Assembler is generally no longer considered
X interesting or appropriate for anything but HLL implementation,
X glue, and a few time-critical and hardware-specific uses in systems
X programs. FORTRAN occupies a shrinking niche in scientific
X programming.
X
X Most hackers tend to frown at languages like {{Pascal}} and
X {{Ada}} which don't give them the near-total freedom considered
X necessary for hacking (see {bondage-and-discipline language}), and
X to regard everything that's even remotely connected with {COBOL}
X or other traditional {card walloper} languages as a total
X {loss}.
X
Xlarval stage: n. Describes a period of monomaniacal concentration
X on coding apparently passed through by all fledgling hackers.
SHAR_EOF
true || echo 'restore of jargon.ascii failed'
fi
echo 'End of part 9, continue with part 10'
echo 10 > _shar_seq_.tmp
exit 0