eric@snark.thyrsus.com (Eric S. Raymond) (03/03/91)
Submitted-by: jargon@thyrsus.com
Archive-name: jargon/part02
---- Cut Here and feed the following to sh ----
#!/bin/sh
# this is jargon.02 (part 2 of jargon)
# do not concatenate these parts, unpack them in order with /bin/sh
# file jargon.ascii continued
#
if test ! -r _shar_seq_.tmp; then
echo 'Please unpack part 1 first!'
exit 1
fi
(read Scheck
if test "$Scheck" != 2; then
echo Please unpack part "$Scheck" next!
exit 1
else
exit 0
fi
) < _shar_seq_.tmp || exit 1
if test -f _shar_wnt_.tmp; then
sed 's/^X//' << 'SHAR_EOF' >> 'jargon.ascii' &&
X"::" rather than ":"; similarly, references are surrounded by
X"{{" and "}}" rather than "{" and "}".
X
XReferences such as `malloc(3)' and `patch(1)' are to UNIX
Xfacilities (some of which, such as `patch(1)', are actually freeware
Xdistributed over USENET). The UNIX manuals use `foo(n)' to refer
Xto item foo in section (n) of the manual, where n=1 is utilities, n=2
Xis system calls, n=3 is C library routines, n=6 is games, and n=8
X(where present) is system administration utilities. Sections 4, 5,
Xand 7 have changed roles frequently and in any case are not referred
Xto from any of the entries.
X
XThe Jargon Lexicon
X******************
X
X= [^A-Za-z] (see {regexp}) =
X============================
X
X'Snooze: /snooz/ [FidoNet] n. Fidonews, the weekly official on-line
X newsletter of FidoNet. As the editorial policy of Fidonews is
X "anything that arrives, we print", there are often large articles
X completely unrelated to FidoNet, which in turn tend to elicit
X {flamage} in subsequent issues.
X
X(tm): [USENET] ASCII rendition of the trademark symbol, appended to
X phrases that the author feels should be recorded for posterity,
X perhaps in future editions of this lexicon. Sometimes used
X ironically as a form of protest against the recent spate of
X software and algorithm patents and `look and feel' lawsuits.
X
X-ware: [from `software'] suff. Commonly used to form jargon terms
X for classes of software. For examples, see {crippleware},
X {crudware}, {firmware}, {freeware}, {fritterware},
X {guiltware}, {liveware}, {meatware}, {payware},
X {psychedelicware}, {shareware}, {shelfware}, {vaporware},
X {wetware}.
X
X/dev/null: /dev-nuhl/ [from the UNIX null device, used as a data
X sink] n. A notional `black hole' in any information space being
X discussed, used or referred to. A controversial posting, for
X example, might end "Kudos to rasputin@kremlin.org, flames to
X /dev/null". See {bit bucket}, {null device}.
X
X120 reset: [from 120 volts, U.S. wall current] n. To cycle power on
X a machine in order to reset or unjam it. Compare {Big Red
X Switch}, {power cycle}.
X
X2: infix. In translation software written by hackers, infix 2 often
X represents the syllable *to* with the connotation
X `translate to'; as in dvi2ps (DVI to PostScript), int2string
X (integer to string) and texi2roff (Texinfo to [nt]roff).
X
X@-party: /at'par`tee/ [from the @-sign in an Internet address] n.
X (also `@-sign party' /at'sien par`tee/) Semi-closed parties thrown
X at science-fiction conventions (esp. the annual Worldcon) for
X hackers; one must have a {network address} to get in, or at least
X be in company with someone who does. One of the most reliable
X opportunities for hackers to meet face to face with people who
X might otherwise be represented by mere phosphor dots on their
X screens. Compare {boink}.
X
X@Begin: [written only; primarily CMU] n. Equivalent of {\begin}
X in the Scribe text formatting language; used as an idiom by Scribe
X users.
X
X\begin: [written only, from the LaTeX command] With \end, used
X humorously in writing to indicate a context or to remark on the
X surrounded text. For example:
X
X \begin{flame}
X Predicate logic is the only good programming language.
X Anyone who would use anything else is an idiot. Also,
X computers should be tredecimal instead of binary.
X \end{flame}
X
X The Scribe users at CMU and elsewhere used to use @Begin/@End in
X an identical way. On USENET, this construct would more frequently
X be rendered as "<FLAME ON>" and "<FLAME OFF>".
X
X= A =
X=====
X
Xabbrev: /@'breev/, /@'brev/ n. Common abbreviation for
X `abbreviation'.
X
Xabend: [ABnormal End] /ab'end/ n. Abnormal termination (of
X software); {crash}; {lossage}. Derives from an error message
X on the IBM 360; used jokingly by hackers but seriously mainly by
X {code grinder}s.
X
Xaccumulator: n. Archaic term for a register. Cited here because
X on-line use of it is a fairly reliable indication that the user has
X been around for quite a while and/or that the architecture under
X discussion is quite old. The term in full is almost never used of
X microprocessor registers, for example, though symbolic names for
X arithmetic registers beginning in `A' derive from historical use of
X `accumulator' (and not, actually, from `arithmetic'!).
X Confusingly, though, an `a' register name prefix may also stand for
X `address', as for example on the Motorola 680x0 family.
X
XACK: /ak/ interj. 1. [from the ASCII mnemonic for #b0000110]
X Acknowledge. Used to register one's presence (compare mainstream
X *Yo!*). An appropriate response to {ping} or {ENQ}. 2.
X [prob. from the Bloom County comic strip] An exclamation of
X surprised disgust, esp. in "Oop ack!". Semi-humorous.
X Generally this sense is distinguished by a following exclamation
X point. 3. Used to politely interrupt someone to tell them you
X understand their point. See {NAK}. Thus, for example, you might
X cut off an overly long explanation with "Ack. Ack. Ack. I get
X it now". See also {NAK}.
X
X There is also a usage "ACK?" (from sense #1) meaning "Are you
X there?", often used in email when earlier mail has produced no
X reply, or during a lull in {talk mode} to see if the person has
X gone away (the standard humorous response is of course {NAK}
X (sense #2), i.e., "I'm not here").
X
Xad-hockery: /ad-hok'@r-ee/ [Purdue] n. 1. Gratuitous assumptions
X made inside certain programs, esp. expert systems, which lead to
X the appearance of semi-intelligent behavior, but are in fact
X entirely arbitrary. 2. Special-case code to cope with some awkward
X input which would otherwise cause a program to {choke}, presuming
X normal inputs are dealt with in some cleaner and more regular way.
X Also called `ad-hackery'.
X
XAda:: n. A {{Pascal}}-descended language that has been made
X mandatory for Department of Defense software projects by the
X Pentagon. Hackers are nearly unanimous in observing that,
X technically, it is precisely what one might expect given that kind
X of endorsement by fiat; designed by committee, crockish, difficult
X to use, and overall a disastrous, multi-billion-dollar boondoggle;
X one common description is "The PL/1 of the 1980s". Hackers find
X Ada's exception-handling and inter-process communication features
X particularly hilarious. Ada Lovelace (the daughter of Lord Byron
X who became the world's first programmer while cooperating with
X Babbage on the design of his mechanical computing engines in the
X mid-1800s) would almost certainly blanch at the use her name has
X been latterly put to; the kindest thing that has been said about it
X it is that there is probably a good small language screaming to get
X out from inside its vast, {elephantine} bulk.
X
Xadger: /adj'r/ [UCLA] vt. To make a bonehead move with consequences
X that could have been foreseen with a slight amount of mental
X effort. E.g., "He started removing files and promptly adgered the
X whole project." Compare {dumbass attack}.
X
Xadmin: /ad-min'/ n. Short for `administrator'; very commonly used
X in speech or on-line to refer to the systems person in charge on a
X computer. Common constructions on this include `sysadmin' and
X `site admin' (emphasizing the administrator's role as a site
X contact for email and news) or `newsadmin' (focusing on the
X latter). Compare {postmaster}, {sysop}, {system mangler}.
X
XADVENT: /ad'vent/ n. The prototypical computer adventure game, first
X implemented on the {PDP-10} by Will Crowther as an attempt at
X computer-refereed fantasy gaming, and expanded into a
X puzzle-oriented game by Don Woods. Now better known as Adventure,
X but the {TOPS-10} operating system only permitted 6-letter
X filenames. See also {vadding}.
X
X This game defined the terse, dryly humorous style now expected in
X text adventure games, and popularized several tag lines that have
X become fixtures of hacker-speak. "A huge green fierce snake bars
X the way!" "I see no X here." (for some noun X). "You are in a
X maze of twisty little passages, all alike." "You are in a little
X maze of twisty passages, all different." The "magic words"
X {xyzzy} and {plugh} also derive from this game.
X
X Crowther, by the way, participated in the exploration of the
X Mammoth/Flint Ridge cave system; it actually *has* a `Colossal
X Cave' and a `Bedquilt' as in the game, and the `Y2' that also turns
X up is cavers' jargon for a map reference to a secondary entrance.
X
XAI koans: pl.n. A series of pastiches of Zen teaching riddles
X created by Danny Hillis at the MIT AI Lab around various major
X figures of the Lab's culture. A selection are included in Appendix
X A. See also {ha ha only serious} and {{Humor, Hacker}}.
X
XAIDS: /aydz/ n. Short for A* Infected Disk Syndrome ("A*" matches,
X but not limited to, Apple), this condition is the quite often the
X result of practicing unsafe {SEX}. See {virus}, {worm}, {Trojan
X horse}, {virgin}.
X
Xairplane rule: n. "Complexity increases the possibility of
X failure; a twin-engine airplane has twice as many engine problems
X as a single-engine airplane." By analogy, in both software and
X electronics, the rule that simplicity increases robustness (see
X also {KISS Principle}). It is correspondingly argued that the
X right way to build reliable systems is to design to put all your
X eggs in one basket, after making sure that you've built a
X *really good* basket.
X
Xaliasing bug: n. A class of subtle programming errors which can
X arise in code that does dynamic allocation, esp. via
X `malloc(3)' or equivalent. If more than one pointer addresses
X (`aliases for') a given hunk of storage, it may happen that the
X storage is freed through one alias and then referenced through
X another, leading to subtle (and possibly intermittent) lossage
X depending on the state and the allocation history of the malloc
X {arena}. Avoidable by use of allocation strategies that never
X alias allocated core. Also avoidable by use of higher-level
X languages such as {LISP} which employ a garbage collector (see
X {GC}). Also called a {stale pointer bug}. See also
X {precedence lossage}, {smash the stack}, {fandango on core},
X {memory leak}, {overrun screw}, {spam}.
X
X Historical note: Though this term is nowadays associated with C
X programming, it was already in use in a very similar sense in the
X Algol-60 and FORTRAN communities in the 1960s.
X
Xall-elbows: adj. Of a TSR (terminate-and-stay-resident) IBM PC
X program, such as the N pop-up calendar and calculator utilities
X that circulate on {BBS} systems: unsociable. Used to describe a
X program that rudely steals the resources that it needs without
X considering that other TSRs may also be resident. One particularly
X common form of rudeness is lock-up due to programs fighting over
X the keyboard interrupt. See also {mess-dos}.
X
XALT: /awlt/ 1. n. The ALT shift key on an IBM PC or {clone}.
X 2. [possibly lowercased] n. The `Apple' or `Command' key on a
X Macintosh; use of this term usually reveals that the speaker hacked
X PCs before coming to the Mac (see also {command key}). 3.
X n.obs. [PDP-10] Alternate name for the ASCII ESC character, after
X the keycap labeling on some older terminals. Also `ALTMODE'.
X This character was almost never pronounced "escape" on an ITS
X system, in TECO, or under TOPS-10 --- always ALT, as in "Type ALT
X ALT to end a TECO command" or "ALT U onto the system" (for "log
X onto the [ITS] system"). This was probably because ALT is more
X convenient to say than "escape", especially when followed by
X another ALT or a character (or another ALT *and* a character,
X for that matter!).
X
Xalt bit: /awlt bit/ [from alternate] adj. See {meta bit}.
X
XAluminum Book: [MIT] n. `Common Lisp: The Language', by Guy L.
X Steele Jr., Digital Press, first edition, 1984, second edition
X 1990. Strictly speaking, only the first edition is the aluminum
X book, since the second edition has a yucky pale green cover. See
X also {{book titles}}.
X
Xamoeba: /@-mee'b@/ n. Humorous term for the Commodore Amiga
X personal computer.
X
Xamp off: [Purdue] vt. To run in {background}. From the UNIX shell `&'
X operator.
X
Xangle brackets: n. Either of the characters `<' and `>'
X (ASCII less-than or greater-than signs). The {Real World} angle
X brackets used by typographers are actually taller than a less-than
X or greater-than sign.
X See {broket}, {{ASCII}}.
X
XAOS: 1. /aws/ (East coast), /ay-os/ (West coast) [based on a PDP-10
X increment instruction] vt.,obs. To increase the amount of
X something. "Aos the campfire." Usage: considered silly, and now
X obsolete. See {SOS}. Now largely supplanted by {bump}. 2. A
X crufty {Multics}-derived OS supported at one time by Data
X General. This was pronounced /ay-oh-ess/ or /ay-os/, the latter
X being prevalent internally at DG. A spoof of the standard AOS
X system administrator's manual (`How to load and generate your
X AOS system') was created, issued a part number, and allegedly
X released. It was called `How to goad and levitate your chaos
X system'.
X
X Historical note: AOS in sense #1 was the name of a {PDP-10}
X instruction that took any memory location in the computer and added
X one to it; AOS meant `Add One and do not Skip'. Why, you may
X ask, does the `S' stand for `do not Skip' rather than for
X `Skip'? Ah, here was a beloved piece of PDP-10 folklore. There
X were eight such instructions: AOSE added one and then skipped the
X next instruction if the result was Equal to zero; AOSG added one
X and then skipped if the result was Greater than zero; AOSN added
X one and then skipped if the result was Not zero; AOSA added one and
X then skipped Always; and so on. Just plain AOS didn't say when to
X skip, so it never skipped. For similar reasons, AOJ meant `Add
X One and do not Jump'. Even more bizarre, SKIP meant `Do not
X SKIP'! If you wanted to skip the next instruction, you had to say
X `SKIPA'. Likewise, JUMP means `Do not JUMP'. Such were the
X perverse mysteries of assembler programming.
X
Xapp: /ap/ n. Short for `application program', as opposed to a systems
X program. What systems vendors are forever chasing developers to do
X for their environments so they can sell more boxes. Hackers tend
X not to think of the things they themselves run as apps; thus, in
X hacker parlance the term excludes compilers, program editors,
X games, and messaging systems, though a user would consider all
X those apps. Oppose {tool}, {operating system}.
X
Xarc: [primarily MSDOS] vt. To create a compressed archive from a
X group of files using the SEA ARC, PKWare PKARC, or compatible
X program. Rapidly becoming obsolete as the ARC compression method
X is falling into disuse, having been replaced by newer compression
X techniques. See {tar and feather}, {zip}.
X
Xarc wars: [primarily MSDOS] n. {holy wars} over which archiving
X program one should use. The first arc war was sparked when System
X Enhancement Associates (SEA) sued PKWare for copyright and
X trademark infringement on its ARC program. PKWare's PKARC
X outperformed ARC on both compression and speed while largely
X retaining compatibility (it introduced a new compression type which
X could be disabled for backward-compatibility). PKWare settled out
X of court to avoid enormous legal costs (both SEA and PKWare are
X small companies); as part of the settlement, the name of PKARC was
X changed to PKPAK. The public backlash against SEA for bringing
X suit helped to hasten the demise of ARC as a standard when PKWare
X and others introduced new, incompatible archivers with better
X compression algorithms.
X
Xarena: [UNIX] n. The area of memory attached to a process by
X `brk(2)' and `sbrk(2)' and used by `malloc(3)' as
X dynamic storage. So named from a semi-mythical `malloc:
X corrupt arena' message supposedly emitted when some early versions
X became terminally confused. See {overrun screw}, {aliasing
X bug}, {memory leak}, {smash the stack}.
X
Xarg: /arg/ n. Abbreviation for `argument' (to a function), used so
X often as to have become a new word (like `piano' from
X `pianoforte'). "The sine function takes one arg, but the
X arc-tangent function can take either one or two args". Compare
X {param}, {parm}, {var}.
X
Xarmor-plated: n. Syn. for {bulletproof}.
X
Xasbestos: adj. Used as a modifier to anything intended to protect
X one from {flame}s. Important cases of this include {asbestos
X longjohns} and {asbestos cork award}, but it is used more
X generally.
X
Xasbestos cork award: n. Once, long ago at MIT, there was a {flamer}
X so consistently obnoxious that another hacker designed, had made,
X and distributed posters announcing that said flamer had been
X nominated for the `asbestos cork award'. Persons in any doubt as
X to the intended application of the cork should consult the
X etymology under {flame}. Since then, it is agreed that only a
X select few have risen to the heights of bombast required to earn
X this dubious dignity --- but there's no agreement on *which*
X few.
X
Xasbestos longjohns: n. Notional garments often donned by {USENET}
X posters just before emitting a remark they expect will elicit
X {flamage}. Also `asbestos underwear', `asbestos overcoat',
X etc.
X
XASCII:: [American Standard Code for Information Interchange]
X /as'kee/ n. The predominant character set encoding of present-day
X computers. Uses 7 bits for each character, whereas most earlier
X codes (including one version of ASCII) used fewer. This change
X allowed the inclusion of lowercase letters, a major {win} --- but
X it did not provide for accented letters or any other letterforms
X not used in English (such as the German esszett and the ae-ligature
X used in Norwegian and some other languages). It could be worse,
X though. It could be much worse. See {{EBCDIC}} to understand how.
X
X Common jargon names for ASCII characters are collected here. See
X individual entries for {bang}, {excl}, {open}, {ques},
X {semi}, {shriek}, {splat}, {twiddle}, {what}, and {Yu-Shiang
X Whole Fish}. This list derives from revision 2.2 of the USENET
X ASCII pronunciation guide. Single characters are listed in ASCII
X order; character pairs are sorted in by first member. For each
X character, common names are given in rough order of popularity
X followed by names which are reported but rarely seen; official
X ANSI/CCITT names are parenthesized. Square brackets mark
X the particularly silly names introduced by {INTERCAL}.
X
X `!'
X Common: {bang}, pling, excl, shriek, (exclamation mark).
X Rare: factorial, exclam, smash, cuss, boing, yell, wow, hey,
X wham, [spot-spark], soldier.
X
X `"'
X Common: double quote, quote. Rare: literal mark,
X double-glitch, (quotation marks), (dieresis), dirk,
X [rabbit-ears].
X
X `#'
X Common: (number sign), pound, pound sign, hash, sharp,
X {crunch}, hex, [mesh], octothorpe. Rare: flash, crosshatch,
X grid, pig-pen, tictactoe, scratchmark, thud, {splat}.
X
X `$'
X Common: dollar, (dollar sign). Rare: currency symbol, buck,
X cash, string (from BASIC), escape (from {TOPS-10}), ding,
X cache, [big money].
X
X `%'
X Common: percent, (percent sign), mod, grapes. Rare:
X [double-oh-seven].
X
X `&'
X Common: (ampersand), amper, and. Rare: address (from C),
X reference (from C++), andpersand, bitand, background (from
X `sh(1)'), pretzel, amp. [INTERCAL called this `ampersand';
X what could be sillier?]
X
X `''
X Common: single quote, quote, (apostrophe). Rare: prime,
X glitch, tick, irk, pop, [spark], (closing single quotation
X mark), (acute accent).
X
X `()'
X Common: left/right paren, left/right parenthesis, left/right,
X paren/thesis, open/close paren, open/close, open/close
X parenthesis, left/right banana. Rare: lparen/rparen,
X so/already, [wax/wane], (opening/closing parenthesis),
X left/right ear, parenthisey/unparenthisey, open/close round
X bracket.
X
X `*'
X Common: star, {splat}, (asterisk). Rare: wildcard, gear,
X dingle, mult, spider, aster, times, twinkle, glob (see
X {glob}), {Nathan Hale}. [INTERCAL called this `splat']
X
X `+'
X Common: (plus), add. Rare: cross, [intersection].
X
X `,'
X Common: (comma). Rare: (cedilla), [tail].
X
X `-'
X Common: dash, (hyphen), (minus). Rare: [worm], option, dak,
X bithorpe.
X
X `.'
X Common: dot, point, (period), (decimal point). Rare: radix
X point, full stop, [spot].
X
X `/'
X Common: slash, stroke, (slant), forward slash. Rare:
X diagonal, solidus, over, slak, virgule, [slat].
X
X `:'
X Common: (colon). Rare: [two-spot].
X
X `;'
X Common: (semicolon), semi. Rare: weenie, [hybrid].
X
X `<>'
X Common: (less/greater than), left/right angle bracket,
X bra/ket, left/right broket. Rare: from/{into,towards}, read
X from/write to, suck/blow, comes-from/gozinta, in/out,
X crunch/zap (all from UNIX), [angle/right angle].
X
X `='
X Common: (equals), gets. Rare: quadrathorpe, [half-mesh].
X
X `?'
X Common: query, (question mark), {ques}. Rare: whatmark,
X [what], wildchar, huh, hook, buttonhook, hunchback.
X
X `@'
X Common: at sign, at, strudel. Rare: each, vortex, whorl,
X [whirlpool], cyclone, snail, ape, cat, rose, cabbage,
X (commercial at).
X
X `V'
X Rare: vee, [book].
X
X `[]'
X Common: left/right square bracket, (opening/closing bracket),
X bracket/unbracket, left/right bracket. Rare: square/unsquare,
X [U turn/U turn back].
X
X `\'
X Common: backslash, escape (from C/UNIX), reverse slash, slosh,
X backslant. Rare: bash, backwhack, (reverse slant), reversed
X virgule, [backslat].
X
X `^'
X Common: hat, control, uparrow, caret, (circumflex). Rare:
X chevron, [shark (or shark-fin)], to the (`to the power of'),
X fang.
X
X `_'
X Common: (underline), underscore, underbar, under. Rare:
X score, backarrow (from the ASCII-1963 graphic), [flatworm].
X
X ``'
X Common: backquote, left quote, left single quote, open quote,
X (grave accent), grave. Rare: backprime, [backspark],
X unapostrophe, birk, blugle, back tick, back glitch, push,
X (opening single quotation mark), quasiquote.
X
X `{}'
X
X Common: open/close brace, left/right brace, left/right
X squiggly, left/right squiggly bracket/brace, left/right curly
X bracket/brace, (opening/closing brace). Rare: brace/unbrace,
X left/right squirrelly, curly/uncurly, leftit/rytit,
X [embrace/bracelet].
X
X `|'
X Common: bar, or, or-bar, v-bar, pipe. Rare: vertical bar,
X (vertical line), gozinta, thru, pipesinta (last three ones
X from UNIX), [spike].
X
X `~'
X Common: (tilde), squiggle, {twiddle}, not. Rare: approx,
X wiggle, swung dash, enyay, [sqiggle (sic)].
X
X The pronunciation of `#' as `pound' is common in the U.S. but
X a bad idea; {{Commonwealth Hackish}} has its own rather more apposite
X use of `pound sign' (confusingly, on British keyboards the pound
X graphic happens to replace `#'; thus Britishers sometimes call `#'
X on a US-ASCII keyboard `pound', compounding the American error).
X The U.S. usage derives from an old-fashioned commercial practice of
X using a `#' suffix to tag pound weights on bills of lading.
X The character is usually pronounced `hash' outside the U.S.
X
X Also note that the `swung dash' or `approximation' sign is not
X quite the same as tilde in typeset material
X but the ASCII tilde serves for both (compare {angle
X brackets}).
X
X Some other common usages cause odd overlaps. The `#',
X `$', `>', and `&' chars, for example, are all
X pronounced "hex" in different communities because various
X assemblers use them as a prefix tag for hexadecimal constants (in
X particular, `$' in the 6502 world, `>' at Texas
X Instruments, and `&' on the Sinclair and some other Z80
X machines).
X
X The inability of ASCII text to correctly represent any of the
X world's other major languages makes the designers' choice of 7 bits
X look more and more like a serious {misfeature} as the use of
X international networks continues to increase (See {software
X rot}). The assumption, which continues to be embedded in hardware
X and software from the US, that ASCII is the *universal*
X character set, is a now a major irritant to people who want to use
X a character set suited to their own language.
X
Xattoparsec: n. `atto-' is the official SI prefix for
X multiplication by 10 ^ -18, a parsec (parallax-second) is 3.26
X light-years; an attoparsec is thus 3.26e-18 light years, or about
X 3.1 cm (thus, 1 attoparsec/{microfortnight} equals about 1
X inch/sec). This unit is reported to be in use (though probably not
X very seriously) among hackers in Great Britain. See {micro-}
X
Xautobogotiphobia: /aw'to-boh-got'@-foh`bee-uh/ n. See {bogotify}.
X
Xautomagically: /aw-toh-maj'i-klee/ or /aw-toh-maj'i-k@l-ee/ adv.
X Automatically, but in a way which, for some reason (typically
X because it is too complicated, or too ugly, or perhaps even too
X trivial), the speaker doesn't feel like explaining to you. See
X {magic}. "The C-INTERCAL compiler generates C, then automagically
X invokes `cc(1)' to produce an executable."
X
Xawk: 1. n. [UNIX techspeak] An interpreted language developed by
X Aho, Weinberg, and Kernighan (the name is from their initials). It
X is characterized by: C-like syntax, a BASIC-like approach to
X variable typing and declarations, associative arrays, and
X field-oriented text processing. See also {Perl}. 2. n.
X Editing term for an expression awkward to manipulate through normal
X regular expression facilities. 3. vt. To process data using
X `awk(1)'.
X
X= B =
X=====
X
Xback door: n. A hole in the security of a system deliberately left in
X place by designers or maintainers. The motivation for this is not
X always sinister; some operating systems, for example, come out of
X the box with privileged accounts intended for use by field service
X or the vendor's maintenance programmers.
X
X Historically, back doors have often lurked in systems longer than
X anyone expected or planned, and a few have become widely known.
X The infamous RTM worm of late 1988, for example, used a back door
X in the {BSD} UNIX `sendmail(8)' utility.
X
X Ken Thompson's 1983 Turing Award lecture to the ACM revealed the
X existence of a back door in early UNIX versions that may have
X qualified as the most fiendishly clever security hack of all time.
X The binaries of the C compiler had code in them which would
X automatically patch itself into the output executable whenever the
X compiler itself was being recompiled, and also patch the
X `login' command, when *it* was being recompiled, to
X accept a password that gave Thompson entry to the computer whether
X or not an account had been created for him! Thompson describes
X this hack as a {Trojan horse}. This talk was published as
X `Reflections on Trusting Trust', Communications of the ACM
X 27,8 (August 1984) pp. 761-763. Although Thompson didn't say
X whether the hacked version ever made it off site, it is commonly
X believed that this back door was in fact propagated through
X hundreds of machines without any clue to it ever showing up in
X source.
X
X Syn. {trap door}; may also be called a `wormhole'. See also
X {iron box}, {cracker}, {worm}, {logic bomb}.
X
Xbackbone cabal: n. A group of large-site administrators who pushed
X through the {Great Renaming} and reined in the chaos of {USENET}
X during most of the 1980s. The cabal {mailing list} disbanded in late
X 1988 after a bitter internal catfight, but the net hardly noticed.
X
Xbackbone site: n. A key USENET and email site; one which processes
X a large amount of third-party traffic, especially if it's the home
X site of any of the regional coordinators for the USENET maps.
X Notable backbone sites as of early 1991 include `uunet' and the
X mail machines at Rutgers University, UC Berkeley, DEC's Western
X Research Laboratories, Ohio State University, and the University of
X Texas. Compare {rib site}, {leaf site}.
X
Xbackgammon:: See {bignum}, {moby}, and {pseudoprime}.
X
Xbackground: n.,adj. 1. [techspeak] A task running in background
X is detached from the terminal where it was started (and often
X running at a lower priority); oppose {foreground}. Nowadays this
X term is primarily associated with {UNIX}, but it appears first to
X have been used in this sense on OS/360. 2. By extension, to do a
X task `in background' is to do it whenever {foreground}
X matters are not claiming your undivided attention, and `to
X background' something means to relegate it to a lower priority.
X Note that this implies ongoing activity but at a reduced level or
X in spare time, in contrast to mainstream `back burner' which
X connotes benign neglect until some future resumption of activity.
X Some people prefer to use the term for processing that they've
X queued up for their unconscious minds (a tack that one can often
X fruitfully take when encountering an obstacle in creative work).
X Compare {amp off}, {slopsucker}.
X
Xbackspace and overstrike: interj. Whoa! Back up. Used to suggest
X that someone just said or did something wrong. Common among
X APL programmers.
X
Xbackward combatability: /bak'w@rd k@m-bat'@-bil'@-tee/ [corruption
X of "backward compatibility"] adj. A property pertaining to
X hardware or software in which all previous protocols, formats, and
X layouts are discarded in favor of the `new and improved'
X protocols, formats, and layouts. Occurs usually when making the
X transition between major releases. When the change is so drastic
X that the old formats are not retained in the new version, it is
X said to be `backward combatable'. See {flag day}.
X
XBAD: [IBM; acronym, Broken As Designed] adj. Said of a program
X which is {bogus} due to bad design and misfeatures rather than
X due to bugginess. See {working as designed}.
X
XBad Thing: [from the 1962 Sellars & Yeatman parody `1066 and
X All That'] n. Something which can't possibly result in improvement
X of the subject. This term is always capitalized, as in "Replacing
X all of the 9600 baud modems with bicycle couriers would be a Bad
X Thing." Oppose {Good Thing}. British correspondents confirm
X that {Bad Thing} and {Good Thing} (and prob. therefore {Right
X Thing} and {Wrong Thing}) come from the book referenced in the
X etymology, which discusses rulers who were Good Kings, but Bad
X Things. This has apparently created a mainstream idiom on the
X British side of the pond.
X
Xbagbiter: /bag'biet-@r/ n. 1. Something, such as a program or a
X computer, that fails to work, or works in a remarkably clumsy
X manner. Example: "This text editor won't let me make a file with
X a line longer than 80 characters! What a bagbiter!" 2. A person
X who has caused you some trouble, inadvertently or otherwise,
X typically by failing to program the computer properly. Synonyms:
X {loser}, {cretin}, {chomper}. 3. adj. `bagbiting'
X Having the quality of a bagbiter. "This bagbiting system won't
X let me compute the factorial of a negative number." Compare
X {losing}, {cretinous}, {bletcherous}, `barfucious' (under
X {barfulous}) and `chomping' (under {chomp}). 4. `bite
X the bag' vi. To fail in some manner. "The computer keeps crashing
X every five minutes." "Yes, the disk controller is really biting
X the bag." The original loading of these terms was almost
X undoubtedly obscene, possibly referring to the scrotum, but in
X their current usage they have become almost completely sanitized.
X
Xbamf: /bamf/ 1. [from old X-Men comics] interj. Notional sound made
X by a person or object teleporting in or out of the hearer's
X vicinity. Often used in {virtual reality} (esp. {MUD})
X electronic fora when a character wishes to make a dramatic entrance
X or exit. 2. The sound of magical transformation, used in virtual
X reality fora like sense #1. 3. [from `Don Washington's
X Survival Guide'] n. Acronym for `Bad-Ass Mother Fucker', used to
X refer to one of the handful of nastiest monsters on an LPMUD or
X similar MUD.
X
Xbanana label: n. The labels often used on the sides of {macrotape}
X reels, so called because they're shaped roughly like blunt-ended
X bananas. This term, like macrotapes themselves, is still current
X but visibly headed for obsolescence.
X
Xbanana problem: n. [from the story of the little girl who said "I
X know how to spell `banana', but I don't know when to stop"]. Not
X knowing where or when to bring a production to a close (compare
X {fencepost error}). One may say there is a banana problem of an
X algorithm with poorly defined or incorrect termination conditions,
X or in discussing the evolution of a design that may be succumbing
X to featuritis (see also {creeping elegance}, {creeping
X featuritis}). See also item 176 under {HAKMEM}.
X
Xbandwidth: n. 1. Used by hackers in a generalization of its technical
X meaning as the volume of information per unit time that a computer,
X person or transmission medium can handle. "Those are amazing
X graphics but I missed some of the detail --- not enough bandwidth,
X I guess." 2. Attention span. 3. On {USENET}, a measure of
X network capacity that is often wasted by people complaining about
X how network news items posted by others are a waste of bandwidth.
X
Xbang: 1. n. Common spoken name for `!' (ASCII #b0100001),
X especially when used in pronouncing a {bang path} in spoken
X hackish. In elder days this was considered a CMUish usage, with
X MIT and Stanford hackers preferring {excl} or {shriek}; but the
X spread of UNIX has carried {bang} with it (esp. via the term
X {bang path}) and it is now certainly the most common spoken name
X for `!'. Note that it is used exclusively for non-emphatic
X written `!'; one would not say "Congratulations bang"
X (except possibly for humorous purposes), but if one wanted to
X specify the exact characters `FOO!', one would speak "Eff oh oh
X bang". See {shriek}, {{ASCII}}. 2. interj. An exclamation
X signifying roughly "I have achieved enlightenment!", or "The
X dynamite has cleared out my brain!". Often used to acknowledge
X that one has perpetrated a {thinko} immediately after one has
X been called on it.
X
Xbang path: n. An old-style UUCP electronic-mail address specifying
X hops to get from some assumed-reachable location to the addressee,
X so called because each {hop} is signified by a {bang} sign. Thus
X the path `...!bigsite!foovax!barbox!me' directs correspondents
X to route their mail to machine `bigsite' (presumably a well-known
X location accessible to everybody) and from there through the
X machine `foovax' to the account of user `me' on `barbox'.
X
X In the bad old days of not so long ago, before autorouting mailers
X became commonplace, people often published compound bang addresses
X using the { } convention (see {glob}) to give paths from
X *several* big machines, in the hopes that one's correspondent
X might be able to get mail to one of them reliably (example:
X ...!{seismo, ut-sally, gatech}!rice!beta!gamma!me). Bang paths
X of 8 to ten hops were not uncommon in 1981. Late night dial-up
X uucp links would cause week-long transmission times. Bang paths
X were often selected by both transmission time and reliability, as
X messages would often get lost. See {{Internet address}},
X {network, the}, and {sitename}.
X
Xbanner: n. 1. The title page added to printouts by most print
X spoolers see {spool}. Typically includes user or account ID
X information in very large character-graphics capitals. 2. A
X similar printout generated (typically on multiple pages of fan-fold
X paper) from user-specified text, e.g. by a program such as UNIX's
X `banner([16])'. 3. On interactive software, a first screen
X containing a logo and/or author credits and/or copyright notice.
X
Xbar: /bar/ n. 1. The second metasyntactic variable, after {foo}
X and before {baz}. "Suppose we have two functions FOO and BAR.
X FOO calls BAR...." 2. Often appended to {foo} to produce
X {foobar}.
X
Xbare metal: n. 1. New computer hardware, unadorned with such
X snares and delusions as an {operating system}, {HLL}, or even
X assembler. Commonly in the phrase `programming on the bare metal',
X which refers to the arduous work of {bit bashing} needed to
X create these basic tools for a new machine. Real bare-metal
X programming involves things like building boot proms and BIOS
X chips, implementing basic monitors used to test device drivers, and
X writing the assemblers that will be used to write the compiler back
X ends that will give the new machine a real development environment.
X 2. The same phrase is also used to describe a style of
X {hand-hacking} that relies on bit-level peculiarities of a
X particular hardware design, esp. tricks for speed and space
X optimization that rely on crocks such as overlapping instructions
X (or, as in the famous case described in Appendix A, interleaving of
X opcodes on a magnetic drum to minimize fetch delays due to the
X device's rotational latency). This sort of thing has become less
X common as the relative costs of programming time and machine
X resources have changed, but is still found in heavily constrained
X environments like industrial embedded systems. See {real
X programmer}.
X
X In the personal computing world, bare metal programming (especially
X in sense #1 but sometimes also in sense #2) is often considered a
X {Good Thing}, or at least a necessary thing (because these
X machines have frequently been sufficiently slow and poorly designed
X to make it necessary; see {ill-behaved}). There, the term
X usually refers to bypassing the BIOS or OS interface and writing
X the application to directly access device registers and machine
X addresses. "To get 19.2 on the serial port, you need to get down
X to the bare metal." People who can do this sort of thing held in
X high regard.
X
Xbarf: /barf/ [from mainstream slang meaning `vomit'] 1. interj.
X Term of disgust. This is the closest hackish equivalent of the
X Valspeak `gag me with a spoon' (Like, euwww!). See {bletch}. 2.
X To say "Barf!" or emit some similar expression of disgust. "I
X showed him my latest hack and he barfed" means only that he
X complained about it, not that he literally vomited. 3. vi. To fail
X to work because of unacceptable input. May mean to give an error
X message. Examples: "The division operation barfs if you try to
X divide by zero." (that is, division by zero fails in some
X unspecified spectacular way) "The text editor barfs if you try to
X read in a new file before writing out the old one." See
X {choke}, {gag}. Note that in Commonwealth hackish, `barf' is
X generally replaced by `puke' or `vom'. {barf} is sometimes also
X used as a metasyntactic variable like {foo} or {bar}.
X
Xbarfulation: interj. Variation of {barf} used around the Stanford
X area. An exclamation, expressing disgust. On seeing some
X particularly bad code one might exclaim, "Barfulation! Who wrote
X this, Quux?"
X
Xbarfulous: adj. (also `barfucious') Said of something which would
X make anyone barf, if only for esthetic reasons.
X
Xbaroque: adj. Feature-encrusted; complex; gaudy; verging on
X excessive. Said of hardware or (esp.) software designs, this has
X many of the connotations of {elephantine} or {monstrosity} but is
X less extreme and not pejorative in itself. See also {rococo}.
X
XBartleMUD: /bar'tl-muhd/ n. Any of the MUDs which are derived from
X the original MUD game (see {MUD}) or use the same software
X drivers. BartleMUDs are noted for their (usually slightly offbeat)
X humor, dry but friendly syntax, and lack of adjectives in object
X descriptions, so a player is likely to come across `brand172', for
X instance (see {brand brand brand}). Some mudders intensely
X dislike Bartle and this term, preferring to speak of `MUD-1'.
X
Xbatch: adj. Non-interactive. Hackers use this somewhat more
X loosely than the traditional technical definitions justify; in
X particular, switches on a normally interactive program that prepare
X it to receive non-interactive command input are often referred to
X as `batch mode' switches. A `batch file' is a series of
X instructions written to be handed to an interactive program running
X in batch mode.
X
Xbathtub curve: n. Common term for the curve (resembling an
X end-to-end section of one of those claw-footed antique bathtubs)
X that describes the expected failure rate of electronics with time:
X initially high, dropping to near zero for most of the system's
X lifetime, then rising again as it `tires out'. See also {burn-in
X period}, {infant mortality}.
X
Xbaud: /bawd/ [simplified from its technical meaning] n. Bits per
X second. Hence kilobaud or Kbaud, thousand bits per second. The
X technical meaning is `level transitions per second'; this coincides
X with bps only for two-level modulation with no framing or stop
X bits. Hackers are generally aware of these nuances but blithely
X ignore them.
X
Xbaud barf: /bawd barf/ n. The garbage one gets on the monitor when
X using a modem connection with some protocol setting (esp. line
X speed) incorrect, or when someone picks up a voice extension on the
X same line, or when really bad line noise disrupts the connection.
X Baud barf is not completely {random}, by the way; hackers with a
X lot of serial-line experience can usually tell whether the device
X at the other end is expecting a higher or lower speed than the
X terminal is set to. *Really* experienced ones can identify
X particular speeds.
X
Xbaz: /baz/ [Stanford corruption of {bar}] n. 1. The third
X metasyntactic variable, after {foo} and {bar} and before
X {quux} (or, occasionally, `qux'). "Suppose we have three
X functions FOO, BAR, and BAZ. FOO calls BAR, which calls
X BAZ...." 2. interj. A term of mild annoyance. In this usage
X the term is often drawn out for two or three seconds, producing an
X effect not unlike the bleating of a sheep; /baaaaaaz/. 3.
X Occasionally appended to {foo} to produce `foobaz'.
X
Xbboard: /bee'bord/ [contraction of `bulletin board'] n. 1.
X Any electronic bulletin board; esp. used of {BBS} systems
X running on personal micros, less frequently of a USENET
X {newsgroup} (in fact, use of the term for a newsgroup generally
X marks one either as a {newbie} fresh in from the BBS world or as
X a real old-timer pedating USENET). 2. At CMU and other colleges
X with similar facilities, refers to campus-wide electronic bulletin
X boards. 3. The term `physical bboard' is sometimes used to
X refer to a old-fashioned, non-electronic cork memo board. At CMU,
X it refers to a particular one outside the CS Lounge.
X
X In either of senses 1 or 2, the term is usually prefixed by the
X name of the intended board (`the Moonlight Casino bboard' or
X `market bboard'); however, if the context is clear, the better-read
X bboards may be referred to by name alone, as in [at CMU] "Don't
X post for-sale ads on general".
X
XBBS: [acronym, Bulletin Board System] n. An electronic bulletin
X board system; that is, a message database where people can log in
X and leave broadcast messages for others grouped (typically) into
X topic areas. Thousands of local BBS systems are in operation
X throughout the U.S., typically run by amateurs for fun out of their
X homes on MS-DOS boxes with a single modem line each. Fans of
X USENET and Internet or the big commercial timesharing bboards like
X CompuServe or GEnie tend to consider local BBSes the `low-rent
X district' of the hacker culture, but they serve a valuable function
X by knitting together lots of hackers and users in the
X personal-micro world who would otherwise be unable to exchange code
X at all.
X
Xbeam: [from Star Trek Classic's "Beam me up, Scotty!"] vt. To
X transfer {softcopy} of a file electronically; most often in
X combining forms such as `beam me a copy' or `beam that over to
X his site'. Compare {blast}, {snarf}, {BLT}.
X
Xbeep: n.,v. Syn. {feep}. This term seems to be preferred among micro
X hobbyists.
X
Xbeige toaster: n. A Macintosh. See {toaster}; compare
X {Macintrash}, {maggotbox}.
X
Xbells and whistles: [by analogy with steam calliopes] n. Features
X added to a program or system to make it more {flavorful} from a
X hacker's point of view, without necessarily adding to its utility
X for its primary function. Distinguished from {chrome}, which is
X intended to attract users. "Now that we've got the basic program
X working, let's go back and add some bells and whistles." However,
X no one seems to know what distinguishes a bell from a whistle.
X
Xbells, whistles, and gongs: n. A standard elaborated form of
X {bells and whistles}; typically said with a pronounced and ironic
X accent on the `gongs'.
X
Xbenchmark: [techspeak] n. An inaccurate measure of computer
X performance. "In the computer industry, there are three kinds of
X lies: lies, damn lies, and benchmarks." Well-known ones include
X Whetstone, Dhrystone, the Gabriel LISP benchmarks (see
X {gabriel}), Rhealstone (see {h}) and LINPACK. See also
X {machoflops}, {MIPS}.
X
XBerkeley Quality Software: adj. (often abbreviated `BQS') Term used
X in a pejorative sense to refer to software which was apparently
X created by rather spaced-out hackers late at night to solve some
X unique problem. It usually has nonexistent, incomplete, or
X incorrect documentation, has been tested on at least two examples,
X and usually core dumps when anyone else attempts to use it. This
X term was frequently applied to early versions of the `dbx(1)'
X debugger. See also {Berzerkeley}.
X
Xberklix: /ber'kliks/ n.,adj. [contraction of `Berkeley UNIX'] See
X {BSD}. Not used at Berkeley itself. May be more common among
X {suit}s attempting to sound like cognoscenti than among hackers,
X who usually just say `BSD'.
X
Xberserking: vi. A {MUD} term meaning to gain points *only*
X by killing other players and mobiles (non-player characters).
X Hence a Berserker-Wizard is a player character that has achieved
X enough points to become a wizard, but only by killing other
X characters. Berserking is sometimes frowned upon because of its
X inherently antisocial nature, but some MUDs have a `berserker
X mode' in which a player becomes *permanently* berserk, can
X never flee out of a fight, cannot use magic, gets no score for
X treasure, but *does* get double kill points. "Berserker
X wizards can seriously damage your elf!"
X
XBerzerkeley: [from "berserk"] /b@r-zer'klee/ [from the name of a
X now-deceased record label] n. Humorous distortion of `Berkeley'
X used esp. to refer to the practices or products of the {BSD} UNIX
X hackers. See {software bloat}, {Missed'em-five}, {Berkeley
X Quality Software}.
X
Xbeta: /be't@/, /bay't@/ or (Commonwealth) /bee't@/ n. 1. In the
X {Real World}, software often goes through two stages of testing:
X Alpha (in-house) and Beta (out-house?). Software is said to be
X `in beta'. 2. Anything that is new and experimental is in
X beta. "His girlfriend is in beta." 3. Beta software is
X notoriously buggy, so `in beta' connotes flakiness.
X
X Historical note: More formally, to beta-test is to test a
X pre-release (potentially unreliable) version of a piece of software
X by making it available to selected customers and users. This term
X derives from early 1960s terminology for product cycle checkpoints,
X first used at IBM but later standard throughout the industry.
X `Alpha Test' was the unit, module, or component test phase; `Beta
X Test' was initial system test. These themselves came from earlier
X A- and B-tests for hardware. The A-test was a feasibility and
X manufacturability evaluation done before any commitment to design
X and development. The B-test was a demonstration that the
X engineering model functioned as specified. The C-test
X (corresponding to today's beta) was the B-test performed on early
X samples of the production design.
X
XBFI: n. See {brute force and ignorance}. Also encountered in the
X variant `BFMI', `brute force and *massive* ignorance'.
X
Xbible: n. 1. One of a small number of fundamental source books
X such as {Knuth} and {K&R}. 2. The most detailed and
X authoritative reference for a particular language, operating
X system, or other complex software system.
X
XBiCapitalization: adj. The act said to have been performed on
SHAR_EOF
true || echo 'restore of jargon.ascii failed'
fi
echo 'End of part 2, continue with part 3'
echo 3 > _shar_seq_.tmp
exit 0