eric@snark.thyrsus.com (Eric S. Raymond) (12/16/90)
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#!/bin/sh
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# 53809 -rw-r--r-- jsplit.ad
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touch 2>&1 | fgrep '[-amc]' > /tmp/s3_touch$$
if [ -s /tmp/s3_touch$$ ]
then
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else
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# ============= jsplit.ad ==============
sed 's/^X//' << 'SHAR_EOF' > jsplit.ad &&
X {
X case GREEN:
X do_green();
X break;
X case PINK:
X do_pink();
X
X case RED:
X do_red();
X break;
X default:
X do_blue();
X break;
X }
X
X The effect of this code is to do_green() when color is GREEN,
X do_red() when color is RED, do_blue() on any other color than PINK,
X and (this is the important part) do_pink() and *then* do_red() when
X color is PINK. It is considered good practice to include a comment
X highlighting the fall through, at ytje point one would normally
X expect a break.
X
XFANDANGO ON CORE [UNIX/C hackers, from the Mexican dance] n. In C, a
X wild pointer that runs out of bounds causing a CORE DUMP, or
X corrupts the malloc(3) ARENA in such a way as to cause mysterious
X failures later on, is sometimes said to have `done a fandango on
X core'. On low-end personal machines without an MMU this can
X corrupt the OS itself, causing massive lossage. Other third-world
X dances such as the rhumba, cha-cha or watusi may be substituted.
X See ALIASING BUG, PRECEDENCE LOSSAGE, SMASH THE STACK, MEMORY LEAK,
X OVERRUN SCREW, CORE.
X
XFAQ LIST /ef-ay-kyoo list/ [Usenix] n. Compendium of accumulated lore,
X posted periodically to high-volume newsgroups in an attempt to
X forestall Frequently Asked Questions.
X The jargon file itself serves as a good example of a collection
X of one kind of lore, although it is far too big for a regular
X posting. Several extant FAQ lists do (or should) make reference
X to the jargon file. "How do you pronounce `char'?" and "What's
X that funny name for the `#' character?" are, for example, both
X Frequently Asked Questions.
X
XFASCIST adj. Said of a computer system with excessive or annoying
X security barriers, usage limits or access policies. The
X implication is that said policies are preventing hackers from
X getting interesting work done. The variant "fascistic" seens to
X have been preferred at MIT, poss. by analogy with TOURISTIC.
X
XFAULTY adj. Non-functional; buggy. Same denotation as "bagbiting",
X "bletcherous", "losing", q.v., but the connotation is much
X milder.
X
XFD LEAK /ef dee leek/ n. A kind of programming bug analogous to a CORE
X LEAK, in which a program fails to close file descriptors ("fd"s)
X after file operations are completed, and thus eventually runs out.
X See LEAK.
X
XFEAR AND LOATHING [from Hunter Thompson] n. State inspired by the
X prospect of dealing with certain REAL WORLD systems and standards
X which are totally BRAIN DAMAGED but ubiquitous --- Intel 8086s, or
X COBOL, or any IBM machine except the Rios (aka the RS/6000). "Ack.
X They want PCs to be able to talk to the AI machine. Fear and
X loathing time!" See also IBM.
X
XFEATURE n. 1. An intended property or behavior (as of a program).
X Whether it is good or not is immaterial. 2. A good property or
X behavior (as of a program). Whether it was intended or not is
X immaterial. 3. A surprising property or behavior; in particular,
X one that is purposely inconsistent because it works better that
X way. For example, in some versions of the EMACS text editor, the
X "transpose characters" command exchanges the two characters on
X either side of the cursor on the screen, *except* when the cursor
X is at the end of a line, in which case the two characters before
X the curspor are exchanged. While this behavior is perhaps
X surprising, and certainly inconsistent, it has been found through
X extensive experimentation to be what most users want; the
X inconsistency is therefore a FEATURE and not a BUG. 4. A property
X or behavior that is gratuitous or unnecessary, though perhaps also
X impressive or cute. For example, one feature of the MACLISP
X language is the ability to print numbers as Roman numerals. See
X BELLS AND WHISTLES. 5. A property or behavior that was put in to
X help someone else but that happens to be in your way. 6. A BUG that
X has been documented. To call something a feature sometimes means
X the author of the program did not consider the particular case, and
X the program responded in a way that was unexpected, but not
X strictly incorrect. A standard joke is that a BUG can be turned
X into a FEATURE simply by documenting it (then theoretically no one
X can complain about it because it's in the manual), or even by
X simply declaring it to be good. "That's not a bug, that's a
X feature!" See also FEETCH FEETCH.
X
XFEATURECTOMY /fee`ch@r-ek'to-mee/ n. The act of removing a feature
X from a program. Featurectomies generally come in two varieties,
X the RIGHTEOUS and the RELUCTANT. Righteous featurectomies are
X performed because the remover believes the program would be more
X elegant without the feature, or there is already an equivalent and
X "better" way to achieve the same end. (This is not quite the
X same thing as removing a MISFEATURE.) Reluctant featurectomies are
X performed to satisfy some external constraint such as code size or
X execution speed.
X
XFEEP /feep/ 1. n. The soft bell of a display terminal (except for a
X VT-52!); a beep. 2. vi. To cause the display to make a feep sound.
X TTY's do not have feeps; they have mechanical bells that ring.
X Alternate forms: BEEP, BLEEP, or just about anything suitably
X onomatopoeic. (Jeff Macnelly, in his comic strip `Shoe', uses the
X word `eep' for sounds made by computer terminals and video games;
X this is perhaps the closest written approximation yet.) The term
X BREEDLE was sometimes heard at SAIL, where the terminal bleepers
X are not particularly "soft" (they sound more like the musical
X equivalent of a raspberry or Bronx cheer; for a close
X approximation, imagine the sound of a Star Trek communicator's beep
X lasting for five seconds.). The "feeper" on a VT-52 has been
X compared to the sound of a '52 Chevy stripping its gears. See also
X DING.
X
XFEEPER /fee'pr/ n. The device in a terminal or workstation (usually a
X loudspeaker of some kind) that makes the FEEP sound.
X
XFEEPING CREATURITIS /fee'ping kree`ch@r-ie'tis/ n. Deliberate
X spoonerization of CREEPING FEATURITIS, meant to imply that the
X system or program in question has become a misshapen creature of
X hacks.This term isn't really well-defined, but it sounds so neat
X that most hackers have said or heard it. It probably derives from
X an image of terminals prowling about in the dark making their
X customary noises.
X
XFEETCH FEETCH interj. If someone tells you about some new improvement
X to a program, you might respond, "Feetch, feetch!" The meaning
X of this depends critically on vocal inflection. With enthusiasm,
X it means something like, "Boy, that's great! What a great hack!"
X Grudgingly or with obvious doubt, it means "I don't know; it
X sounds like just one more unnecessary and complicated thing."
X With a tone of resignation, it means, "Well, I'd rather keep it
X simple, but I suppose it has to be done."
X
XFENCEPOST ERROR n. 1. The discrete equivalent of a boundary condition.
X Often exhibited in programs by iterative loops. From the following
X problem: "If you build a fence 100 feet long with posts ten feet
X apart, how many posts do you need?" (Either 9 or 11 is a better
X answer than the obvious 10.) For example, suppose you have a long
X list or array of items, and want to process items m through n; how
X many items are there? The obvious answer is n - m, but that is off
X by one; the right answer is n - m + 1. A program that used the
X "obvious" formula would have a fencepost error in it. See also
X OFF-BY-ONE ERROR, and note that not all off-by-one errors are
X fencepost errors. The game of Musical Chairs involves an
X off-by-one problem where N people try to sit in N-1 chairs, but
X it's not a fencepost error. Fencepost errors come from counting
X things rather than the spaces between them, or vice versa, or by
X neglecting to consider whether one should count one or both ends of
X a row. 2. Occasionally, an error induced by unexpectedly regular
X spacing of inputs, which can (for instance) screw up your hash
X table.
X
XFIELD CIRCUS [a derogatory pun on "field service"] n. The field
X service organization of any hardware manufacturer, but especially
X DEC. There is an entire genre of jokes about DEC field circus
X engineers:
X
X Q: How can you recognize a DEC field circus engineer with a flat
X tire?
X A: He's swapping tires to see which one is flat.
X
X Q: How can you recognize a DEC field circus engineer who is out
X of gas?
X A: He's swapping tires to see which one is flat.
X
XFILK /filk/ [from SF fandom, where a typo for "folk" was adopted as
X a new word] n.,v. A "filk" is a popular or folk song with lyrics
X revised or completely new lyrics, intended for humorous effect when
X read and/or to be sung late at night at SF conventions. There is a
X flourishing subgenre of these called "computer filks", written by
X hackers and often containing technical humor of quite sophisticated
X nature. See DOUBLE BUCKY for an example.
X
XFILM AT 11 [MIT, in parody of TV newscasters], interj. Used in
X conversation to announce ordinary events, with a sarcastic
X implication that these events are earth-shattering. "ITS crashes;
X film at 11." "Bug found in scheduler; film at 11."
X
XFILTER [orig. UNIX, now also in MS-DOS] n. A program which processes
X an input text stream into an output text stream in some
X well-defined way, and does no I/O to anywhere else except possibly
X on error conditions; one designed to be used as a stage in a
X PIPELINE (q.v.).
X
XFINE [WPI] adj. Good, but not good enough to be CUSPY. The word FINE
X is used elsewhere, of course, but without the implicit comparison
X to the higher level implied by CUSPY.
X
XFINGER [SAIL's ITS, via BSD UNIX] 1. n. A program that displays a
X particular user or all users logged on the system or a remote
X system. Typically shows full name, last login time, idle time,
X terminal line and terminal location. May also display a "plan
X file" left by the user. 2. vt. To apply finger to a username. 3.
X v. By extension, to check a human's current state by any means.
X "Foodp?" "T!" "OK, finger Lisa and see if she's idle".
X
XFIREBOTTLE n. A large, primitive, power-hungry active electrical
X device, similar to an FET constructed out of glass, metal, and
X vacuum. Characterized by high cost, low density, low reliability,
X high-temperature operation, and high power dissipation. Sometimes
X mistakenly called a "tube" in the U.S. or a "valve" in England.
X
XFIREFIGHTING n. The act of throwing lots of manpower and late nights
X at a project to get it out before deadline.
X
XFIREWALL MACHINE n. A dedicated gateway machine with special security
X precautions on it, used to service outside network/mail/news
X connections and/or accept remote logins for (read only)
X shared-file-system access via FTP. The idea is to protect a
X cluster of more loosely administered machines `hidden' behind it
X from crackers. The typical `firewall' is an inexpensive
X micro-based UNIX box kept clean of critical data, with a bunch of
X modems and public network ports on it but just one carefully
X watched connection back to the rest of the cluster. The special
X precautions may include threat monitoring, callback, and even a
X complete IRON BOX keyable to particular incoming IDs or activity
X patterns. Syn. FLYTRAP, VENUS FLYTRAP.
X
XFIRMWARE n. Software installed into a computer-based piece of
X equipment on ROM. So-called because it's harder to change than
X software but easier than hardware.
X
XFLAG n. A variable or quantity that can take on one of two values; a
X bit, particularly one that is used to indicate one of two outcomes
X or is used to control which of two things is to be done. Examples:
X "This flag controls whether to clear the screen before printing
X the message." "The program status word contains several flag
X bits." See also BIT.
X
XFLAG DAY n. A software change which is neither forward nor backward
X compatible, and which is costly to make and costly to revert.
X "Can we install that without causing a flag day for all users?"
X This term has nothing to do with the use of the word FLAG to mean a
X variable that has two values. It came into use when a massive
X change was made to the MULTICS timesharing system to convert from
X the old ASCII code to the new one; this was scheduled for Flag Day,
X June 14, 1966.
X
XFLAKEY, FLAKY adj. Subject to frequent lossages. See LOSSAGE. This
X use is of course related to the common slang use of the word, to
X describe a person as eccentric or crazy. A system that is flakey
X is working, sort of, enough that you are tempted to try to use it,
X but it fails frequently enough that the odds in favor of finishing
X what you start are low. Commonwealth hackish prefers DODGY (q.v.).
X
XFLAMAGE /flay'm@j/ n. High-noise, low-signal postings to USENET or
X other electronic fora. Often in the phrase "the usual flamage".
X
XFLAME 1. vi. To speak incessantly and/or rabidly on some relatively
X uninteresting subject or with a patently ridiculous attitude. When
X a discussion degenerates into useless controversy, one might tell
X the participants, "Now you're just flaming" or "Stop all that
X flamage!" to try to get them to cool down (so to speak). 2. To
X post an email message intended to insult and provoke. FLAME ON: vi.
X To continue to flame. See RAVE, BURBLE. The punning reference to
X Marvel comics's Human Torch has been lost as recent usage completes
X the circle: "Flame on" now usually means "beginning of flame".
X
X A USENETter who was at WPI from 1972 to 1976 adds: I am 99% certain
X that the use of "FLAME" originated at WPI. Those who made a
X nuisance of themselves insisting that they needed to use a TTY for
X "real work" came to be known as "flaming asshole lusers". Other,
X particularly annoying people became "flaming asshole ravers", which
X shortened to "flaming ravers", and ultimately "flamers". I
X remember someone picking up on the Human Torch pun, but I don't
X think "FLAME ON/OFF" was ever much used at WPI.
X
XFLAME WAR n. Acrimonious dispute, especially when conducted on a
X public electronic forum such as USENET.
X
XFLAMER v. One who habitually flames others. Said esp. of obnoxious
X USENET personalities.
X
XFLAP vt. To unload a DECtape (so it goes flap, flap, flap...). Old
X hackers at MIT tell of the days when the disk was device 0 and
X microtapes were 1, 2,... and attempting to flap device 0 would
X instead start a motor banging inside a cabinet near the disk!
X
XFLAVOR n. 1. Variety, type, kind. "DDT commands come in two
X flavors." "These lights come in two flavors, big red ones and
X small green ones." See VANILLA. 2. The attribute that causes
X something to be FLAVORFUL. Usually used in the phrase "yields
X additional flavor." "This convention yields additional flavor by
X allowing one to print text either right-side-up or upside-down."
X See VANILLA.
X
XFLAVORFUL adj. Aesthetically pleasing. See RANDOM and LOSING for
X antonyms. See also the entries for TASTE and ELEGANT.
X
XFLIPPY /flip'ee/ n. A single-side floppy disk altered for double-sided
X use by addition of a second write-notch, so called because it must
X be flipped over for the second side to be accessible. No longer
X common.
X
XFLUSH v. 1. To delete something, usually superfluous. "All that
X nonsense has been flushed." Standard ITS terminology for aborting
X an output operation (but note sense 4 below!); one speaks of the
X text that would have been printed, but was not, as having been
X flushed. Under ITS, if you asked to have a file printed on your
X terminal, it was printed a page at a time; at the end of each page,
X it asked whether you want to see more, and if you said no, it
X replied "FLUSHED". (It is speculated that this term arose from a
X vivid image of flushing unwanted characters by hosing down the
X internal output buffer, washing the characters away before they can
X be printed.) 2. To leave at the end of a day's work (as opposed to
X leaving for a meal). "I'm going to flush now." "Time to
X flush." 3. To exclude someone from an activity. 4. [UNIX/C] To
X force buffered I/O to disk, as with an fflush(3) call. This is
X *not* an abort as in sense 1 but a demand for early completion!
X UNIX hackers find the ITS usage confusing and vice versa.
X
XFLYTRAP n. See FIREWALL.
X
XFOAF [USENET] n. Written-only acronym for Friend Of A Friend. The
X source of an unverified, possibly untrue story.
X
XFOO /foo/ 1. [from Yiddish "feh" or the Anglo-Saxon "fooey!"]
X interj. Term of disgust. 2. [from FUBAR (Fucked Up Beyond All
X Recognition), from WWII, often seen as FOOBAR] Name used for
X temporary programs, or samples of three-letter names. Other
X similar words are BAR, BAZ (Stanford corruption of BAR), and rarely
X RAG. These have been used in Pogo as well. 3. Used very generally
X as a sample name for absolutely anything. The old `Smokey Stover'
X comic strips often included the word FOO, in particular on license
X plates of cars. 4. First on the standard list of metasyntactic
X variables used in syntax examples. See also: BAR, BAZ, QUX, QUUX,
X QUUUX, CORGE, GRAULT, GARPLY, WALDO, FRED, PLUGH, XYZZY. MOBY FOO:
X See MOBY. It is possible that hacker usage of FOO actually springs
X from the title "FOO, Lampoons and Parody" of a comic book first
X issued in September 1958; the byline read "C. Crumb" but this may
X well have been a sort-of pseudonym for noted weird-comix artist
X Robert Crumb. The title FOO was featured in large letters on the
X front cover.
X
XFOOL n. As used by hackers, specifically describes a person who
X habitually reasons from obviously or demonstrably incorrect
X premises and cannot be persuaded to do otherwise by evidence; it is
X not generally used in its other senses, i.e. to describe a person
X with a native incapacity to reason correctly, or a clown. Indeed,
X in hackish experience many fools are capable of reasoning all too
X effectively in executing their errors. See also CRETIN, LOSER.
X
XFOOTPRINT n. 1. The floor or desk area taken up by a piece of
X hardware. 2. [IBM] The audit trail (if any) left by a crashed
X program (often in plural, `footprints').
X
XFOREGROUND [UNIX] adj.v. On a time-sharing system, a task executing in
X foreground is one able to accept input from and return output to
X the user; oppose BACKGROUND. Normally, there is only one
X foreground task per terminal (or terminal window); having multiple
X processes simultaneously reading the keyboard is a good way to
X LOSE. By extension, "to foreground" a task is to bring it to the
X top of one's PDL or STACK for immediate processing, and in this
X sense hackers often use it for non-computer tasks.
X
XFORKED [UNIX] adj. Terminally slow, or dead. Originated when the
X system slowed to incredibly bad speeds due to a process recursively
X spawning copies of itself (using the Unix system command fork(2))
X and taking up all the process table entries.
X
XFORTUNE COOKIE [UNIX] n. A random quote, item of trivia, joke or maxim
X printed to the user's tty at login time or (less commonly) at
X logout time. Items from this jargon file have often been used as
X fortune cookies.
X
XFOSSIL n. 1. In software, a misfeature that becomes understandable
X only in historical context, as a remnant of times past retained so
X as not to break compatibility. Example: the retention of octal as
X default base for string escapes in C in spite of the better match
X of hexadecimal to modern byte-addressible architectures. See DUSTY
X DECKS. 2. More restrictively, a feature with past but no present
X utility. Example: the force-all-caps (LCASE) bits in the V7 and
X BSD UNIX tty driver, designed for use with monocase terminals. In
X a perversion of the usual backwards compatibility goal, this
X functionality has actually been expanded and renamed in some later
X USG UNIX releases as the IUCLC and OLCUC bits.
X
XFRED n. The personal name most frequently used as a metasyntactic
X variable (see FOO). Allegedly popular because it's easy to type on
X a standard QWERTY keyboard.
X
XFREEWARE n. Free software, often written by enthusiasts and usually
X distributed by electronic mail, local bulletin boards, USENET, or
X other electronic media. See SHAREWARE.
X
XFRIED adj. 1. Non-working due to hardware failure; burnt out.
X Especially used of hardware brought doen by a power glitch, short,
X or other electrical event. (Sometimes this literally happens to
X electronic circuits! In particular, resistors can burn out and
X transformers can melt down, emitting terribly-smelling smoke.
X However, this term is also used metaphorically.) 2. Of people,
X exhausted. Said particularly of those who continue to work in such
X a state. Often used as an explanation or excuse. "Yeah, I know
X that fix destroyed the file system, but I was fried when I put it
X in."
X
XFROB /frob/ 1. n. [MIT] The official Tech Model Railroad Club
X definition is "FROB = protruding arm or trunnion", and by
X metaphoric extension any somewhat small thing; an object that you
X can comfortably hold in one hand; something you can frob. See
X FROBNITZ. 2. v. Abbreviated form of FROBNICATE.
X
XFROBNICATE /frob'ni-kayt/ v. To manipulate or adjust, to tweak. Thus:
X "Please frob the light switch." (That is, flip the light
X switch.), but also "Stop frobbing that clasp; you'll break it."
X Poss. derived from FROBNITZ (q.v.). Usually abbreviated to FROB,
X but FROBNICATE is recognized as the official full form. Thus one
X has the saying "to frob a frob". See TWEAK and TWIDDLE. Usage:
X FROB, TWIDDLE, and TWEAK sometimes connote points along a
X continuum. FROB connotes aimless manipulation; TWIDDLE connotes
X gross manipulation, often a coarse search for a proper setting;
X TWEAK connotes fine-tuning. If someone is turning a knob on an
X oscilloscope, then if he's carefully adjusting it he is probably
X tweaking it; if he is just turning it but looking at the screen he
X is probably twiddling it; but if he's just doing it because turning
X a knob is fun, he's frobbing it.
X
XFROBNITZ /frob'nits/, pl. FROBNITZEM (frob'nitsm) n. An unspecified
X physical object, a widget. Also refers to electronic black boxes.
X This rare form is usually abbreviated to FROTZ, or more commonly to
X FROB. Also used are FROBNULE and FROBULE. Starting perhaps in
X 1979, FROBOZZ (fruh-bahz'), plural FROBBOTZIM (fruh-bot'z@m) has
X also become very popular, largely due to its exposure as a name via
X ZORK. These can also be applied to nonphysical objects, such as
X data structures.
X
XFROG alt. PHROG 1. interj. Term of disgust (we seem to have a lot of
X them). 2. Used as a name for just about anything. See FOO. 3. n.
X Of things, a crock. Of people, somewhere inbetween a turkey and a
X toad. 4. FROGGY: adj. Similar to BAGBITING (q.v.), but milder.
X "This froggy program is taking forever to run!"
X
XFRONT END n. 1. A subsidiary computer that doesn't do much. 2. What
X you're talking to when you have a conversation with someone who is
X making replies without paying attention. "Look at the dancing
X elephants!" "Uh-huh" "Do you know what I just said?"
X "Sorry, you were talking to the front end".
X
XFROTZ /frotz/ 1. n. See FROBNITZ. 2. MUMBLE FROTZ: An interjection of
X very mild disgust.
X
XFROTZED /frotzt/ adj. DOWN due to hardware problems.
X
XFRY 1. vi. To fail. Said especially of smoke-producing hardware
X failures. More generally, to become non-working. Usage: never
X said of software, only of hardware and humans. See FRIED, MAGIC
X SMOKE. 2. vt. To cause to fail; to ROACH, TOAST or HOSE a piece of
X hardware (never used of software or humans).
X
XFTP /ef-tee-pee/, *not* /fit'ip/ 1. n. The File Transfer Protocol for
X transmitting files between systems on the Internet. 2. vt. To
X transfer a file using the File Transfer Protocol. 3. Sometimes used
X as a generic even for file transfers not using FTP. "Lemme get
X this copy of Wuthering Heights FTP'd from uunet."
X
XFUCK ME HARDER excl. Sometimes uttered in response to egregious
X misbehavior, esp. in software, and esp. of those which seem
X unfairly persistent (as though designed in< by the imp of the
X perverse). Often theatrically elaborated: "Aiighhh! Fuck me with
X a piledriver and sixteen feet of curare-tipped wrought-iron fence
X *and no lubricants!*" The phrase is sometimes heard abbreviated
X FMH in polite company.
X
XFUD WARS /fud worz/ n. [from `Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt'] Political
X posturing engaged in by hardware and software vendors ostensibly
X committed to standardization but actually willing to fragment the
X market to protect their own share. The OSF vs. UNIX International
X conflict, for example.
X
XFUDGE 1. v. To perform in an incomplete but marginally acceptable way,
X particularly with respect to the writing of a program. "I didn't
X feel like going through that pain and suffering, so I fudged it."
X 2. n. The resulting code.
X
XFUDGE FACTOR n. A value or parameter that is varied in an ad hoc way
X to produce the desired result. The terms "tolerance" and
X "slop" are also used, though these usually indicate a one-sided
X leeway, such as a buffer which is made larger than necessary
X because one isn't sure exactly how large it needs to be, and it is
X better to waste a little space than to lose completely for not
X having enough. A fudge factor, on the other hand, can often be
X tweaked in more than one direction. A good example is the FUZZ
X typically needed in floating-point calculations: two numbers being
X compared for equality must be allowed to differ by a small amount;
X if that amount is too small, a computation may never terminate,
X while if it is too large, results will be needlessly inaccurate.
X Fudge factors are frequently adjusted incorrectly by programmers
X who don't fully understand their import.
X
XFUEL UP vi. To eat or drink hurriedly in order to get back to hacking.
X "Food-p?" "Yeah, let's fuel up." "Time for a GREAT-WALL!".
X See also ORIENTAL FOOD.
X
XFUGGLY /fuhg'lee/ adj. Emphatic form of FUNKY; funky + ugly (or
X possibly a contraction of "fuckin' ugly"). Unusually for hacker
X slang, this may actually derive from black street-jive. To say it
X properly, the first syllable should be growled rather than spoken.
X Usage: humorous. "Man, the ASCII-to-EBCDIC code in that printer
X driver is *fuggly*." See also WONKY.
X
XFUNKY adj. Said of something which functions, but in a slightly
X strange, klugey way. It does the job and would be difficult to
X change, so its obvious non-optimality is left alone. Often used to
X describe interfaces. The more bugs something has that nobody has
X bothered to fix because workarounds are easier, the funkier it is.
X TECO and UUCP are funky. The Intel i860's exception handling is
X extraordinarily funky. Most standards acquire funkiness as they
X age. "The new mailer is installed, but is still somewhat funky;
X if it bounces your mail for no reason, try resubmitting it."
X "This UART is pretty funky. The data ready line is active-high in
X interrupt mode, and active-low in DMA mode." See FUGGLY.
X
XFUNNY MONEY n. 1. Notional `dollar' units of computing time and/or
X storage handed to students at the beginning of a computer course by
X professors; also called "purple money" (in implicit opposition to
X real or "green" money). When your funny money ran out, your
X account froze and you needed to go to a professor to get more.
X Formerly a common practice, this has now been made sufficiently
X rare by the plunging cost of timesharing CYCLES that it has become
X folklore. The amounts allocated were almost invariably too small,
X even for the non-hackers who wanted to slide by with minimum work.
X In extreme cases the practice led to small-scale black markets in
X bootlegged computer accounts. 2. By extension, phantom money or
X quantity tickets of any kind used as a resource-allocation hack
X within a system.
X
XFUZZ n. In floating-point arithmetic, the maximum difference allowed
X between two quantities for them to compare equal. Has to be set
X properly relative to the FPU's precision limits. See FUDGE FACTOR.
X
XFUZZBALL [TCP/IP hackers] n. A DEC LSI-11 running a particular suite
X of homebrewed software by Dave Mills and assorted co-conspirators,
X used in the early 80's for Internet protocol testbedding and
X experimentation. These were used as NSFnet backbone sites in its
X early 56KB-line days; a few of these are still active on the
X Internet as of early 1990, doing odd jobs such as network time
X service.
X
X {= G =}
X
XGABRIEL /gay'bree-@l/ [for Dick Gabriel, SAIL volleyball fanatic] n.
X An unnecessary (in the opinion of the opponent) stalling tactic,
X e.g., tying one's shoelaces or hair repeatedly, asking the time,
X etc. Also used to refer to the perpetrator of such tactics. Also,
X "pulling a Gabriel", "Gabriel mode".
X
XGAG vi. Equivalent to CHOKE, but connotes more disgust. "Hey, this is
X Fortran code. No wonder the C compiler gagged." See also BARF.
X
XGARBAGE COLLECT vi., GARBAGE COLLECTION n. See GC.
X
XGARPLY /gar'plee/ n. [Stanford] Another meta-word popular among SAIL
X hackers.
X
XGAS [as in "gas chamber"] interj. 1. A term of disgust and hatred,
X implying that gas should be dispensed in generous quantities,
X thereby exterminating the source of irritation. "Some loser just
X reloaded the system for no reason! Gas!" 2. A term suggesting
X that someone or something ought to be flushed out of mercy. "The
X system's wedging every few minutes. Gas!" 3. vt. FLUSH (q.v.).
X "You should gas that old crufty software." 4. GASEOUS adj.
X Deserving of being gassed. Usage: primarily used by Geoff
X Goodfellow at SRI, but spreading; became particularly popular after
X the Moscone/Milk murders in San Francisco, when it was learned that
X Dan White (who supported Proposition 7) would get the gas chamber
X under 7 if convicted.
X
XGC /jee-see/ [from LISP terminology; "Garbage Collect"] 1. vt. To
X clean up and throw away useless things. "I think I'll GC the top
X of my desk today." When said of files, this is equivalent to GFR
X (q.v.). 2. vt. To recycle, reclaim, or put to another use. 3. n.
X An instantiation of the garbage collector process. `Garbage
X collection' is computer science jargon for a particular class of
X strategies for dynamically reallocating computer memory. One such
X strategy involves periodically scanning all the data in memory and
X determining what is no longer useful; useless data items are then
X discarded so that the memory they occupy can be recycled and used
X for another purpose. Implementations of the LISP language usually
X use garbage collection. In slang, the full phrase is sometimes
X heard but the acronym is more frequently used because it's shorter.
X Note that there is an ambiguity in usage that has to be resolved by
X context: "I'm going to garbage-collect my desk" usually means to
X clean out the drawers, but it could also mean to throw away or
X recycle the desk itself.
X
XGCOS n. A quick and dirty clone of System/360 DOS that emerged from GE
X about 1970; originally called GECOS (the General Electric
X Comprehensive Operating System) and later kluged to support
X primitive timesharing and transaction processing. After the buyout
X of GE's computer division by Honeywell the name was changed to
X General Comprehensive Operating System (GCOS). Other OS groups at
X Honeywell began referring to it as `God's Chosen Operating System',
X allegedly in reaction to the GCOS crowd's uninformed and snotty
X attitude about the superiority of their product. All this might be
X of zero interest, except for two facts: 1) the GCOS people won the
X political war, resulting in the orphaning and eventual death of
X Honeywell MULTICS (q.v.), and 2) GECOS/GCOS left one permanent mark
X on UNIX. Some early UNIX systems at Bell Labs were used as front
X ends to GCOS machines; the field added to /etc/passwd to carry GCOS
X ID information was called `the GECOS field' and survives today as
X the pw_gecos member used for the user's full name and other
X human-id information. GCOS itself played a major rule in keeping
X Honeywell a dismal also-ran in the mainframe market, and was itself
X ditched for UNIX in the late 1980s when Honeywell retired its aging
X BIG IRON designs.
X
XGECOS n. See GCOS
X
XGEDANKEN /g@-dahn'kn/ adj. Wild-eyed; impractical; not
X well-thought-out; untried; untested. "Gedanken" is a German word
X for "thought". A thought experiment is one you carry out in your
X head. In physics, the term "gedanken experiment" is used to
X refer to an experiment that is impractical to carry out, but useful
X to consider because you can reason about it theoretically. (A
X classic gedanken experiment of relativity theory involves thinking
X about a man flying through space in an elevator.) Gedanken
X experiments are very useful in physics, but you have to be careful.
X It was a gedanken experiment that led Aristotle to conclude that
X heavy things always fall faster than light things (he thought about
X a rock and a feather); this was accepted until Galileo proved
X otherwise. Among hackers, however, the word has a pejorative
X connotation. It is said of a project, especially one in artificial
X intelligence research, which is written up in grand detail
X (typically as a Ph.D. thesis) without ever being implemented to any
X great extent. Such a project is usually perpetrated by people who
X aren't very good hackers or find programming distasteful or are
X just in a hurry. A gedanken thesis is usually marked by an obvious
X lack of intuition about what is programmable and what is not, and
X about what does and does not constitute a clear specification an
X algorithm.
X
XGEEK OUT vi. To temporarily enter techno-nerd mode while in a
X non-hackish context, for example at parties held near computer
X equipment. Especially used when you need to do something highly
X technical and don't have time to explain: "Pardon me while I geek
X out for a moment."
X
XGENDER MENDER n. (also "gender bender" and "sex changer") A cable
X connector shell with either two male or two female connectors on
X it, used to correct the mismatches that result when some LOSER
X didn't understand the RS232C specification and the distinction
X between DTE and DCE. Used esp. for RS-232C parts in either the
X original D-25 or the IBM PC's bogus D-9 format.
X
XGENERAL PUBLIC VIRUS n. Pejorative name for some versions of the GNU
X project COPYLEFT (q.v.) or General Public License, which requires
X that any tools or apps incorporating copylefted code must be
X source-distributed on the same anti-commercial terms as GNU stuff.
X Thus it is alleged that the copyleft `infects' software generated
X with GNU tools. FSF's official position is that only code
X incorporating either the Bison parser skeleton or GNU CC libraries
X is so infected. Nevertheless, widespread suspicion that the
X COPYLEFT language is `boobytrapped' has caused many developers to
X avoid using GNU tools and the GPL license.
X
XGENERATE vt. To produce something according to an algorithm or program
X or set of rules, or as a (possibly unintended) side effect of the
X execution of an algorithm or program. The opposite of PARSE. This
X term retains its mechanistic connotations (though often humorously)
X when used of human behavior.
X
XGET A LIFE! imp. Hacker-standard way of suggesting that the person to
X whom you are speaking has succumbed to terminal geekdom (see
X COMPUTER GEEK). Often heard on USENET. It is alleged that this
X exhortation was originally uttered by William Shatner to a crowd of
X eager trekkies in a speach which ended "Get a job! Get a
X *life*!".
X
XGET A REAL COMPUTER imp. Typical hacker response to news that somebody
X is having trouble getting work done on a system that is a)
X single-tasking, b) has no Winchester, or c) has an address space
X smaller than 4 megabytes. This is as of 1990; note that the
X threshold for `real computer' rises with time, and it may well be
X (for example) that machines with character-only displays will be
X considered `unreal' in a few years. See BITTY BOX and TOY.
X
XGFR /jee eff ar/ vt. [acronym, ITS] From "Grim File Reaper", an ITS
X utility. To remove a file or files according to some
X program-automated or semi-automatic manual procedure, especially
X one designed to reclaim mass storage space or reduce namespace
X clutter. Often generalized to pieces of data below file level.
X "I used to have his phone number but I guess I GFRed it." See
X also PROWLER, REAPER.
X
XGIG (gig) n. Short for "gigabyte" (1000 megabytes); esp. used in
X describing amounts of CORE or mass storage. "My machine just got
X upgraded to a quarter-gig".
X
XGIGO /gie'goh/ [acronym] 1. Garbage In, Garbage out -- Usually said in
X response to lusers who complain that a program didn't complain
X about faulty data. Also commonly used to describe failures in
X human decision making due to faulty, incomplete or imprecise data.
X 2. Garbage In, Gospel Out -- this more recent expansion is a
X comment on the tendency human beings have to put excessive trust in
X "computerized" data.
X
XGILLION /jill'yun/ n. 10^9. [From giga, following construction of
X mega/million and tera/trillion] Same as an American billion or a
X British `myriad'.
X
XGLARK /glark/ vt. To figure something out from context, taken from an
X old Scientific American "Mathematical Games" column. "The System
X III manuals are pretty poor, but you can generally glark the
X meaning from context". Interestingly, the original sentence was
X "This gubblick contains many nonsklarkish English flutzpahs, but
X the overall pluggandisp can be glorked [sic] from context." by
X David Moser, quoted by Douglas Hofstadter in his "Metamagical
X Themas" column in the January 1981 Scientific American. It is
X conjectured that hackish usage mutated the verb to `glark' because
X GLORK (q.v.) was already an established jargon term.
X
XGLASS [IBM] n. Synonym for SILICON.
X
XGLASS TTY /glas tee-tee-wie/ or /glas ti-tee/ n. A terminal which has a
X display screen but which, because of hardware or software
X limitations, behaves like a teletype or other printing terminal ,
X thereby combining the disadvantages of both: like a printing
X terminal, it can't do fancy display hacks, and like a display
X terminal, it doesn't produce hard copy An example is Lear-Siegler
X the ADM-3 (without cursor control). See TUBE, TTY. See Appendix A
X for an interesting true story about glass TTYs.
X
XGLITCH /glich/ [from German "glitchen" to slip, via Yiddish
X "glitshen", to slide or skid] 1. n. A sudden interruption in
X electric service, sanity,, continuity, or program function.
X Sometimes recoverable. An interruption in electric service is
X specfically called a POWER GLITCH. This is of grave concern
X because it usually crashes all the computers. More common in
X slang, though, a hacker who got to the middle of a sentence and
X then forgotten how he or she intended to complete it might say,
X "Sorry, I just glitched". 2. vi. To commit a glitch. See
X GRITCH. 3. vt. [Stanford] To scroll a display screen several
X lines at a time. This derives from some oddities in the terminal
X behavior on the ITS machines formerly used at SAIL. 4. (obs.) Same
X as MAGIC COOKIE, sense #2.
X
XGLOB /glob/, *not* /glohb/ [UNIX, from "glob", the name of a
X subprogram that translated wildcards in archaic Bourne Shell
X versions] v. To expand special characters in a wildcarded name (the
X action is "globbing"). The UNIX conventions for filename
X wildcarding have become sufficiently pervasive that many hackers
X use some of them in written English, especially in email or news on
X technical topics. Those commonly encountered include:
X
X * wildcard for any string (see UN*X, U*IX).
X ? wildcard for any character (generally only read this
X way at the beginning or in the middle of a word).
X [] wildcard matching one character from a specified set.
X
X Some examples: "He said his name was [KC]arl" (expresses
X ambiguity). "That got posted to talk.politics.*" (all the
X talk.politics subgroups on USENET). Other examples are given under
X the entry for `X'. GLOB as a noun refers to the act of expanding a
X string using these conventions. It is also used as a verb.
X
XGLORK /glork/ 1. interj. Term of mild surprise, usually tinged with
X outrage, as when one attempts to save the results of two hours of
X editing and finds that the system has just crashed. 2. Used as a
X name for just about anything. See FOO. 3. vt. Similar to GLITCH
X (q.v.), but usually used reflexively. "My program just glorked
X itself."
X
XGNARLY adj. Both OBSCURE and HAIRY in the sense of complex. "Yeech
X --- the tuned assembler implementation of BitBlt is really gnarly!"
X From a similar but less specific usage in surfer slang.
X
XGNU /gnoo/, *not* /noo/ 1. [acronym for "GNU's Not UNIX!"] A
X UNIX-workalike development effort of the Free Software Foundation
X headed by Richard Stallman (rms@prep.ai.mit.edu). GNU EMACS and
X the GNU C compiler, two tools designed for this project, have
X become very popular in hackerdom. See EMACS, COPYLEFT. 2. Noted
X UNIX hacker John Gilmore (gnu@hoptoad.com), ironically enough one
X of the best-known and most vocal opponents of the "information
X should not be property" philosophy behind GNU (sense #1).
X
XGNUMACS /gnoo'maks/ [contraction of "Gnu Emacs"] Often-heard
X abbreviated name for the GNU project's flagship tool, EMACS. Used
X esp. in contrast with GOSMACS.
X
XGO FLATLINE [from cyberpunk SF, refers to flattening of EEG traces
X upon brain-death] vi., also adjectival FLATLINED. 1. To die,
X terminate, or fail, esp. irreversibly. In hacker parlance this is
X used of machines only, human death being considered somewhat too
X serious a matter to employ jargon-jokes about. 2. To go completely
X quiescent; said of machines undergoing controlled shutdown. "You
X can suffer file damage if you shut down UNIX but power off before
X the system has gone flatline." 3. A particular failure mode of
X video tubes in which vertical scan is lost, so all one sees is a
X bright horizontal line bisecting the screen.
X
XGOBBLE vt. To consume or to obtain. GOBBLE UP tends to imply
X "consume", while GOBBLE DOWN tends to imply "obtain". "The
X output spy gobbles characters out of a TTY output buffer." "I
X guess I'll gobble down a copy of the documentation tomorrow." See
X SNARF.
X
XGONK /gonk/ vt.,n. 1. To prevaricate or to embellish the truth beyond any
X reasonable recognition. In German the term is (fictively)
X "GONKEN", in spanish the verb becomes "GONKAR." "You're
X gonking me. That story you just told me is a bunch of gonk." In
X German, "Du Gonkst mir." (You're pulling my leg.) See also
X GONKULATOR. 2. [British] To grab some sleep at an odd time.
X
XGONKULATOR /gon'kyoo-lay-tr/ [from the old "Hogan's Heroes" TV
X series] n. A pretentious piece of equipment that actually serves no
X useful purpose. Usually used to describe one's least favorite
X piece of computer hardware. See GONK.
X
XGONZO /gon'zo/ [from Hunter S. Thompson] adj. Overwhelming;
X outrageous; over the top; very large, esp. used of collections of
X source code, source files or individual functions. Has some of the
X connotations of MOBY and HAIRY, q.v.
X
XGOOD THING adj. Always capitalized. 1. Self-evidently wonderful to
X anyone in a position to notice: "The Trailblazer's 19.2Kbaud PEP
X mode with on-the-fly Lempel-Ziv compression is a Good Thing for
X sites relaying netnews." 2. Something which can't possibly have
X any ill side effects and may save considerable grief later:
X "Removing the self-modifying code from that shared library would
X be a Good Thing." 3. When said of software tools or libraries, as
X in "YACC is a Good Thing", specifically connotes that the thing
X has drastically reduced a programmer's work load. Oppose BAD
X THING.
X
XGORILLA ARM n. The side-effect that destroyed touch-screens as a
X mainstream input technology despite a promising start in the early
X eighties. It seems the designers of all those SPIFFY touch-menu
X systems failed to notice that humans aren't designed to hold their
X arms in front of their faces making small motions. After more than
X a very few selects the arm begins to feel sore, cramped, and
X oversized, hence "gorilla arm". This is now considered a classic
X Horrible Example and cautionary tale to human-factors designers;
X "remember the gorilla arm" is shorthand for "how's this gonna
X fly in *real* use?"
X
XGORP /gorp/ [CMU, perhaps from a brand of dried hiker's food?]
X Another metasyntactic variable, like FOO and BAR.
X
XGOSMACS /goz'maks/ [contraction of "Gosling Emacs"] n. The first
X EMACS-in-C implementation, predating but now largely eclipsed by
X GNUMACS (q.v.). Originally freeware; a commercial version is now
X modestly popular as "UniPress Emacs".
X
XGOSPERISM /goss'p@r'iz'm/ A hack, invention, or saying by
X arch-hacker R. William (Bill) Gosper. This notion merits its own
X term because there are so many of them. Many of the entries in
X HAKMEM are Gosperisms; see also LIFE.
X
XGRAULT /grawlt/ n. Yet another meta-syntactic variable, invented by
X Mike Gallaher and propagated by the GOSMACS documentation. See
X CORGE.
X
XGRAY GOO n. A hypothetical substance composed of billions of
X sub-micron-sized Von Neumann machines (self-replicating robots)
X programmed to make copies of themselves out of whatever is
X available. The image that goes with the term is one of the entire
X biosphere of Earth being eventually converted to robot goo. This
X is the simplest of the NANOTECHNOLOGY (q.v.) disaster scenarios and
X is easuky refuted by arguments from energy requirements and
X elemental abundances.
X
XGREAT RENAMING n. The FLAG DAY on which all of the groups on the
X USENET had their names changed from the net.* format to the current
X multiple-hierarchies scheme.
X
XGREAT-WALL [from SF fandom] vi.,n. A mass expedition to an oriental
X restaurant, esp. one where food is seved family-style and shared.
X There is a common heuristic about the amount of food to order
X expressed as "For N people, get N - 1 entrees.". See ORIENTAL
X FOOD, RAVS, STIR-FRIED RANDOM.
X
XGREEN BOOK n. 1. The X/Open Compatibility Guide. Defines an
X international standard UNIX environment that is a proper superset
X of POSIX/SVID; also includes descriptions of a standard utility
X toolkit, systems administrations features, and the like. This
X grimoire is taken with particular seriousness in Europe. See
X PURPLE BOOK. 2. One of the three standard PostScript references
X (see also RED BOOK, BLUE BOOK). 3. The P1003.1 POSIX Utilities
X standard has been dubbed THE UGLY GREEN BOOK. 4. Any of the 1992
X standards which will be issued by the CCIT 10th plenary assembly.
X They change color each review cycle (1984 was RED BOOK, 1988 BLUE
X BOOK). These include, among other things, the X.400 email spec and
X the Group 1 through 4 fax standards. See also BLUE BOOK, RED BOOK,
X GREEN BOOK, SILVER BOOK, PURPLE BOOK, ORANGE BOOK, WHITE BOOK,
X DRAGON BOOK, PINK-SHIRT BOOK.
X
XGREEN LIGHTNING [IBM] n. Apparently random flashing streaks on the
X face of 3278-9 terminals while a programmable symbol set is being
X loaded. This hardware bug was left deliberately unfixed, as some
X bright spark suggested that this would let the user know that
X `something is happening'. It certainly does. 2. [proposed] Any bug
X perverted into an alleged feature by adroit rationalization or
X marketing. E.g. "Motorola calls the CISC cruft in the 8800
X architecture `compatibility logic', but I call it green
X lightning".
X
XGREP /grep/ [from the qed/ed editor idiom g/re/p (Global search for
X Regular Expression and Print) via UNIX grep(1)] vt. To rapidly scan
X a file or file set looking for a particular string or pattern. By
X extension, to look for something by pattern. "Grep the bulletin
X board for the system backup schedule, would you?"
X
XGRIND vt. 1. [MIT and Berkeley] To format code, especially LISP code,
X by indenting lines so that it looks pretty. This usage was
X associated with the MACLISP community and is now rare; PRETTY PRINT
X was and is the generic term for such operations. 2. [UNIX] To
X generate the formatted version of a document from the nroff, troff,
X TeX or Scribe source. 3. To run seemingly interminably, performing
X some tedious and inherently useless task. Similar to CRUNCH,
X GROVEL. 3. GRIND GRIND excl. "Isn't the machine slow today!"
X
XGRIND CRANK n. A mythical accessory to a terminal. A crank on the
X side of a monitor, which when operated makes a zizzing noise and
X causes the computer to run faster. Usually one does not refer to a
X grind crank out loud, but merely makes the appropriate gesture and
X noise. See GRIND, and WUGGA WUGGA.
X
X Historical note: At least one real machine actually had a grind
X crank --- the R1, a research machine built towards the the end of
X the great days of vacuum tube computers in 1959. R1 (also known as
X "The Rice Institute Computer" - TRIC, and later as "The Rice
X University Computer" - TRUC) had a single step/free run switch for
X use when debugging programs. Since single stepping through a large
X program was rather tedious, there was also a crank with a cam and
X gear arrangement that repeatedly pushed the single step button.
X This allowed one to "crank" through a lot of code, then slow down
X to single step a bit when you got near the code of interest, poke
X at some registers using the "console typewriter", and then keep on
X cranking.
X
XGRITCH /grich/ 1. n. A complaint (often caused by a GLITCH (q.v.)).
X 2. vi. To complain. Often verb-doubled: "Gritch gritch". 3. A
X synonym for GLITCH (as verb or noun).
X
XGROK /grok/ [from the novel "Stranger in a Strange Land", by Robert
X Heinlein, where it is a Martian verb meaning literally "to drink"
X and metaphorically "to be one with"] vt. 1. To understand,
X usually in a global sense. Connotes intimate and exhaustive
X knowledge. Contrast ZEN, similar supernal understanding as a
X single brief flash. 2. Used of programs, may connote merely
X sufficient understanding, e.g., "Almost all C compilers grok void
X these days."
X
XGRONK /gronk/ [popularized by the cartoon strip "B.C." by Johnny
X Hart, but the word apparently predates that] vt. 1. To clear the
X state of a wedged device and restart it. More severe than "to
X frob" (q.v.). 2. To break. "The teletype scanner was gronked,
X so we took the system down." 3. GRONKED: adj. Of people, the
X condition of feeling very tired or sick. Oppose BROKEN, which
X means about the same as GRONK used of hardware but connotes
X depression or mental/emotional problems in people. 4. GRONK OUT:
X vi. To cease functioning. Of people, to go home and go to sleep.
X "I guess I'll gronk out now; see you all tomorrow."
X
XGROVEL vi. 1. To work interminably and without apparent progress.
X Often used transitively with "over" or "through". "The file
X scavenger has been grovelling through the file directories for ten
X minutes now." Compare GRIND and CRUNCH. Emphatic form: GROVEL
X OBSCENELY. 2. To examine minutely or in complete detail. "The
X compiler grovels over the entire source program before beginning to
X translate it." "I grovelled through all the documentation, but I
X still couldn't find the command I wanted."
X
XGRUNGE [Cambridge] n. Code which is `dead' (can never be accessed) due
X to changes in other parts of the program.
X
XGRUNGY /gruhn'jee/ adj. Incredibly dirty, greasy, or grubby. Anything
X which has been washed within the last year is not really grungy.
X Also used metaphorically; hence some programs (especially crocks)
X can be described as grungy. Now (1990) also common in mainstream
X slang.
X
XGUBBISH /guh'bish/ [a portmanteau of "garbage" and "rubbish"?] n.
X Garbage; crap; nonsense. "What is all this gubbish?"
X
XGUILTWARE n. FREEWARE decorated with a message telling one how long
X and hard the author worked on this program and intimating that one
X is a no-good shit if one does not immediately send the poor
X suffering martyr gobs of money.
X
XGUMBY /guhm'bee/ [from a class of Monty Python characters] n. An act
X of minor but conspicuous stupidity, often in GUMBY MANEUVER or PULL
X A GUMBY.
X
XGUN [from the GUN command on ITS] vt. To forcibly terminate a program
X or job (computer, not career). "Some idiot left a background
X process running soaking up half the cycles, so I gunned it."
X Compare CAN.
X
XGURFLE /ger'fl/ interj. An expression of shocked disbelief. "He said
X we have to recode this thing in FORTRAN by next week. Gurfle!"
X Compare WEEBLE.
X
XGURU n. 1. A UNIX expert. Implies not only WIZARD skill but a history
X of being a knowledge resource for others. Less often, used (with a
X qualifier) for other experts on other systems, as in "VMS guru".
X 2. Amiga equivalent of "panic" in UNIX. When the system crashes a
SHAR_EOF
chmod 0644 jsplit.ad || echo "restore of jsplit.ad fails"
if [ $TOUCH = can ]
then
touch -am 1215215290 jsplit.ad
fi
exit 0