eric@snark.thyrsus.com (Eric S. Raymond) (01/04/91)
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X equally well, but the one with the hooks is much more flexible for
X future expansion of capabilities.
X
X<home box> n. A hacker's personal machine, especially one he owns.
X "Yeah? Well, *my* home box runs a full 4.2BSD, so there!"
X
X<hose> 1. vt. To make non-functional or greatly degraded in
X performance, as in "That big ray-tracing program really hoses the
X system." See <hosed>. 2. n. A narrow channel through which data
X flows under pressure. Generally denotes data paths in a system
X that represent performance bottlenecks. 3. Cabling, especially
X thick Ethernet cable. This is sometimes called "bit hose" or
X "hosery" (play on "hosiery") or "etherhose". See also
X <washing machine>.
X
X<hosed> adj. Same as <down>. Used primarily by UNIX hackers.
X Humorous: also implies a condition thought to be relatively easy to
X reverse. Probably derived from the Canadian slang `hoser'
X popularized by the Bob and Doug skits on SCTV. See <hose>.
X
X There is a story that a Cray which had been experiencing periodic
X difficulties once crashed, and it was announced to have been
X <hosed>. It was discovered that the crash was due to the
X disconnection of some coolant hoses. The problem was corrected, and
X users were then assured that everything was OK because the system
X had been rehosed. [This is an excellent example of hackish
X wordplay --- ESR].
X
X<hot spot> n. 1. [primarily C/UNIX programmers, but spreading] n. In
X most programs, less than 10% of the code eats 90% of the execution
X time; if one were to graph instruction visits versus code
X addresses, one would typically see a few huge spikes amidst a lot
X of low-level noise. Such spikes are called "hot spots" and are
X good candidates for micro-optimization or <hand-hacking>. The term
X is especially used of tight loops and recursions in the code's
X central algorithm, as opposed to (say) initial set-up costs or
X large but infrequent I/O operations. See <tune>, <bum>,
X <hand-hacking>. 2. The active location of a cursor on a bit-map
X display. "Put the mouse's hot spot on the `ON' widget and click
X the left button."
X
X<house wizard> [prob. from ad-agency lingo, cf. `house freak'] n. A
X lone hacker occupying a technical-specialist, R&D or systems
X position at a commercial shop. A really effective house wizard can
X have influence out of all proportion to his/her ostensible rank and
X still not have to wear a suit. Used esp. of UNIX experts. The
X term <house guru> is equivalent.
X
X<HP-SUX> /aych pee suhx/ n. Unflattering hackerism for HP-UX,
X Hewlett-Packard's UNIX port. Features some truly unique bogosities
X in the filesystem internals and elsewhere that occasionally create
X portability problems. HP-UX is often referred to as "hockey-pux"
X inside HP, and one outside correspondent claims that the proper
X pronunciation is /aych-pee ukkkhhhh/ as though one were spitting.
X See also <Telerat>, <sun-stools>, <terminak>.
X
X<humma> excl. A filler word used on various "chat" and "talk"
X programs when you had nothing to say but felt that it was important
X to say something. The word apparently originated (at least with
X this definition) on the MECC Timeshare System (MTS) a now-defunct
X educational time-sharing system running in Minnesota during the
X 1970s and early '80s, but was later sighted on early UNIX systems.
X
X<humongous> /hyoo-mohng'gus/ alt. <humingous> (hyoo-muhng'gus) See
X <hungus>.
X
X<HUMOR, HACKER> n. A distinctive style of shared intellectual humor
X found among hackers, having the following marked characteristics:
X
X 1) Fascination with form-vs.-content jokes, paradoxes, and humor
X having to do with confusion of metalevels (see <meta>). One way to
X make a hacker laugh: hold an index card in front of him/her with
X "THIS IS GREEN" written on it in bold red ink, or vice-versa
X (note, however, that this is only funny the first time).
X
X 2) Elaborate deadpan parodies of large intellectual constructs such
X as specifications (see <write-only memory>), standards documents,
X language descriptions (see <INTERCAL>) and even entire scientific
X theories (see <quantum bogodynamics>, <computron>).
X
X 3) Jokes which involve screwily precise reasoning from bizarre,
X ludicrous or just grossly counter-intuitive premises.
X
X 4) Fascination with puns and wordplay.
X
X 5) A fondness for apparently mindless humor with subversive
X currents of intelligence in it, for example: old Warner Brothers
X and Rocky & Bullwinkle cartoons, Charlie Chaplin movies, the B-52s,
X and Monty Python's Flying Circus. Humor which combines this trait
X with elements of high camp and slapstick is especially favored.
X
X 6) References to the symbol-object antinomies and associated ideas
X in Zen Buddhism and (less often) Taoism. See <has the x nature>,
X <Discordianism>, <zen>, <ha ha only serious>, <AI koans>.
X
X See also <filk>; <retrocomputing>; and Appendix B. If you have an
X itchy feeling that all six of these traits are really aspects of
X one thing that is incredibly difficult to talk about exactly, you
X are a) correct and b) responding like a hacker. These traits are
X also recognizable (though in a less marked form) throughout
X <SCIENCE-FICTION FANDOM>.
X
X<hung> [from "hung up"] adj. Equivalent to <wedged>, q.v. but more
X common at UNIX/C sites. Not generally used of people. Syn. with
X <locked up>, <wedged>; compare <hosed>. See also <hang>.
X
X<hungus> /hung'g@s/ [perhaps related to current slang "humongous";
X which one came first (if either) is unclear] adj. Large, unwieldy,
X usually unmanageable. "TCP is a hungus piece of code." "This
X is a hungus set of modifications."
X
X<hyperspace> (hie'per-spays) n. A memory location within a virtual
X memory machine that is many, many megabytes (or gigabytes) away
X from where the program counter should be pointing, usually
X inaccessible because it is not even mapped in. "Another core
X dump... looks like the program jumped off to hyperspace somehow."
X This usage is from the SF notion of a spaceship "jumping into
X hyperspace", that is, taking a shortcut through higher-dimensional
X space --- in other words, leaving this universe.
X
X {= I =}
X
X<IBM> /ie bee em/ Inferior But Marketable; It's Better Manually;
X Insidious Black Magic; It's Been Malfunctioning; Incontinent Bowel
X Movement; and a near-<infinite> number of even less complimentary
X expansions, including "International Business Machines". See
X <TLA>. These abbreviations illustrate the considerable antipathy
X most hackers have long felt for the "industry leader" (see <fear
X and loathing>). What galls hackers about most IBM machines above
X the PC level isn't so much that they're underpowered and overpriced
X (though that counts against them) but that the designs are
X incredibly archaic, crufty and <elephantine> and you can't
X *fix* them --- source code is locked up tight and programming
X tools are expensive, hard to find, and bletcherous to use once
X you've found them. With the release of the UNIX-based RIOS family
X this may have begun to change --- but then, we thought that when
X the PC-RT came out, too. In the spirit of universal peace and
X brotherhood, this lexicon now includes a number of entries marked
X `IBM'; these derive from a rampantly unofficial jargon list
X circulated among IBM's own beleaguered hacker underground.
X
X<ice> [from William Gibson's cyberpunk SF: notionally, "Intrusion
X Countermeasure Electronics"] Security software (in Gibson's
X original, software that responds to intrusion by attempting to
X literally kill the intruder). Also, <icebreaker>: a program
X designed for cracking security on a system. Neither term is in
X serious use yet as of 1990, but many hackers find the metaphor
X attractive and they may be in the near future.
X
X<ill-behaved> adj. 1. [numerical analysis] Said of an algorithm or
X computational method that tends to blow up due to accumulated
X roundoff error or poor convergence properties. 2. Software which
X bypasses the defined <OS> interfaces to do things (like screen,
X keyboard and disk I/O) itself, often in a way that depends on the
X hardware of the machine it is running on or which is nonportable or
X incompatible with other pieces of software. In the IBM PC/MS-DOS
X world, there is a folk theorem (nearly true) to the effect that
X (due to gross inadequacies and performance penalties in the OS
X interface) all interesting applications are ill-behaved. Oppose
X <well-behaved>, compare <PC-ism>. See <mess-dos>.
X
X<IMHO> [from SF fandom via USENET] Written acronym for In My Humble
X Opinion. Example: "IMHO, mixed-case C names should be avoided, as
X mistyping something in the wrong case can cause hard-to-detect
X errors --- and they look too Pascalish anyhow." Also seen in
X variant forms such as IMNSHO (In My Not-So-Humble Opinion) and IMAO
X (In My Arrogant Opinion).
X
X<in the extreme> adj. A preferred emphasizing suffix for many hackish
X terms. See for example <obscure in the extreme> under <obscure>,
X and compare <highly>.
X
X<incantation> n. Any particularly arbitrary or obscure command that
X must be muttered at a system to attain a desired result. Not used
X of passwords or other explicit security features. Especially used
X of tricks that are so poorly documented they must be learned from a
X <wizard>. E.g. "This compiler normally locates initialized data
X in the data segment, but if you mutter the right incantation they
X will be forced into text space". See <mutter>.
X
X<include> v. [USENET] 1. To duplicate a portion (or whole) of
X another's message (typically with attribution to the source) in a
X reply or followup, for clarifying the context of one's response.
X 2. A directive; to explicitly command the preprocessor to include a
X file. 3. Derived from C: #include <disclaimer.h> has appeared in
X <sig block>s to denote a `standard' dislaimer file.
X
X<include war> n. Excessive multi-leveled including within a discussion
X thread (ie of the same subject), to annoy readers. In a forum such
X as USENET, with high traffic newsgroups, this can lead to <flame>s
X and the urge to start a <kill file>.
X
X<infinite> adj. Consisting of a large number of objects; extreme.
X Used very loosely as in: "This program produces infinite
X garbage." "He is an infinite loser." This is an abuse of the
X word's mathematical meaning. The term "semi-infinite" denoting
X an immoderately large amount of some resource is also heard.
X "This compiler is taking a semi-infinite amount of time to
X optimize my program". See also <semi->.
X
X<infinity> n. 1. The largest value that can be represented in a
X particular type of variable (register, memory location, data type,
X whatever). 2. <minus infinity> The smallest such value. Note that
X this is different from <time t equals minus infinity>, which is
X closer to a mathematician's usage of infinity.
X
X<infant mortality> n. It is common lore among hackers that the chances
X of sudden hardware failure drop off exponentially with a machine's
X time since power-up (that is until the relatively distant time at
X which mechanical wear in I/O devices and thermal-cycling stress in
X components has accumulated enough for the machine to start going
X senile). Up to half of all chip-and-wire failures happen within a
X new system's first few weeks; such failures are often referred to
X as "infant mortality" problems (or, occasionally, as "sudden
X infant death syndrome").
X
X<insanely great> adj. [Mac Community, from Steve Jobs; also BSD UNIX
X people via Bill Joy] Something so incredibly <elegant> that it is
X imaginable only to someone possessing the greatest of
X <hacker>-natures.
X
X<INTERCAL> /in't@r-kal/ [said by the authors to stand for "Compiler
X Language With No Pronounceable Acronym"] n. A computer language
X designed by Don Woods and James Lyon in 1972. INTERCAL is purposely
X different from all other computer languages in all ways but one; it
X is purely a written language, being totally unspeakable. An
X excerpt from the INTERCAL Reference Manual will make the style of
X the language clear. In most languages, if you wanted the variable
X A to have the value 65536, you would write something like
X
X LET A = 65536;
X
X The INTERCAL Reference Manual, however, explains that "It is a
X well-known and oft-demonstrated fact that a person whose work is
X incomprehensible is held in high esteem. For example, if one were
X to state that the simplest way to store a value of 65536 in a
X 32-bit INTERCAL variable is:
X
X DO :1 <- #0$#256
X
X any sensible programmer would say that that was absurd. Since this
X is indeed the simplest method, the programmer would be made to look
X foolish in front of his boss, who would of course have happened to
X turn up, as bosses are wont to do. The effect would be no less
X devastating for the programmer having been correct." INTERCAL has
X many other peculiar features designed to make it even more
X unspeakable. The Woods/Lyons implementation was actually used by
X many (well, at least several) people at Princeton. The language
X has been recently re-implemented as C-INTERCAL and is consequently
X enjoying an unprecedented level of unpopularity; there is even an
X alt.lang.intercal newsgroup devoted to the study and ...
X appreciation of the language on USENET.
X
X<interesting> adj. In hacker parlance, this word is not simply
X synonymous with "intriguing", but has strong connotations of
X "annoying", or "difficult", or both. Hackers relish a
X challenge. Oppose <trivial>.
X
X<Internet address> n. An `absolute' network address of the form
X foo@bar.baz, where foo is a user name, bar is a <sitename>, and
X baz is a `domain' name, possibly including periods itself.
X Contrasts with <bang path>, q.v.; see also <network, the> and
X <network address>. All Internet machines and most UUCP sites can
X now resolve these addresses, thanks to a large amount of
X behind-the-scenes magic and PD software written since 1980 or so.
X See also <bang path>.
X
X<interrupt> interj. 1. On a computer, an event which interrupts normal
X processing and temporarily diverts flow-of-control through an
X "interrupt handler" routine. See also <trap>. 2. A request for
X attention from a hacker. Often explicitly spoken. "Interrupt ---
X have you seen Joe recently?". See <priority interrupt>.
X
X<interrupts locked out> adj. When someone is ignoring you. In a
X restaurant, after several fruitless attempts to get the waitress's
X attention, a hacker might well observe that "She must have
X interrupts locked out." Variations of this abound; "to have one's
X interrupt mask bit set" is also heard.
X
X<iron> n. Hardware, especially older/larger hardware of mainframe
X class with big metal cabinets housing relatively low-density
X electronics (but also used of modern supercomputers). Often in the
X phrase <big iron>. Oppose <silicon>. See also <dinosaur>.
X
X<iron box> [UNIX/Internet] n. A special environment set up to trap a
X <cracker> logging in over remote or network connections long enough
X so he can be traced. May include a specially-gimmicked <shell>
X restricting the hacker's movements in unobvious ways, and `bait'
X files designed to keep him interested and logged on. See also
X <back door>, <firewall machine>, <venus flytrap> and Clifford
X Stoll's account of how he made and used one (see Appendix B).
X
X<ironmonger> [IBM] n. A hardware specialist. Derogatory. Compare
X <sandbender>, <polygon pusher>.
X
X<ITS> /ie-tee-ess/ n. Incompatible Time-Sharing System, an influential
X but highly idiosyncratic operating system written for PDP-10s at
X MIT and long used at the MIT AI lab; much AI-hacker slang derives
X from ITS folklore. After about 1982 most actual work was shifted
X to newer machines, with the remaining ITS boxes run essentially as
X a hobby and service to the hacker community. The shutdown of the
X lab's last ITS machine in May 1990 marked the end of an era and
X sent old-time hackers into mourning nationwide. The Royal
X Institute of Technology in Sweden is maintaining one `live' ITS
X site at its computer museum (right next to the only TOPS-10 system
X still on the Internet), so ITS is still alleged to hold the record
X for OS in longest continuous use. See Appendix A.
X
X<IWBNI> [acronym] It Would Be Nice If. No pronunciation, as this is
X never spoken, only written. Compare <WIBNI>.
X
X<IYFEG> [USENET] Abbreviation for "Insert Your Favourite Ethnic
X Group". Used as a meta-name when telling racist jokes in email to
X avoid offending anyone.
X
X {= J =}
X
X<J. Random> /jay rand'm/ n. [generalized from <J. Random Hacker>,
X q.v.] Arbitrary; ordinary; any one; "any old". "Would you let
X J. Random Loser marry your daughter?". <J. Random> is
X often prefixed to a noun to make a name out of it. It means
X roughly "some particular" or "any specific one". The most
X common uses are "J. Random Hacker, "J. Random Loser" and "J.
X Random Nerd" ("Should J. Random Loser be allowed to <gun> down
X other people?"), but it can be used just as an elaborate version
X of <random> in any sense.
X
X<J. Random Hacker> [MIT] /jay rand'm hak'r/ n. A mythical figure like
X the Unknown Soldier; the archetypal hacker nerd. See <random>,
X <Suzie COBOL>. This may originally have been inspired or
X influenced by `J. Fred Muggs', a show-biz chimpanzee whose name
X was a household word back in the days of the MIT Model Railroad
X Club.
X
X<jaggies> /jag'eez/ n. The `stairstep' effect observable when an edge
X (esp. a linear edge of slope far from a multiple of 45 degrees) is
X rendered on a pixel device (as opposed to a vector display).
X
X<JCL> [ex-IBM] 1. IBM's ultimately <rude> "Job Control Language."
X JCL was the script language used to control the execution of
X programs in IBM's batch systems. JCL had a very <fascist> syntax,
X and would, for example, <barf> if two spaces appeared where it
X expected one. Most programmers who were confronted with JCL would
X simply copy a working file (or card deck), changing the file names.
X Someone who actually understood and generated unique JCL was
X regarded with the mixed respect which one gives to someone who
X memorizes the phone book. 2. Any very <rude> software that a
X hacker is expected to use. "That's as bad as JCL." Often used
X without having experienced it, as is <COBOL>. See also <IBM>,
X <fear and loathing>.
X
X<JFCL> /jif'kl/ or /jaf'kl/ v., obs. To cancel or annul something.
X "Why don't you jfcl that out?" The fastest do-nothing instruction
X on the PDP-10 happened to be JFCL, which stands for "Jump if Flag
X set and then CLear the flag"; this does something useful, but is a
X very fast no-operation if no flag is specified. Geoff Goodfellow,
X one of the jargon-1 compilers, once had JFCL on the license plate
X of his BMW. Usage: rare except among old-time PDP10 hackers.
X
X<jiffy> n. 1. The width of one tick of the system clock on the
X computer (see <tick>). Often 1 AC cycle time (1/60 second in the
X U.S. and Canada, 1/50 most other places) but more recently 1/100
X sec has become common. 2. Confusingly, the term is sometimes also
X used for a 1-millisecond <wall time> interval. "The swapper runs
X every six jiffies" means that the virtual memory management
X routine is executed once for every six ticks of the clock, or about
X ten times a second. 3. Indeterminate time from a few seconds to
X forever. "I'll do it in a jiffy" means certainly not now and
X possibly never. This is a bit contrary to the more widespread use
X of the word.
X
X<jock> n. 1. Programmer who is characterized by large and somewhat
X brute force programs. See <brute force>. 2. When modified by
X another noun, describes a specialist in some particular computing
X area. The compounds `compiler jock' and `systems jock' seem to be
X the best established examples of this.
X
X<joe code> /joh kohd/ [said to commemmorate a notoriously bad coder
X named Joe at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory] n. Badly written,
X possibly buggy source code. Correspondents wishing to remain
X anonymous have fingered a particular Joe and observed that usage
X has drifted slightly; they described his code as "overly <tense>
X and unmaintainable". "Perl may be a handy program, but if you
X look at the source, it's complete joe code."
X
X<JR[LN]> /jay ahr en/, /jay ahr el/ n. The names JRN and JRL were
X sometimes used as example names when discussing a kind of user ID
X used under <TOPS-10>; they were understood to be the initials of
X (fictitious) programmers named "J. Random Nerd" and "J. Random
X Loser" (see <J. Random>). For example, if one said "To log in,
X type log one comma jay are en" (that is, "log1,JRN"), the
X listener would have understood that he should use his own computer
X id in place of "JRN".
X
X {= K =}
X
X<K> [from <kilo->] /kay/ n. Kilobyte. Similarly, at least, meg
X (/meg/) and gig (/gig/) for megabyte and gigabyte. Also written
X KB, MB, GB respectively. See also <kilo>.
X
X<K&R> [Kernighan and Ritchie] n. Brian Kernighan & Dennis Ritchie's
X "The C Programming Language", esp. the classic and influential
X first edition (Prentice-Hall 1978, ISBN 0-113-110163-3). Also
X called the <White Book>. See also <Red Book>, <Green Book>, <Blue
X Book>, <Purple Book>, <Silver Book>, <Orange Book>, <Pink-Shirt
X Book>, <Dragon Book>, <Aluminum Book>.
X
X<kahuna> /k@-hoo'nuh/ [IBM, from the Hawaiian title for a shaman] n.
X Synonym for <wizard>, <guru>.
X
X<ken> /ken/ n. A flaming user. This noun was in use by the Software
X Support group at Symbolics because the two greatest flamers in the
X user community were both named Ken.
X
X<kgbvax> /kay-jee-bee-vaks/ n. See <kremvax>.
X
X<kill file> [USENET] n. Per-user file used by some <USENET> reading
X programs to discard summarily (without presenting for reading)
X articles which match some particularly uninteresting (or unwanted)
X patterns of subject, author, or other header lines. Thus to "add
X a person (or subject) to one's kill file" is to arrange for that
X person to be ignored by your newsreader in future. By extension,
X it may be used for a decision to ignore the person or subject in
X other media.
X
X<killer micro> [popularized by Eugene Brooks] n. A
X microprocessor-based machine that infringes on mini, mainframe or
X supercomputer performance turf. Often heard in "No one will
X survive the attack of the killer micros!", the battle cry of the
X downsizers. Used esp. of RISC architectures.
X
X<killer poke> n. A recipe for inducing hardware damage on a machine
X via insertion of invalid values in a memory-mapped control
X register; used esp. of various fairly well-known tricks on MMU-less
X <bitty boxes> like the IBM PC and Commodore PET that can overload
X and trash analog electronics in the monitor. See also <HCF>.
X
X<kilo-> [from metric measure] prefix. Denotes multiplication by 1024,
X the power of 2 closest to 1000, rather than by the usual 1000.
X Similarly the higher metric prefixes denote multiplication by
X powers of 1024 rather than of 1000: mega- meaning 1048576, giga-
X meaning 1073741824, tera- meaning 1099511627776, peta- meaning
X 1125899906842624, and exa- meaning 1152921504606846976. The last
X two have not actually been observed, yet. Usage: especially with
X "bytes", but also with anything else perceived to naturally come in
X units that are powers of 2.
X
X Confusion of 1000 and 1024, for example describing memory in units
X of 524K (see K) instead of 512K, is a sure sign of the
X <marketroid>.
X
X<kluge> /klooj/ alt. kludge /kluhj/ [from the German "klug", clever]
X (`klooj' is the original pronunciation, more common in the US;
X `kluhj' is reported more common in England). n. 1. A Rube Goldberg
X (or Heath Robinson) device in hardware or software. (A long-ago
X Datamation article said: "An ill-assorted collection of poorly
X matching parts, forming a distressing whole.") 2. n. A clever
X programming trick intended to solve a particular nasty case in an
X expedient, if not clear, manner. Often used to repair bugs. Often
X involves <ad-hockery> and verges on being a <crock>. 3. Something
X that works for the wrong reason. 4. vt. To insert a kluge into a
X program. "I've kluged this routine to get around that weird bug,
X but there's probably a better way." Also "kluge up"; "I've
X kluged up this routine...,etc." . 5. <kluge around>: To avoid by
X inserting a kluge. 6. [WPI] A feature which is implemented in a
X <rude> manner.
X
X Note that a plurality of hackers pronounce this word /klooj/ but
X spell it incorrectly as `kludge'. Some observers consider this
X appropriate in view of its meaning.
X
X<Knights of the Lambda Calculus> n. A semi-mythical organization of
X wizardly LISP and Scheme hackers (the name refers to a mathematical
X formalism invented by Alonzo Church with which LISP is intimately
X connected). There is no enrollment list and the criteria for
X induction are unclear, but one well-known LISPer has been known to
X give out buttons and, in general, the *members* know who they
X are...
X
X<Knuth> [Dold Knuth's "The Art of Computer Programming"] n. The
X reference that answers all questions about data structures or
X algorithms. A safe answer when you do not know, as in "I think
X you can find that in Knuth." Contrast <literature, the>. See also
X <bible>.
X
X<kremvax> /krem-vaks/ [From the then large number of <USENET> <VAXen>
X with names of the form "foovax"] n. A fictitious USENET site at
X the Kremlin, announced on April 1, 1984, in a posting ostensibly
X from Soviet leader Konstantin Chernenko. The posting was actually
X forged by Piet Beertema as an April Fool's joke. Other sites
X mentioned in the hoax were moskvax and <kgbvax>, which now seems to
X be the one by which it is remembered. This was probably the
X funniest of the many April Fool's forgeries perpetrated on USENET
X (which has negligible security against them), because the notion
X that USENET might ever penetrate the Iron Curtain seemed so totally
X absurd at the time. But in fact, the first genuine site in Moscow
X (demos.su) joined USENET only 6 years later --- and some readers
X needed convincing that it wasn't a hoax.
X
X [Ed. note: Vadim Antonov (avg@hq.demos.su), the major poster from
X demos.su up to at least the end of 1990, was well acquainted with
X the kremvax hoax and referred to it in his own postings --- even to
X the extent of twitting a number of credulous netters on
X alt.folklore.computers by blandly "admitting" that *he* was
X a hoax! Mr. Antonov, BTW, also contributed the Russian-language
X material for this File --- ESR]
X
X {= L =}
X
X<lace card> n. obs. A Hollerith card with all holes punched (also
X called a <whoopee card>). Card readers jammed when they got to one
X of these, as the resulting card had too little structural strength
X to avoid buckling inside the mechanism. When some practical joker
X fed a <lace card> through the reader you needed to clear the jam
X with a card knife --- which you used on the joker first.
X
X<language lawyer> n. A person, usually an experienced or senior
X software engineer, who is intimately familiar with many or most of
X the numerous syntactic and semantic restrictions (both useful and
X esoteric) applicable to one or more computer programming languages.
X Compare <wizard>.
X
X<languages of choice> n. C or LISP. Essentially all hackers know one
X of these and most good ones are fluent in both. Smalltalk and
X Prolog are popular in small but influential communities. Assembler
X used to be a language of choice, but is generally no longer
X considered interesting or appropriate for anything but compiler
X code generation and a few time-critical uses in systems programs.
X There is also a rapidly dwindling category of older hackers with
X FORTRAN as their language of choice; they often prefer to be known
X as <real programmers>, and other hackers consider them a bit odd.
X
X Most hackers tend to frown at languages like Pascal and Ada which
X don't give them the near-total freedom considered necessary for
X hacking (see <bondage-and-discipline language>) and to regard
X everything that's even remotely connected with COBOL as a total
X <loss>.
X
X<larval stage> n. Describes a period of monomaniacal concentration on
X coding apparently passed through by all fledgling hackers. Common
X symptoms include: the perpetration of more than one 36-hour
X <hacking run> in a given week, neglect of all other activities
X including usual basics like food and sex, and a chronic case of
X advanced bleary-eye. Can last from six months to two years, with
X the apparent median being around eighteen months. A few so
X afflicted never resume a more `normal' life, but the ordeal seems
X to be necessary to produce really wizardly (as opposed to merely
X competent) programmers. A less protracted and intense version of
X larval stage (typically lasting about a month) may recur when
X learning a new <OS> or programming language.
X
X<lase> /layz/ vt. To print a given document via a laser printer. "OK,
X let's lase that sucker and see if all those graphics-macro calls
X did the right things."
X
X<laser chicken> n. Kung Pao Chicken, a standard Chinese dish
X containing chicken, peanuts, and bell peppers in a spicy pepper-oil
X sauce. A few hackers call it "laser chiicken" for two reasons;
X it can <zap> you just like a laser, and the pepper-oil sauce has a
X red color reminiscent of some laser beams.
X
X In a variation on this theme, it is reported that one group of
X Australian hackers have redesignated the common dish "lemon
X chicken" as "Chernobyl Chicken". The name is derived from the
X colour of the dish, which is considered bright enough to glow in
X the dark (much like some of the fabled inhabitants of Chernobyl).
X
X<LDB> /l@d'd@b/ [from the PDP-10 instruction set] v. To extract from
X the middle. This usage has been kept alive by Common LISP's
X function of the same name. See also <DPB>.
X
X<leak> n. With qualifier, one of a class of resource-management bugs
X that occur when resources are not freed properly after operations
X on them are finished, leading to eventual exhaustion as new
X allocation requests come in. <memory leak> and <fd leak> have
X their own entries; one might also refer, say, to a "window handle
X leak" in a window system.
X
X<leaky heap> [Cambridge] n. Syn. <memory leak>.
X
X<LERP> /lerp/ v.,n. Quasi-acronym for Linear Interpolation, used as a
X verb or noun for the operation. Ex. Bresenham's algorithm lerps
X incrementally between the two endpoints of the line.
X
X<lexer> /lek'sr/ n. Common hacker shorthand for "lexical analyzer",
X the input-tokenizing stage in the parser for a language. "Some C
X lexers get confused by the old-style compound ops like =-".
X
X<life> n. 1. A cellular-automata game invented by John Horton Conway,
X and first introduced publicly by Martin Gardner (Scientific
X American, October 1970). Many hackers pass through a stage of
X fascination with it, and hackers at various places contributed
X heavily to the mathematical analysis of this game (most notably
X Bill Gosper at MIT; see <Gosperism>). When a hacker mentions
X "life", he is much more likely to mean this game than the
X magazine, the breakfast cereal, or the human state of existence.
X 2. The opposite of <USENET>. As in "Get a life!".
X
X<like kicking dead whales down the beach> adj. A slow and disgusting
X process. First popularized by a famous quote about the difficulty
X of getting work done under one of IBM's mainframe OSs. "Well, you
X *could* write a C compiler in COBOL, but it would be like
X kicking dead whales down the beach."
X
X<line eater, the> [USENET] n. 1. A bug in some now-obsolete versions
X of the netnews software used to eat up to 512 bytes of the article
X text. The bug was triggered by having the text of the article
X start other than as the first character of the line. This bug was
X quickly personified as a mythical creature called "the line
X eater", and postings often included a dummy line of "line eater
X food". Ironically, line eater food that had whitespace before it
X was eaten along with the following text the food was supposed to
X protect, and line eater food that didn't have whitespace before it
X isn't eaten, since the bug is avoided. The practice of
X "sacrificing to the line eater" continued for some time after the
X bug had been <nailed to the wall>, and is still humorously referred
X to. The bug itself is still (in mid-1990) occasionally reported to
X be lurking in some mail-to-netnews gateways. 2. The mythical NSA
X trawling program sometimes assumed to be reading <USENET> for the
X U.S. Government's spooks. Some netters put loaded phrases like
X `Uzi' `nuclear materials' `Palestine' `cocaine' and `assassination'
X in their <sig block>s in an attempt to confuse and overload the
X creature. The <GNU> version of <EMACS> actually has a command that
X randomly generates a lot of words like that into your edited text.
X
X<line starve> [MIT] 1. vi. To feed the paper through the terminal the
X wrong way by one line (most terminals can't do this!). On a
X display terminal, to move the cursor up to the previous line of the
X screen. Example: "To print X squared, you just output X, line
X starve, 2, line feed." (The line starve causes the 2 to appear on
X the line above the X, and the line feed gets back to the original
X line.) 2. n. A "character" (or character sequence) that causes a
X terminal to perform this action. Unlike "line feed", "line
X starve" is *not* standard ASCII terminology. Even among
X hackers it is considered a bit silly. 3. [proposed] A sequence
X like \c (used in System V echo, as well as nroff/troff) which
X suppresses a line feed that would normally implicitly be emitted.
X
X<link-dead> [popularized by MUD] adj. 1. A lost Telnet/MUD connection.
X v. 2. A deliberate act, with ulterior motives, to close a
X connection.
X
X<link farm> [UNIX] n. A directory tree that contains many links to
X files in another, master directory tree of files. Link farms save
X space when maintaining several nearly identical copies of the same
X source tree, e.g. when the only difference is
X architecture-dependent object files. Example use: `Let's freeze
X the source and then rebuild the FROBOZZ-3 and FROBOZZ-4 link
X farms.' Link farms may also be used to get around restrictions on
X the number of -I arguments on older C preprocessors.
X
X<lint> [from UNIX's `lint(1)', named perhaps for the bits of
X fluff it picks from programs] 1. v. To examine a program closely
X for style, language usage, and portability problems, esp. if in C,
X esp. if via use of automated analysis tools, most esp. if the UNIX
X utility `lint(1)' is used. This term used to be restricted to
X use of `lint(1)' itself but (judging by references on USENET)
X has become a shorthand for `desk-check' at some non-UNIX shops,
X even in some languages other than C. See also <delint>. 2. Excess
X verbiage in a document, as in "this draft has too much lint".
X
X<lion food> [IBM] n. Middle management or HQ staff (by extension,
X administrative drones in general). From an old joke about two lions
X who, escaping from the zoo, split up to increase their chances but
X agreed to meet after two months. When they do meet, one is skinny
X and the other overweight. The thin one says "How did you manage?
X I ate a human just once and they turned out a small army to chase
X me --- guns, nets, it was terrible. Since then I've been reduced
X to eating mice, insects, even grass." The fat one replies "Well,
X *I* hid near an IBM office and ate a manager a day. And
X nobody even noticed!"
X
X<LISP> [from "LISt Processing language", but mythically from "Lots
X of Irritating Superfluous Parentheses] n. The name of AI's mother
X tongue, a language based on the ideas of 1) variable-length lists
X and trees as fundamental data types, and 2) the interpretation of
X code as data and vice-versa. Invented by John McCarthy at Stanford
X in the late 1950s, it is actually older than any other <HLL> still
X in use except FORTRAN. Accordingly, it has undergone considerable
X adaptive radiation over the years; modern variants (of which Scheme
X is perhaps the most successful) are quite different in detail from
X the original LISP 1.5 at Stanford. The hands-down favorite of
X hackers until the early 1980s, LISP now shares the throne with <C>.
X See <languages of choice>.
X
X<literature, the> n. Used to answer a question that the hearer
X believes is <trivial>, as in "It's in the literature." Oppose
X <Knuth>, which has no connotation of triviality.
X
X<little-endian> adj. Describes a computer architecture in which,
X within a given 16- or 32-bit word, lower byte addresses have lower
X significance (the word is stored `little-end-first'). The PDP-11
X and VAX families of computers and Intel microprocessors and a lot
X of communications and networking hardware are little-endian. See
X <big-endian>, <middle-endian>, <NUXI problem>.
X
X<Live Free Or Die!> imp. 1. The state motto of New Hampshire. 2. A
X slogan associated with UNIX in the romantic days when UNIX
X aficionados saw themselves as a tiny, beleaguered underground
X tilting against the windmills of industry. The "free" referred
X specifically to freedom from the <fascist> design phiolosophies and
X crufty misfeatures common on commercial operating systems. Armando
X Stettner, one of the early UNIX developers, used to give out fake
X license plates bearing this motto under a large UNIX, all in New
X Hampshire colors of green and white. These are now valued
X collector's items.
X
X<livelock> n. A situation in which some critical stage of a task is
X unable to finish because its clients perpetually create more work
X for it to do after they've been serviced but before it can clear.
X Differs from <deadlock> in that the process is not blocked or
X waiting for anything, but has a virtually infinite amount of work
X to do and accomplishes nothing.
X
X<liveware> n. Synonym for <wetware> Less common.
X
X<locked up> adj. Syn. for <hung>, <wedged>.
X
X<logic bomb> n. Code surreptitiously inserted in an application or OS
X which causes it to perform some destructive or
X security-compromising activity whenever specified conditions are
X met. Compare <back door>.
X
X<logical> [from the technical term "logical device", wherein a
X physical device is referred to by an arbitrary name] adj.
X Understood to have a meaning not necessarily corresponding to
X reality. E.g., if a person who has long held a certain post (e.g.,
X Les Earnest at SAIL) left and was replaced, the replacement would
X for a while be known as the "logical Les Earnest". Compare
X <virtual>. This use of <logical> is an extension from its
X technical use in computer science. A program can be written to do
X input or output using a "logical device"; when the program is
X run, the user can specify which "physical" (actual) device to use
X for that logical device. For example, a program might write all
X its error messages to a logical device called ERROR; the user can
X then specify whether logical device ERROR should be associated to
X the terminal, a disk file, or the <bit bucket> (to throw the error
X messages away). Perhaps the word "logical" is used because even
X though a thing isn't the actual object in question, you can reason
X logically about the thing as if it were the actual object.
X
X At Stanford, "logical" compass directions denoted a coordinate
X system in which "logical north" is toward San Francisco,
X "logical west" is toward the ocean, etc., even though logical
X north varies between physical (true) north near San Francisco and
X physical west near San Jose. (The best rule of thumb here is that
X El Camino Real by definition always runs logical north-and-south.)
X In giving directions, one might say, "To get to Rincon Tarasco
X restaurant, get onto El Camino Bignum going logical north." Using
X the word "logical" helps to prevent the recipient from worrying
X about that the fact that the sun is setting almost directly in
X front of him. The concept is perpetuated by North American
X highways which are almost, but not quite, consistently labelled
X with logical rather than physical directions. A similar situation
X exists at MIT. Route 128 (famous for the electronics industries
X that have grown up along it) is a three-quarters circle surrounding
X Boston at a radius of ten miles, terminating at the coastline at
X each end. It would be most precise to describe the two directions
X along this highway as being "clockwise" and "counterclockwise",
X but the road signs all say "north" and "south", respectively.
X A hacker would describe these directions as "logical north" and
X "logical south", to indicate that they are conventional
X directions not corresponding to the usual convention for those
X words. (If you went logical south along the entire length of route
X 128, you would start out going northwest, curve around to the
X south, and finish headed due east!)
X
X<loop through> v. To process each element of a list of things. "Hold
X on, I've got to loop through my paper mail." Derives from the
X computer-language notion of an iterative loop; compare <cdr down>
X (which is less common among C and UNIX programmers).
X
X<lord high fixer> [primarily British, prob. fr. Gilbert & Sullivan's
X "lord high executioner"] n. The person in an organization who
X knows the most about some aspect of a system. See <wizard>.
X
X<lose> [from MIT jargon] vi. 1. To fail. A program loses when it
X encounters an exceptional condition or fails to work in the
X expected manner. 2. To be exceptionally unaesthetic. 3. Of
X people, to be obnoxious or unusually stupid (as opposed to
X ignorant). 4. <deserves to lose>: vi. Said of someone who
X willfully does the wrong thing; humorously, if one uses a feature
X known to be marginal. What is meant is that one deserves the
X consequences of one's losing actions. "Boy, anyone who tries to
X use <mess-dos> deserves to lose!" (ITS fans used to say this of
X UNIX; many still do) See also <screw>, <chomp>, <bagbiter>. 5.
X <lose> as a noun refers to something which is losing, especially in
X the phrases "That's a lose!" or "What a lose!".
X
X<lose lose> interj. A reply or comment on an undesirable situation.
X "I accidentally deleted all my files!" "Lose lose."
X
X<loser> n. An unexpectedly bad situation, program, programmer, or
X person. Someone who habitually loses (even winners can lose
X occasionally). Someone who knows not and knows not that he knows
X not. emphatic forms are "real loser", "total loser", and
X "complete loser" (but not "moby loser", which would be a
X contradiction in terms). See <luser>.
X
X<losing> adj. Said of anything which is or causes a <lose>.
X
X<loss> n. Something (not a person) which loses; a situation in which
X something is losing. Emphatic forms include "moby loss" "total
X loss", "complete loss". Common interjections are "What a loss!"
X and "What a moby loss!" Compare <lossage>.
X
X<lossage> /los'@j/ n. The result of a bug or malfunction. This is a
X collective noun. "What a loss!" and "What lossage!" are nearly
X synonymous remarks. The former is slightly more particular to the
X speaker's present circumstances while the latter implies a
X continuing lose of which the speaker is presently victim. Thus
X (for example) a temporary hardware failure is a loss, but bugs in
X an important tool (like a compiler) are serious lossage.
X
X<LPT> /lip'it/ [ITS] n. Line printer, of course. Rare under UNIX,
X commoner in hackers with MS-DOS or CP/M background (the printer
X device is called LPT: on those systems, which like ITS were
X strongly influenced by early DEC conventions).
X
X<lurker> n. One of the `silent majority' in a <USENET> or BBS
X newsgroup; one who posts occasionally or not at all but is known to
X read the group regularly. Often in `the lurkers', the hypothetical
X audience for the group's <flamage>-emitting regulars.
X
X<lunatic fringe> [IBM] n. Customers who can be relied upon to accept
X release 1 versions of software.
X
X<luser> /loo'zr/ n. A <user> who is probably also a <loser>.
X (<luser> and <loser> are pronounced identically.) This word was
X coined about 1975 at MIT. Under ITS, when you first walked up to a
X terminal at MIT and typed Control-Z to get the computer's
X attention, it prints out some status information, including how
X many people are already using the computer; it might print "14
X users", for example. Someone thought it would be a great joke to
X patch the system to print "14 losers" instead. There ensued a
X great controversy, as some of the users didn't particularly want to
X be called losers to their faces every time they used the computer.
X For a while several hackers struggled covertly, each changing the
X message behind the back of the others; any time you logged into the
X computer it was even money whether it would say "users" or
X "losers". Finally, someone tried the compromise "lusers", and
X it stuck. Later one of the ITS machines supported `luser' as a
X request-for-help command. ITS died in early 1990; the usage lives
X on, however, and the term `luser' is often seen in program
X comments.
X
X {= M =}
X
X<macdink> /mak'dink/ [from the Apple Macintosh, which is said to
X encourage such behavior] vt. To make many incremental and
X unnecessary cosmetic changes to a program or file. Frequently the
X subject of the macdinking would be better off without them. Ex:
X "When I left at 11pm last night, he was still macdinking the
X slides for his presentation."
X
X<Macintrash> /mak'in-trash/ The Apple Macintosh, as described by a
X hacker who doesn't appreciate being kept away from the *real
X computer* by the interface. See also <WIMP environment>,
X <drool-proof paper>, <user friendly>.
X
X<macro> /mak'ro/ n. A name (possibly followed by a formal <arg> list)
X which is equated to a text expression to which it is to be expanded
X (possibly with substitution of actual arguments) by a language
X translator. This definition can be found in any technical
X dictionary; what those won't tell you is how the hackish
X connotations of the term have changed over time. The term `macro'
X originated in early assemblers, which encouraged use of macros as a
X structuring and information-hiding device. During the early 70s
X macro assemblers became ubiquitous and sometimes quite as powerful
X and expensive as HLLs, only to fall from favor as improving
X compiler technology marginalized assembler programming (see
X <languages of choice>). Nowadays the term is most often used in
X connection with the C preprocessor, LISP, or one of several
X special-purpose languages built around a macro-expansion facility
X (such as TeX or UNIX's nroff, troff and pic suite). Indeed, the
X meaning has drifted enough that the collective `macros' is now
X sometimes used for code in any special-purpose application-control
X language (whether or not the language is actually translated by
X text expansion) as well as other "expansions" such as the
X "keyboard macros" supported in some text editors (and PC TSR
X keyboard enhancers).
X
X<machoflops> [pun on "megaflops", a coinage for "millions of
X floating-point operations per second"] n. Refers to artificially
X inflated performance figures often quoted by computer
X manufacturers. Real applications are lucky to get half the quoted
X speed. Thus, machoflops are similar to EPA gas mileage estimates.
X See <benchmark>.
X
X<macrology> /mak-ro'l@-jee/ n. Set of usually complex or crufty
X macros, e.g. as part of a large system written in LISP, <TECO> or
X (less commonly) assembler. Sometimes studying the macrology of a
X system is not unlike archaeology, hence the sound-alike
X construction. Prob. influenced by <ecology> and <theology>.
X
X<macrotape> /ma'kro-tayp/ n. An industry standard reel of tape, as
X opposed to a <microtape>.
X
X<magic> adj. 1. As yet unexplained, or too complicated to explain
X (compare <automagically> and Clarke's Third Law: "Any sufficiently
X advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic"). "TTY
X echoing is controlled by a large number of magic bits." "This
X routine magically computes the parity of an eight-bit byte in three
X instructions." 2. Characteristic of something that works but no
X one really understands why. 3. [Stanford] A feature not generally
X publicized which allows something otherwise impossible, or a
X feature formerly in that category but now unveiled. Example: The
X keyboard commands which override the screen-hiding features.
X
X<magic cookie> [UNIX] n. 1. Something passed between routines or
X programs that enables the receiver to perform some <obscure>
X operation; a capability ticket or opaque identifier. Especially
X used of small data objects which contain data encoded in a strange
X or intrinsically machine-dependent way. For example, on non-UNIX
X OSs with a non-byte-stream model of files, the result of `ftell(3)'
X may be a `magic cookie' rather than a byte offset; it can be passed
X to `fseek(3)' but not operated on in any meaningful way. 2. An
X in-band code for changing graphic rendition (i.e. inverse video or
X underlining) or performing other control functions. Some older
X terminals would leave a blank on the screen corresponding to
X mode-change cookies; this was also called a <glitch>. See also
X <cookie>.
X
X<magic number> [UNIX/C] n. 1. Special data located at the beginning of
X a binary data file to indicate its type to a utility. Under UNIX
X the system and various applications programs (especially the
X linker) distinguish between types of executable by looking for a
X magic number. 2. In source code, some non-obvious constant whose
X value is significant to the operation of a program and is inserted
X inconspicuously in line, rather than expanded in by a symbol set by
X a commented #define. Magic numbers in this sense are bad style.
X
X<magic smoke> n. A notional substance trapped inside IC packages that
X enables them to function (also called "blue smoke"). Its
X existence is demonstrated by what happens when a chip burns up ---
X the magic smoke gets let out, so it doesn't work any more. See
X <smoke test>.
X
X<management> n. 1. Corporate power elites distinguished primarily by
X their distance from actual productive work and chronic failure to
X manage (see also <suit>). Spoken derisively, as in
X "*Management* decided that..." 2. Mythically, a vast
X bureaucracy responsible for all the world's minor irritations.
X Hackers' satirical public notices are often signed "The Mgmt".
X
X<mangle> vt. Used similarly to <mung> or <scribble>, but more violent
X in its connotations; something that is mangled has been
X irreversibly and totally trashed.
X
X<mango> [orig. in-house slang at Symbolics] n. A manager. See also
X <devo> and <doco>.
X
X<marginal> adj. 1. Extremely small. "A marginal increase in core can
X decrease <GC> time drastically." In everyday terms, this means
X that it's a lot easier to clean off your desk if you have a spare
X place to put some of the junk while you sort through it. 2. Of
X extremely small merit. "This proposed new feature seems rather
X marginal to me." 3. Of extremely small probability of winning.
X "The power supply was rather marginal anyway; no wonder it
X fried." 4. <marginally>: adv. Slightly. "The ravs here are
X only marginally better than at Small Eating Place." See <epsilon>.
X 4. <marginal hacks>: n. Margaret Jacks Hall, a building into which
X the Stanford AI Lab was moved near the beginning of the '80s.
X
X<marketroid> /mar'k@-troyd/ alt. <marketing slime>, <marketing
X droid>, <marketeer> n. Member of a company's marketing department,
X esp. one who promises users that the next version of a product
X will have features which are unplanned, extremely difficult to
X implement, and/or violate the laws of physics; and/or one who
X describes existing features (and misfeatures) in ebullient,
X buzzword-laden adspeak. Derogatory. Used by techies.
X
X<martian> n. A packet sent on a TCP/IP network with a source address
X of the test loopback interface (127.0.0.1). As in "The domain
X server is getting lots of packets from Mars. Does that gateway
X have a Martian filter?"
X
X<massage> vt. Vague term used to describe `smooth' transformations of
X a data set into a more useful form, esp. transformations which do
X not lose information. Connotes less pain than <munch> or <crunch>.
X "He wrote a program that massages X bitmap files into GIF
X format." Compare <slurp>.
X
X<meatware> n. Synonym for <wetware>. Less common.
X
X<meg> /meg/ n. A megabyte; 1024K.
X
X<mega-> /me'ga/ pref. See <kilo>.
X
X<megapenny> /meg'a-pen'ee/ n. $10,000 (1 cent * 10e6). Used
X semi-humorously as a unit in comparing computer cost/performance
X figures.
X
X<MEGO> /mego/ or /meego/ [My Eyes Glaze Over, often Mine Eyes Glazeth
X Over, attributed to the futurologist Herman Kahn] Also "MEGO
X factor". 1. Handwaving intended to confuse the listener and
X hopefully induce agreement because the listener does not want to
X admit to not understanding what is going on. MEGO is usually
X directed at senior management by engineers and contains a high
X proportion of <TLA>s. 2. excl. An appropriate response to MEGO
SHAR_EOF
chmod 0644 jsplit.af || echo "restore of jsplit.af fails"
if [ $TOUCH = can ]
then
touch -am 0103154591 jsplit.af
fi
exit 0