eric@snark.thyrsus.com (Eric S. Raymond) (12/16/90)
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XPERL [Practical Extraction and Report Language, aka Pathologically
X Eclectic Rubbish Lister] n. An interpreted language developed by
X Larry Wall (lwall@jpl.nasa.gov, author of patch(1)) and distributed
X over USENET. Superficially resembles awk(1), but is much more
X arcane (see AWK). Increasingly considered a LANGUAGE OF CHOICE by
X UNIX sysadmins, who are almost always incorrigible hackers. Perl
X has been described, in a parody of a famous remark about lex(1), as
X the "Swiss-army chainsaw" of UNIX programming.
X
XPESSIMAL /pes'i-ml/ [Latin-based antonym for "optimal"] adj.
X Maximally bad. "This is a pessimal situation." Also PESSIMIZE v.
X to make as bad as possible. These words are the obvious
X Latin-based antonyms for "optimal" and "optimize", but for some
X reason they do not appear in most English dictionaries, although
X "pessimize" is listed in the Oxford English Dictionary.
X
XPESSIMIZING COMPILER /pes'i-miez-ing kuhm-pie'lr/ [antonym of
X `optimizing compiler'] n. A compiler that produces object code that
X is worse than the straightforward or obvious translation. The
X implication is that the compiler is actually trying to optimize the
X program, but through stupidity is doing the opposite. A few
X pessimizing compilers have been written on purpose, however, as
X pranks.
X
XPHANTOM n. At Stanford, the term PHANTOM was formerly used to mean a
X DRAGON (q.v.).
X
XPHASE 1. n. The phase of one's waking-sleeping schedule with respect
X to the standard 24-hour cycle. This is a useful concept among
X people who often work at night according to no fixed schedule. It
X is not uncommon to change one's phase by as much as six hours/day
X on a regular basis. "What's your phase?" "I've been getting in
X about 8 PM lately, but I'm going to work around to the day schedule
X by Friday." A person who is roughly 12 hours out of phase is
X sometimes said to be in "night mode". (The term "day mode" is
X also , but less frequently, used, meaning you're working 9 to 5 (or
X more likely 10 to 6)) 2. CHANGE PHASE THE HARD WAY: To stay awake
X for a very long time in order to get into a different phase. 3.
X CHANGE PHASE THE EASY WAY: To stay asleep etc. However, some claim
X that either staying awake longer or sleeping longer is easy, an
X that it's *shortening* your day or night that's hard. The
X phenomenon of "jet lag" that afflicts travelers who cross many
X time-zone boundaries may be attributed to two distinct causes: the
X strain of travel per se, and the strain of changing phase. Hackers
X who suddenly find that they must change phase drastically in a
X short period of time, particularly the hard way, experience
X something very like jet lag without travelling.
X
XPHASE OF THE MOON n. Used humorously as a random parameter on which
X something is said to depend. Sometimes implies unreliability of
X whatever is dependent, or that reliability seems to be dependent on
X conditions nobody has been able to determine. "This feature
X depends on having the channel open in mumble mode, having the foo
X switch set, and on the phase of the moon."
X
X True story: Once upon a time, a program written by Gerry Sussman
X (professor of Electrical Engineering at MIT) and Guy Steele had a
X bug that really did depend on the phase of the moon! There is a
X little subroutine that had traditionally been used in various
X programs at MIT to calculate an approximation to the moon's true
X phase; the phase is then printed out at the top of program
X listings, for example, along with the date and time, purely for
X fun. (Actually, since hackers spend a lot of time indoors, this
X might be the only way they would ever know what the moon's phase
X was!) Steele incorporated this routine into a LISP program that,
X when it wrote out a file, would print a `timestamp" line almost
X 80 characters long. Very occasionally the first line of the message
X would be too long and would overflow onto the next line, and when
X the file was later read back in the program would BARF. The length
X of the first line depended on the precise time when the timestamp
X was printed, and so the bug literally depended on the phase of the
X moon!
X
XPIG, RUN LIKE A adj. To run very slowly on given hardware, said of
X software. Distinct from HOG, q.v.
X
XPING /ping/ [from TCP/IP terminology] n.,v. 1. Slang term for a small
X network message (ICMP ECHO) sent by a computer to check for the
X presence and aliveness of another. Occasionally used as a phone
X greeting. See ACK, also ENQ. 2. To verify the presence of. 3. To
X get the attention of. From the Unix command by the same name (an
X acronym of "Packet INternet Groper) that sends an ICMP ECHO packet
X to another host. This was probably contrived to match submariners'
X "ping" (sonar ranging pulse).
X
XPINK SHIRT BOOK "The Peter Norton Programmer's Guide to the IBM PC".
X The original cover featured a picture of Peter Norton with a silly
X smirk on his face, wearing a pink shirt. Perhaps in recognition of
X this usage, the current edition has a different picture of Norton
X wearing a pink shirt.
X
XPIP /pip/ v. obs. To copy, from the program PIP on CP/M and RSX-11
X that was used for file copying (and in RSX for just about every
X other file operation you might want to do). Obsolete, but still
X occasionally heard.
X
XPIPELINE [UNIX, orig. by Doug McIlroy; now also used under MS-DOS and
X elsewhere] n. A chain of FILTER programs connected
X "head-to-tail", so that the output of one becomes the input of
X the next. Under UNIX, user utilities can often be implemented or
X at least prototyped by a suitable collection of pipelines and
X temp-file grinding encapsulated in a shell script; this is much
X less effort than writing C every time, and the capability is
X considered one of UNIX's major WINNING features.
X
XPIZZA, ANSI STANDARD /pee'tz@, an'see stan'd@rd/ [CMU] Pepperoni and
X mushroom pizza. Coined allegedly because most pizzas ordered by
X CMU hackers during some period leading up to mid-1990 were of that
X flavor. See also ROTARY DEBUGGER.
X
XPLAYPEN [IBM] n. A room where programmers work. Compare SALT MINES.
X
XPLAYTE /din'r/ 16 bits, by analogy with NYBBLE and BYTE. Usage: rare
X and extremely silly. See also DYNNER.
X
XPLINGNET /pling'net/ n. See UUCPNET. (Usage: British)
X
XPLONK [USENET] The sound a NEWBIE makes as he falls to the bottom of a
X KILL FILE. Almost exclusively used in the NEWSGROUP
X "talk.bizarre", this term (usually written "*plonk*") is a form
X of public ridicule.
X
XPLUGH /ploogh/ [from the ADVENT game] v. See XYZZY.
X
XPM /pee em/ 1. [from "preventive maintenence"] v. to bring down a
X machine for inspection or test purposes; see SCRATCH MONKEY. 2. n.
X Abbrev. for "Presentation Manager", an ELEPHANTINE OS/2 graphical
X user interface.
X
XP.O.D. /pee-oh-dee/ Acronym for `Piece Of Data' (as opposed to a code
X section). Usage: pedantic and rare.
X
XPOD n. A diablo 630 (or, latterly, any impact letter quality printer).
X From the DEC-10 PODTYPE program used to feed formatted text to
X same.
X
XPOLL v.,n. 1. The action of checking the status of an input line,
X sensor, or memory location to see if a particular external event
X has been registered. 2. To ask. "I'll poll everyone and see where
X they want to go for lunch."
X
XPOLYGON PUSHER n. A chip designer who spends most of his/her time at
X the physical layout level (which requires drawing *lots* of
X multi-colored polygons). Also "rectangle slinger".
X
XPOM /pee-oh-em/ n. Phase of the moon (q.v.). Usage: usually used in
X the phrase "POM dependent" which means FLAKEY (q.v.).
X
XPOP also POPJ /pop-jay/ [based on the stack operation that removes the
X top of a stack, and the fact that procedure return addresses are
X saved on the stack] 1. v. To remove something from a stack or PDL.
X If a person says he has popped something from his pdl, he means he
X has finally finished working on it and can now remove it from the
X list of things hanging over his head. 2. To return from a
X digression (the J-form derives specifically from a PDP-10 assembler
X instruction). By verb doubling, "Popj, popj" means roughly,
X "Now let's see, where were we?" See RTI.
X
XPRECEDENCE LOSSAGE /pre's@-dens los'j/ [C programmers] n. Coding error
X in an expression due to unexpected grouping of arithmetic or
X logical operators by the compiler. Used esp. of certain common
X coding errors in C due to the nonintuitively low precedence levels
X of &, | and ^. Can always be avoided by suitable use of
X parentheses. See ALIASING BUG, MEMORY LEAK, SMASH THE STACK,
X FANDANGO ON CORE, OVERRUN SCREW.
X
XPRETTY PRINT or PRETTYPRINT v. 1. To generate `pretty' human-readable
X output from a hairy internal representation; esp. used for the
X process of GRINDing (sense #2) LISP code. 2. To format in some
X particularly slick and nontrivial way. See GRIND.
X
XPRIME TIME [from TV programming] n. Normal high-usage hours on a
X timesharing system, the `day shift'. Avoidance of prime time is a
X major reason for NIGHT MODE hacking.
X
XPRIORITY INTERRUPT [from the hardware term] n. Describes any stimulus
X compelling enough to yank one right out of HACK MODE. Classically
X used to describe being dragged away by an SO for immediate sex, but
X may also refer to more mundane interruptions such as a fire alarm
X going off in the near vicinity. Also called an NMI (non maskable
X interrupt) especially in PC-land.
X
XPROGRAMMER'S CHEER "Shift to the left! Shift to the right! Push
X down, pop up! Byte! Byte! Byte!" A joke so old it has hair on
X it...
X
XPROPELLER HEAD n. Used by hackers, this is syn. with COMPUTER GEEK.
X Non-hackers sometimes use it to describe all techies. Prob.
X derives from SF fandom's tradition of propeller beanies as fannish
X insignia (though nobody actually wears them except as a joke).
X
XPROTOCOL n. See DO PROTOCOL.
X
XPROWLER [UNIX] n. A DEMON that is run periodically (typically once a
X week) to seek out and erase core files, truncate administrative
X logfiles, nuke lost+found directories, and otherwise clean up the
X cruft that tends to pile up in the corners of a file system. See
X also GFR, REAPER.
X
XPSEUDO /soo'do/ [USENET] n. 1. An electronic-mail or USENET persona
X adopted by a human for amusement value or as a means of avoiding
X negative repercussions of his/her net.behavior; a `nom de USENET',
X often associated with forged postings designed to conceal message
X origins. Perhaps the best-known and funniest hoax of this type is
X BIFF (q.v.). 2. Notionally, a FLAMAGE-generating AI program
X simulating a USENET user. Many FLAMERS have been accused of
X actually being such entities, despite the fact that no AI program
X of the required sophistication exists. However, in 1989 there was a
X famous series of forged postings that used a phrase-frequency-based
X travesty generator to simulate the styles of several well-known
X flamers based on large samples of their back postings. A
X significant number of people were fooled by these, and the debate
X over their authenticity was only settled when the perpetrator of
X the hoax came publicly forward to admit the deed.
X
XPSEUDOPRIME n. A backgammon prime (six consecutive occupied points)
X with one point missing. This term is an esoteric pun derived from
X a mathematical method which, rather than determining precisely
X whether a number is prime (has no divisors), uses a statistical
X technique to decide whether the number is "probably" prime. A
X number that passes this test is called a pseudoprime. The hacker
X backgammon usage stems from the idea that pseudoprime is almost as
X good as a prime: it does the job of a prime until proven otherwise,
X and that probably won't happen.
X
XPSEUDOSUIT n. A SUIT wannabee; a hacker who's decided that he wants to
X be in management or administration and begins wearing ties, sport
X coats and (shudder!) suits voluntarily. Chacun a son gout...
X
XPUNT [from the punch line of an old joke referring to American
X football: "Drop back 15 yards and punt"] v. To give up, typically
X without any intention of retrying. "Let's punt the movie
X tonight." "I was going to hack all night to get this feature in,
X but I decided to punt" may mean that you've decided not to stay up
X all night, and may also mean you're not ever even going to put in
X the feature.
X
XPURPLE BOOK, THE n. The System V Interface Definition. The covers of
X the first editions were an amazingly nauseating shade of
X off-lavender. See also RED BOOK, BLUE BOOK, GREEN BOOK, SILVER
X BOOK, ORANGE BOOK, WHITE BOOK, PINK-SHIRT BOOK, DRAGON BOOK.
X
XPUSH [based on the stack operation that puts the current information
X on a stack, and the fact that procedure call addresses are saved on
X the stack] Also PUSHJ (push-jay), based on the PDP-10 procedure
X call instruction. 1. To put something onto a stack or PDL. If a
X person says something has been pushed onto his pdl, he means yet
X another thing has been added to the list of things hanging over his
X head for him to do. 2. v. To enter upon a digression, to save the
X current discussion for later. Antonym of POP, POPJ; see also PDL.
X
XPSYCHEDELICWARE [Great Britain] n. Syn. DISPLAY HACK.
X
X {= Q =}
X
XQUADRUPLE BUCKY n., obs. On a SPACE-CADET KEYBOARD (q.v.), use of all
X four of the shifting keys control, meta, hyper, and super while
X typing a character key. This was very difficult to do! One
X accepted technique was to press the left-control and left-meta keys
X with your left hand, the right-control and right-meta keys with
X your right hand, and the fifth key with your nose. Thus, this
X combination was very seldom used in practice, because when you
X invent a new command you usually assign it to some character that
X is easier to type. If you want to imply that a program has
X ridiculously many commands or features, you can say something like
X "Oh, the command that makes it spin all the tapes while whistling
X Beethoven's Fifth Symphony is quadruple-bucky-cokebottle". See
X DOUBLE BUCKY, BUCKY BITS.
X
XQUANTUM BOGODYNAMICS /kwahn'tm boh`goh-die-nam'iks/ n. Theory
X promulgated by ESR which characterizes the universe in terms of
X bogon sources (such as politicians, used-car salesmen, TV
X evangelists, and SUITs in general), bogon sinks (such as taxpayers
X and computers), and bogosity potential fields. Bogon absorption,
X of course, causes human beings to behave mindlessly and machines to
X fail (and may cause them to emit secondary bogons as well);
X however, the precise mechanics of the bogon-computron interaction
X are not yet understood and remain to be elucidated. Quantum
X bogodynamics is most frequently invoked to explain the sharp
X increase in hardware and software failures in the presence of
X suits; the latter emit bogons which the former absorb. See BOGON,
X COMPUTRON, SUIT.
X
XQUES /kwess/ 1. n. The question mark character ("?"). 2. interj.
X What? Also QUES QUES? See WALL.
X
XQUX /kwuhks/ The fourth of the standard metasyntactic variables, after
X BAZ and before the QUU*X series. See FOO, BAR, BAZ, QUUX. Note
X that this appears to a be recent mutation from QUUX, and that many
X versions of the standard series just run FOO, BAR, BAZ, QUUX,
X QUUUX...
X
XQUUX /kwuhks/ [invented by Steele] Mythically, from the Latin
X semi-deponent verb QUUXO, QUUXARE, QUUXANDUM IRI; noun form
X variously QUUX (plural QUUCES, Anglicized to QUUXES) and QUUXU
X (genitive plural is QUUXUUM, four U's in seven letters).] 1.
X Originally, a meta-word like FOO and FOOBAR. Invented by Guy
X Steele for precisely this purpose when he was young and naive and
X not yet interacting with the real computing community. Many people
X invent such words; this one seems simply to have been lucky enough
X to have spread a little. In an eloquent display of poetic justice,
X it has returned to the originator in the form of a nickname, as
X punishment for inventing this bletcherous word in the first place.
X 2. interj. See FOO; however, denotes very little disgust, and is
X uttered mostly for the sake of the sound of it. 3. Guy L. Steele
X in his persona as "The Great Quux", which is somewhat infamous
X for light verse and for the "Crunchly" cartoons. 4. QUUXY: adj.
X Of or pertaining to a QUUX.
X
XQWERTY /kwer'tee/ adj. Pertaining to a standard English typewriter
X keyboard, as opposed to Dvorak or foreign-language layouts or a
X SPACE-CADET or APL keyboard.
X
X {= R =}
X
XRANDOM adj. 1. Unpredictable (closest to mathematical definition);
X weird. "The system's been behaving pretty randomly." 2.
X Assorted; undistinguished. "Who was at the conference?" "Just
X a bunch of random business types." 3. Frivolous; unproductive;
X undirected (pejorative). "He's just a random loser." 4.
X Incoherent or inelegant; not well organized. "The program has a
X random set of misfeatures." "That's a random name for that
X function." "Well, all the names were chosen pretty randomly."
X 5. Gratuitously wrong, i.e., poorly done and for no good apparent
X reason. For example, a program that handles file name defaulting
X in a particularly useless way, or an assembler routine that could
X easily have been coded using only three registers, but randomly
X uses seven for assorted non-overlapping purposes, so that no one
X else can invoke it without first saving four extra registers. 6.
X In no particular order, though deterministic. "The I/O channels
X are in a pool, and when a file is opened one is chosen randomly."
X n. 7. A random hacker; used particularly of high school students
X who soak up computer time and generally get in the way. 8.
X (occasional MIT usage) One who lives at Random Hall. J. RANDOM is
X often prefixed to a noun to make a "name" out of it (by
X comparison to common names such as "J. Fred Muggs"). 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 other
X people?"), but it can be used just as an elaborate version of
X RANDOM in any sense. See also SOME RANDOM X.
X
XRANDOM NUMBERS n. When one wishes to specify a large but random number
X of things, and the context is inappropriate for `N' (q.v.), certain
X numbers are preferred by hacker tradition (that is, easily
X recognized as placeholders). These include
X
X 17 Long described at MIT as "the least random number", see 23.
X 23 Sacred number of Eris, Goddess of Discord (along with 17 & 5).
X 42 The Answer to the Question of Life, the Universe and Everything.
X 69 From the sexual act. This one was favored in MIT's ITS culture.
X 666 The Number of the Beast.
X
X For further enlightenment, consult the _Principia_Discordia_,
X _The_Hitchhiker's_Guide_To_The_Galaxy_, any porn movie, and the
X Christian Bible's _Book_Of_Revelations_. See also DISCORDIANISM.
X
XRANDOMNESS n. An unexplainable misfeature; gratuitous inelegance.
X Also, a HACK or CROCK which depends on a complex combination of
X coincidences (or rather, the combination upon which the crock
X depends for its accidental failure to malfunction). "This hack
X can output characters 40-57 by putting the character in the
X accumulator field of an XCT and then extracting 6 bits --- the low
X two bits of the XCT opcode are the right thing." "What
X randomness!"
X
XRAPE v. To (metaphorically) screw someone or something, violently; in
X particular, to destroy a program or information irrecoverably
X Usage: often used in describing file-system damage. "So-and-so
X was running a program that did absolute disk I/O and ended up
X raping the master directory."
X
XRARE [UNIX] adj. CBREAK mode (character-by-character with interrupts
X enabled). Distinguished from `raw' and `cooked', but unlike them
X this term is strictly a creature of folklore, not found in the
X manuals (though it is alleged that some versions of the V7 manuals
X used the term `half-cooked'). Usage: rare.
X
XRASTER BLASTER n. [Cambridge] Specialized hardware for BITBLT (q.v.)
X operations. Allegedly inspired by analogy with `Rasta Blasta',
X British slang for the sort of portable stereo/radio/tapedeck
X Americans call a `boom box' or `ghetto blaster'.
X
XRASTER BURN n. Eyestrain brought on by too many hours of looking at
X low-res, poorly tuned or glare-ridden monitors, esp. graphics
X monitors. See TERMINAL ILLNESS.
X
XRAVE [WPI] v. 1. To persist in discussing a specific subject. 2. To
X speak authoritatively on a subject about which one knows very
X little. 3. To complain to a person who is not in a position to
X correct the difficulty. 4. To purposely annoy another person
X verbally. 5. To evangelize. See FLAME. Also used to describe a
X less negative form of blather, such as friendly bullshitting. RAVE
X differs slightly from FLAME in that RAVE implies that it is the
X manner or persistence of speaking that is annoying, while FLAME
X implies somewhat more strongly that the subject matter is annoying
X as well.
X
XRAVE ON! imp. Sarcastic invitation to continue a RAVE, often by
X someone who wishes the raver would get a clue but realizes this is
X unlikely.
X
XRAVS /ravz/, also CHINESE RAVS n. Kuo-teh. A Chinese appetizer,
X known variously in the plural as dumplings, potstickers and (around
X Boston) `Peking Ravioli'. The term "rav" is short for
X "ravioli", which among hackers always means the Chinese kind
X rather than the Italian kind. Both consist of a filling in a pasta
X shell, but the Chinese kind uses a thinner pasta and is cooked
X differently, either by steaming or frying. A rav or dumpling can
X be steamed or fried, but a potsticker is always the fried kind (so
X called because it sticks to the frying pot and has to be scraped
X off). "Let's get hot-and-sour soup and three orders of ravs."
X See also ORIENTAL FOOD.
X
XREAD.ME FILE n. By convention, the top-level directory of a UNIX
X source distribution always contains a file named `READ.ME' (or
X README, or (rarely) ReadMe) which is a hacker's-eye introduction
X containing a pointer to more detailed documentation, credits,
X miscellaneous revision history notes, etc.
X
XREAD-ONLY USER n. Describes a LUSER who uses computers almost
X exclusively for reading USENET, bulletin boards and email, as
X opposed to writing code or purveying useful information. See
X TWINK.
X
XREAL PROGRAMMER [indirectly, from the book "Real Men Don't Eat
X Quiche"] n. A particular sub-variety of hacker, one possessed of a
X flippant attitude towards complexity that is arrogant even when
X justified by experience. The archetypal `real programmer' likes to
X program on the BARE METAL, and is very good at same; he remembers
X the binary opcodes for every machine he's every programmed and
X thinks that HLLs are for wimps. Real Programmers aren't satisfied
X with code that hasn't been BUMmed into a state of TENSEness just
X short of rupture. Real Programmers never use comments or write
X documentation; "If it was hard to write", says the Real
X Programmer, "it should be hard to understand." Real Programmers
X can make machines do things that were never in their spec sheets;
X in fact, they're seldom really happy unless doing so. A Real
X Programmer's code can awe you with its fiendish brilliance even as
X it appalls by its level of CROCKISHNESS. Real Programmers live on
X junk food and coffee, hang line-printer art on their walls, and
X terrify the crap out of other programmers --- because someday,
X somebody else might have to try to understand their code in order
X to change it. Their successors generally consider it a GOOD THING
X that there aren't many Real Programmers around any more.
X
XREAL SOON NOW [orig. from SF's fanzine community. popularized by Jerry
X Pournelle's BYTE column] adj. 1. Supposed to be available (or
X fixed, or cheap, or whatever) real soon now according to somebody,
X but the speaker is quite skeptical. 2. When the gods/fates/other
X time commitments permit the speaker to get to it. Often
X abbreviated RSN.
X
XREAL TIME adv. Doing something while people are watching or waiting.
X "I asked her how to find the calling procedure's program counter
X on the stack and she came up with an algorithm in real time."
X
XREAL USER n. 1. A commercial user. One who is paying "real" money
X for his computer usage. 2. A non-hacker. Someone using the system
X for an explicit purpose (research project, course, etc.). See
X USER. Hackers who are also students may also be REAL USERS. "I
X need this fixed so I can do a problem set. I'm not complaining out
X of randomness, but as a real user." See also LUSER.
X
XREAL WORLD, THE n. 1. In programming, those institutions at which
X programming may be used in the same sentence as FORTRAN, COBOL,
X RPG, IBM, etc. Places where programs do such commercially
X necessary but intellectually uninspiring things as compute payroll
X checks and invoices. 2. To programmers, the location of
X non-programmers and activities not related to programming. 3. A
X universe in which the standard dress is shirt and tie and in which
X a person's working hours are defined as 9 to 5. 4. The location of
X the status quo. 5. Anywhere outside a university. "Poor fellow,
X he's left MIT and gone into the real world." Used pejoratively by
X those not in residence there. In conversation, talking of someone
X who has entered the real world is not unlike talking about a
X deceased person. See also FEAR AND LOATHING, MUNDANE, and
X UNINTERESTING.
X
XREAPER n. A PROWLER which GFRs files (see GFR). A file removed in this
X way is said to have been "reaped".
X
XRECTANGLE SLINGER n. See POLYGON PUSHER.
X
XRECURSION n. See RECURSION, TAIL RECURSION.
X
XRECURSIVE ACRONYMS pl.n. A hackish (and especially MIT) tradition is
X to choose acronyms which refer humorously to themselves or to other
X acronyms. The classic examples were two MIT editors called EINE
X ("EINE Is Not EMACS") and ZWEI ("ZWEI Was EINE Initially").
X More recently, GNU (q.v., sense #1) is said to stand for "GNU's
X Not UNIX!"
X
XRED BOOK n. 1. Informal name for one of the three standard references
X on PostScript; the others are known as the GREEN BOOK and BLUE
X BOOK. 2. Any of the 1984 standards issued by the CCIT 8th plenary
X assembly. They change color each review cycle (1988 was BLUE BOOK,
X 1992 will be GREEN BOOK). These include, among other things, the
X X.400 email spec and the Group 1 through 4 fax standards. See also
X GREEN BOOK, BLUE BOOK, PURPLE BOOK, SILVER BOOK, ORANGE BOOK, WHITE
X BOOK, PINK-SHIRT BOOK, DRAGON BOOK.
X
XREGEXP /reg'exp/ [UNIX] n. 1. Common written and spoken abbreviation
X for `regular expression', one of the wildcard patterns used, e.g.,
X by UNIX utilities such as grep(1), sed(1) and awk(1). These use
X conventions similar to but more elaborate than those described
X under GLOB. 2. Name of a well-known PD regexp-handling package in
X portable C, written by revered USENETter Henry Spencer
X (henry@utzoo.uucp).
X
XREINCARNATION, CYCLE OF n. Term used to refer to a well-known effect
X whereby function in a computing system family is migrated out to
X special purpose peripheral hardware for speed, then the peripheral
X evolves towards more computing power as it does its job, then
X somebody notices that it's inefficient to support two asymmetrical
X processors in the architecture and folds the function back into the
X main CPU, at which point the cycle begins again. Several
X iterations of this cycle have been observed in graphics processor
X design, and at least one or two in communications and
X floating-point processors. Also known as "the Wheel of Life",
X "the Wheel of Samsara", and other variations of the basic
X Hindu/Buddhist theological idea.
X
XRELIGIOUS ISSUES n. Questions which seemingly cannot be raised without
X touching off a HOLY WAR, such as "What is the best
X editor/language/operating system/architecture/shell/mail
X reader/news reader". See also THEOLOGY.
X
XREPLICATOR n. Any construct that acts to produce copies of itself;
X this could be a living organism, an idea (see MEME), a program (see
X WORM, WABBIT and VIRUS), a pattern in a cellular automaton (see
X LIFE, sense #1), or (speculatively) a robot.
X
XRETCON /ret'-con/ ["retroactive continuity", from USENET's
X rec.arts.comics] 1. n. the common situation in pulp fiction (esp.
X comics, soaps) where a new story "reveals" new things about
X events previous stories, usually leaving the "facts" the same
X (thus preserving "continuity") while completely changing their
X interpretation. E.g., revealing that a whole season's episodes of
X Dallas was a dream was a retcon. 2. v.t. To write such a story
X about (a character or fictitious object). Thus, "Byrne has
X retconned Superman's cape so that it is no longer unbreakable".
X 3. v.i. Used of something "transformed" in this way -
X "Marvelman's old adventures were retconned into synthetic
X dreams", "Swamp Thing was retconned from a transformed person
X into a sentient vegetable."
X
X [Ed.note: This is included because it's a good example of hackish
X innovation in a field completely unrelated to computers. The word
X "retcon" will probably spread through comics fandom and lose its
X association with hackerdom within a couple of years; for the
X record, it started here.]
X
XRETROCOMPUTING /ret'-roh-k@m-pyoo'ting/ n. Refers to emulations of
X way-behind-the state-of-the-art hardware or software, or
X implementations of never-was-state-of-the-art; esp. if such
X implementations are elaborate practical jokes and/or parodies of
X more `serious' designs. Perhaps the most widely distributed
X retrocomputing utility was the pnch(6) program on V7 and other
X early UNIX versions, which would accept up to 80 characters of text
X argument and display the corresponding pattern in Hollerith card
X code. Other well-known retrocomputing hacks have included the
X programming language INTERCAL (q.v.), a jcl-emulating shell for
X UNIX, the card-punch-emulating editor named 029, and various
X elaborate PDP-11 hardware emulators and RT-11 OS emulators written
X just to keep an old, sourceless ZORK binary running.
X
XRFC /ahr ef see/ n. Request For Comment. One of a long-established
X series of numbered Internet standards widely followed by commercial
X and PD software in the Internet and UNIX communities. Perhaps the
X single most influential one has been RFC-822 (the Internet
X mail-format standard). The RFCs are unusual in that they are
X floated by technical experts acting on their own initiative and
X reviewed by the Internet at large, rather than formally promulgated
X through an institution such as ANSI. For this reason they remain
X known as RFCs even once adopted.
X
XRICE BOX [from ham radio slang] n. Any Asian-made commodity computer,
X esp. an 8086, 80286, 80386 or 80486-based machine built to IBM
X PC-compatible ISA or EISA-bus standards.
X
XRIGHT THING, THE n. That which is "obviously" the correct or
X appropriate thing to use, do, say, etc. Use of this term often
X implies that in fact reasonable people may disagree. "Never let
X your conscience keep you from doing the right thing!" "What's
X the right thing for LISP to do when it reads a mod 0? Should it
X return a, or give a divide-by-zero error?" Antonym: WRONG THING,
X THE (q.v.).
X
XROACH [Bell Labs] v. To destroy, esp. of a data structure. Hardware
X gets TOASTed, software gets roached.
X
XROBUST adj. Said of a system which has demonstrated an ability to
X recover gracefully from the whole range of exception conditions in
X a given environment. One step below BULLETPROOF. Compare SMART,
X oppose BRITTLE.
X
XROOT n. [UNIX] 1. The top node of the system directory structure (home
X directory of the root user). 2. The "superuser" account that
X ignores permission bits, user number zero on a UNIX system. This
X account has the user name `root'. 3. By extension, the privileged
X system-maintenance login on any OS. 4. Thus, ROOT MODE: Syn. with
X WIZARD MODE or WHEEL MODE. Like these, it is often generalized to
X describe privileged states in systems other than OSs. 5. GO ROOT:
X to temporarily enter ROOT MODE in order to perform a privileged
X operation. This use is deprecated in Australia, where v. "root"
X is slang for "to have sex with".
X
XROTARY DEBUGGER [Commodore] n. Essential equipment for those late
X night or early morning debugging sessions. Mainly used as
X sustenance for the hacker. Comes in many decorator colors such as
X Sausage, Pepperoni, and Garbage. See ANSI-STANDARD PIZZA.
X
XROGUE [UNIX] n. Graphic Dungeons-And-Dragons-like game written under
X BSD UNIX and subsequently ported to other UNIX systems. The
X original BSD curses(3) screen-handling package was hacked together
X by Ken Arnold to support ROGUE, and has since become one of UNIX's
X most important and heavily used application libraries. See HACK.
X
XROOM-TEMPERATURE IQ [IBM] 80 or below. Used in describing the
X expected intelligence range of the LUSER. As in "Well, but how's
X this interface gonna play with the room-temperature IQ crowd?" See
X DROOL-PROOF PAPER.
X
XROT13 /rot-ther'teen/ [USENET, from "rotate alphabet 13 places"]
X n.,v. The simple encryption of replacing each English letter with
X the one 13 places forward or back along the alphabet, so that "The
X butler did it!" becomes "Gur ohgyre qvq vg!" Most Usenet news
X reading and posting programs include a rot13 feature. It is used
X as if to enclose the text in a sealed wrapper that the reader must
X choose to open, for posting things that might offend some readers,
X answers to puzzles, or discussion of movie plot surprises.
X
XRTFM /ahr-tee-ef-em/ [UNIX] Abbrev. for "Read The Fucking Manual".
X 1. Used by GURUs to brush off questions they consider trivial or
X annoying. Compare DON'T DO THAT, THEN. 2. Used when reporting a
X problem to indicate that you aren't just asking out of RANDOMNESS.
X "No, I can't figure out how to interface UNIX to my toaster and
X yes I have RTFM." Unlike sense #1 this use is considered polite.
X
XRTI /ahr-tee-ie/ interj. The mnemonic for the `return from interrupt'
X instruction on Intel microprocessors. Equivalent to "Now, where
X was I?" or used to end a conversational digression. See POP,
X POPJ.
X
XRUDE [WPI] adj. 1. (of a program) Badly written. 2. Functionally
X poor, e.g. a program which is very difficult to use because of
X gratuitously poor (random?) design decisions. See CUSPY.
X
XRUNES pl.n. 1. Anything that requires HEAVY WIZARDRY or BLACK ART to
X PARSE; core dumps, JCL commands, or even code in a language you
X don't have the faintest idea how to read. Compare CASTING THE
X RUNES. 2. Special display characters (for example, the high-half
X graphics on an IBM PC). 3. RUNIC adj. Syn. OBSCURE. VMS fans
X sometimes refer to UNIX as `Runix'; UNIX fans return the compliment
X by expanding VMS to `Vachement Mauvais Systeme'.
X
X {= S =}
X
XSACRED adj. Reserved for the exclusive use of something (a
X metaphorical extension of the standard meaning). "Accumulator 7
X is sacred to the UUO handler." Often means that anyone may look
X at the sacred object, but clobbering it will screw whatever it is
X sacred to. Example: The comment "Register 7 is sacred to the
X interrupt handler" appearing in a program would be interpreted by
X a hacker to mean that one part of the program, the "interrupt
X handler", uses register 7, and if any other part of the program
X changes the contents of register 7 dire consequences are likely to
X ensue.
X
XSADISTICS /s@'dis'tiks/ n. University slang for statistics and
X probability theory, often used by hackers.
X
XSAGA [WPI] n. A cuspy but bogus raving story dealing with N random
X broken people.
X
XSAIL n. Stanford University Artificial Intelligence Lab. An important
X site in the early development of LISP; with the MIT AI LAB, CMU and
X the UNIX community, one of the major founts of hacker culture
X traditions. The SAIL machines were shut down in late May 1990,
X scant weeks after the MIT AI lab's ITS cluster went down for the
X last time.
X
XSALESCRITTER /sayls'kri-tr/ n. Pejorative hackerism for a computer
X salesperson. Hackers tell the following joke:
X
X Q. What's the difference between a used car dealer and a
X computer saleman?
X A. The used car dealer knows he's lying.
X
X This reflects the widespread hacker belief that salescritters are
X self-selected for stupidity (after all, if they had brains and the
X inclination to use them they'd be making more money programming).
X Compare MARKETROID, SUIT.
X
XSALT MINES n. Dense quarters housing large numbers of programmers
X working long hours on grungy projects, with some hope of seeing the
X end of the tunnel in N years. Noted for their absence of sunshine.
X Compare PLAYPEN.
X
XSANDBENDER [IBM] n. A person involved with silicon lithography and the
X physical design of chips. Compare IRONMONGER, POLYGON PUSHER.
X
XSCIENCE-FICTION FANDOM n. Another voluntary subculture having a very
X heavy overlap with hackerdom; most hackers read SF and/or fantasy
X fiction avidly, and many go to "cons" (SF conventions) or are
X involved in fandom-connected activities like the Society for
X Creative Anachronism. Some hacker slang originated in SF fandom;
X see DEFENESTRATION, GREAT-WALL, CYBERPUNK, H INFIX, HA HA ONLY
X SERIOUS, IMHO, MUNDANE, NEEP-NEEP, REAL SOON NOW. Additionally,
X the jargon terms CYBERSPACE, DE-REZZ, GO FLATLINE, ICE, VIRUS,
X WIREHEAD and WORM originated in SF itself.
X
XSCRATCH [from "scratchpad"] 1. adj. A device or recording medium
X attached to a machine for testing or temporary-use purposes; one
X which can be SCRIBBLED on without loss. Usually in the combining
X forms SCRATCH MEMORY, SCRATCH DISK, SCRATCH TAPE, SCRATCH VOLUME.
X See SCRATCH MONKEY. 2. [primarily IBM] v. To delete (as in a file).
X
XSCRATCH MONKEY n. As in, "Before testing or reconfiguring, always
X mount a". A proverb used to advise caution when dealing with
X irreplacable data or devices. Used in memory of Mabel, the
X Swimming Wonder Monkey who expired when a computer vendor PM'd a
X machine which was regulating the gas mixture that the monkey was
X breathing at the time. See Appendix A. See SCRATCH.
X
XSCREW [MIT] n. A LOSE, usually in software. Especially used for
X user-visible misbehavior caused by a bug or misfeature.
X
XSCREWAGE /scroo'@j/ n. Like LOSSAGE (q.v.) but connotes that the
X failure is due to a designed-in misfeature rather than a simple
X inadequacy or mere bug.
X
XSCROG /skrog/ [Bell Labs] v. To damage, trash or corrupt a data
X structure. "The cblock got scrogged." Also reported as SKROG,
X and ascribed to "The Wizard of Id" comix. Equivalent to SCRIBBLE
X or MANGLE (q.v.)
X
XSCROZZLE /skroh'zl/ v. Used when a self-modifying code segment runs
X incorrectly and corrupts the running program, or vital data. "The
X damn compiler scrozzled itself again!"
X
XSCRIBBLE n. To modify a data structure in a random and unintentionally
X destructive way. "Bletch! Somebody's disk-compactor program went
X berserk and scribbled on the i-node table." "It was working fine
X until one of the allocation routines scribbled on low core."
X Synonymous with TRASH; compare MUNG, which conveys a bit more
X intention, and MANGLE, which is more violent and final.
X
XSEARCH-AND-DESTROY MODE n. Hackerism for the search-and-replace
X facility in an editor, so called because an incautiously chosen
X match pattern can cause INFINITE damage.
X
XSECOND-SYSTEM EFFECT n. When designing the successor to a relatively
X small, elegant and successful system, there is a tendency to become
X grandiose in one's success and perpetrate an ELEPHANTINE
X feature-laden monstrosity. The term was first used by Fred Brooks
X in his classic book "The Mythical Man-Month". It described the jump
X from a set of nice, simple, operating monitors on the IBM 70xx
X series to OS/360 on the 360 series.
X
XSEGGIE /seg'ee/ [UNIX] n. Reported from Britain as a shorthand for
X `segment violation', an attempted access to a protected memory area
X usually resulting in a CORE DUMP.
X
XSEGMENT v. To CORE DUMP with a segment violation error (see SEGGIE).
X Used of programs.
X
XSELF-REFERENCE n. See SELF-REFERENCE.
X
XSELVAGE /selv'@j/ [from sewing] n. See CHAD (sense #1).
X
XSEMI /se'mee/ 1. n. Abbreviation for "semicolon", when speaking.
X "Commands to GRIND are prefixed by semi-semi-star" means that the
X prefix is ";;*", not 1/4 of a star. 2. Prefix with words such as
X "immediately", as a qualifier. "When is the system coming up?"
X "Semi-immediately." (That is, maybe not for an hour). "We did
X consider that possibility semi-seriously."
X
XSERVER n. A kind of DAEMON which performs a service for the requester,
X which often runs on a computer other than the one on which the
X server runs. A particularly common term on the Internet, which is
X rife with "name servers" "domain servers" "news servers"
X "finger servers" and the like.
X
XSEX [Sun User's Group & elsewhere] n. 1. Software EXchange. A
X technique invented by the blue-green algae hundereds of millions of
X years ago to speed up their evolution, which had been terribly slow
X up until then. Today, SEX parties are popular among hackers and
X others. 2. The rather Freudian mnemonic often used for Sign Extend,
X a machine instruction found in many architectures. The Intel 8048
X even had logical-or and logical-and instructions ORL and ANL.
X
XSHAREWARE n. FREEWARE for which the author requests some payment,
X usually in the accompanying documentation files or in an
X announcement made by the software itself. Such payment may or may
X not buy additional support or functionality. See GUILTWARE,
X CRIPPLEWARE.
X
XSHELFWARE n. Software purchased on a whim (by an individual user) or
X in accordance with policy (by a corporation or government) but not
X actually required for any particular use. Therefore, it often ends
X up on some shelf.
X
XSHELL [UNIX, now used elsewhere] n. 1. The command interpreter used to
X pass commands to an operating system. 2. More generally, any
X interface program which mediates access to a special resource or
X SERVER for convenience, efficiency or security reasons; for this
X meaning, the usage is usually "a shell around" whatever. This sort
X of program is also called a "wrapper".
X
XSHELL OUT [UNIX] n. To spawn an interactive subshell from within a
X program such as a mailer or editor. "BANG FOO runs FOO in a
X SUBSHELL, while BANG alone shells out."
X
XSHIFT LEFT (or RIGHT) LOGICAL [from any of various machines'
X instruction sets] 1. v. To move oneself to the left (right). To
X move out of the way. 2. imper. "Get out of that (my) seat! You
X can move to that empty one to the left (right)." Usage: often
X used without the "logical", or as "left shift" instead of
X "shift left". Sometimes heard as LSH (lish), from the PDP-10
X instruction set.
X
XSHITOGRAM /shit'oh-gram/ n. A *really* nasty piece of email. Compare
X NASTYGRAM, FLAME.
X
XSHRIEK See EXCL. Occasional CMU usage, also in common use among
X mathematicians, especially category theorists.
X
XSIG /sig/ or SIG BLOCK /sig blok/ [UNIX; often written ".sig"
X there] n. Short for "signature", used specifically to refer to
X the electronic signature block which most UNIX mail- and
X news-posting software will allow you to automatically append to
X outgoing mail and news. The composition of one's sig can be quite
X an art form, including an ASCII logo or one's choice of witty
X sayings (see SIG QUOTE); but many consider large sigs a waste of
X bandwidth, and it has been observed that the size of one's sig
X block is usually inversely proportional to one's longevity and
X level of prestige on THE NETWORK.
X
XSIG QUOTE /sig kwoht/ [USENET] n. A maxim, quote, proverb, joke or
X slogan embedded in one's SIG (q.v.) and intended to convey
X something of one's philosophical stance, pet peeves, or sense of
X humor. "He *must* be a Democrat --- he posted a sig quote from Dan
X Quayle."
X
XSILICON n. Hardware, esp. ICs or microprocessor-based computer
X systems (compare IRON). Contrasted with software.
X
XSILLY WALK [from Monty Python] v. A ridiculous procedure required to
X accomplish a task. Like GROVEL, but more RANDOM and humorous. "I
X had to silly-walk through half the /usr directories to find the
X maps file."
X
XSILO n. The FIFO input-character buffer in an RS-232 line card. So
X called from DEC terminology used on DH and DZ line cards for the
X VAX and PDP-11.
X
XSILVER BOOK, THE n. Jensen & Wirth's infamous "Pascal User Manual and
X Report", so called because of the silver cover of the
X widely-distributed Springer-Verlag second edition of 1978. See
X RED BOOK, GREEN BOOK, BLUE BOOK, WHITE BOOK, PURPLE BOOK, ORANGE
X BOOK, PINK-SHIRT BOOK, DRAGON BOOK.
X
XSITENAME [UNIX/Internet] n. The unique electronic name of a computer
X system, used to identify it in UUCP mail, USENET or other forms of
X electronic information interchange. The folklore interest of
X sitenames stems from the creativity and humor they often display.
X Interpreting a sitename is not unlike interpreting a vanity license
X plate; one has to mentally unpack it, allowing for mono-case and
X length restrictions and the lack of whitespace. Hacker tradition
X deprecates dull, institutional-sounding names in favor of punchy,
X humorous and clever coinages (except that it is considered
X appropriate for the official public gateway machine of an
X organization to bear the organization's name or acronym).
X Mythological references, cartoon characters, animal names, and
X allusions to SF or fantasy literature are probably the most popular
X sources for sitenames (in roughly that order). See also NETWORK
X ADDRESS.
X
XSLEEP v. On a timesharing system, a process which relinquishes its
X claim on the scheduler until some given event occurs or a specified
X time delay elapses is said to `go to sleep'.
X
XSLOP n. 1. A one-sided fudge factor (q.v.), that is, an allowance for
X error but only in one of two directions. For example, if you need
X a piece of wire ten feet long and have to guess when you cut it,
X you make very sure to cut it too long, by a large amount if
X necessary, rather than too short by even a little bit, because you
X can always cut off the SLOP but you can't paste it back on again.
X When discrete quantities are involved, slop is often introduced to
X avoid the possibility of a FENCEPOST ERROR (q.v.). 2. n. The ratio
X of the size code generated by a compiler to the size of equivalent
X HAND-HACKED assembler code, minus 1; i.e., the space (or maybe
X time) you lose because you didn't do it yourself. This number is
X often used as a measure of the goodness of a compiler; slop below
X 5% is very good, and 10% is usually acceptable for most purposes.
X With modern compiler technology, esp. on RISC machines, the
X compiler's slop may actually be *negative*; that is, humans may be
X unable to generate code as good. This is one of the reasons
X assembler programming is no longer common.
X
XSLOPSUCKER n. A lowest-priority task that must wait around until
X everything else has "had its fill" of machine resources. Only
X when the machine would otherwise be idle is the task allowed to
X "suck up the slop." Also called a HUNGRY PUPPY. One common
X variety of slopsucker hunts for large prime numbers. Compare
X BACKGROUND.
X
XSLUGGY /sluh'gee/ adj. Hackish variant of `sluggish'. Used only of
X people, esp. someone just waking up after a long GRONK-OUT.
X
XSLURP v. To read a large data file entirely into core before working
X on it (This may be contrasted with the strategy of reading a small
X piece at a time, processing it, and then reading the next piece).
X "This program slurps in a 1K-by-1K matrix and does an FFT."
X
XSMART adj. Said of a program that does the RIGHT THING (q.v.) in a
X wide variety of complicated circumstances. There is a difference
X between calling a program smart and calling it intelligent; in
X particular, there do not exist any intelligent programs (yet).
X Compare ROBUST (smart programs can be BRITTLE).
X
XSMART TERMINAL n. A terminal that has enough computing capability to
X perform useful work independently of the main computer. The
X development of workstations and personal computers has made this
X term and the product it describes semi-obsolescent, but one may
X still hear variants of the phrase "act like a smart terminal"
X used to describe the behavior of workstations/PCs with respect to
X programs that execute almost entirely out of a remote SERVER's
X storage, using said devices as displays.
X
X There's a classic quote from Rob Pike (inventor of the BLIT (q.v.)
X terminal): "A smart terminal is not a smart*ass* terminal,
X but rather a terminal you can educate." This illustrates a common
X design problem; the attempt to make peripherals (or anything else)
X intelligent sometimes results in finicky, rigid "special
X features" that become just so much dead weight if you try to use
X the device in any way the designer didn't anticipate. Flexibility
X and programmability, on the other hand, are *really* smart.
X
XSMASH THE STACK [C programming] n. On many C implementations it is
X possible to corrupt the execution stack by writing past the end of
X an array declared auto in a routine. Code that does this is said
X to `smash the stack', and can cause return from the routine to jump
X to a random text address. This can produce some of the most
X insidious data-dependent bugs known to mankind. Variants include
X `trash the stack', `SCRIBBLE ON the stack', `MANGLE the stack';
X `MUNG the stack' is not used as this is never done intentionally.
X See ALIASING BUG, FANDANGO ON CORE, MEMORY LEAK, PRECEDENCE
X LOSSAGE, OVERRUN SCREW.
X
XSMILEY n. See EMOTICON.
X
XSMOKE TEST n. 1. A rudimentary form of testing applied to electronic
X equipment following repair or reconfiguration in which AC power is
X applied and during which the tester checks for sparks, smoke, or
X other dramatic signs of fundamental failure. 2. By extension, the
X first run of a piece of software after construction or a critical
X change. See MAGIC SMOKE.
X
XSMOKING CLOVER [ITS] n. A DISPLAY HACK originally due to Bill Gosper.
X Many convergent lines are drawn on a color monitor in AOS mode (so
X that every pixel struck has its color incremented). The color map
X is then rotated. The lines all have one endpoint in the middle of
X the screen; the other endpoints are spaced one pixel apart around
X the perimeter of a large square. This results in a striking,
X rainbow-hued, shimmering four-leaf clover. Gosper joked about
X keeping it hidden from the FDA lest it be banned.
X
XSMOP /smop/ [Simple (or Small) Matter of Programming] n. 1. A piece of
X code, not yet written, whose anticipated length is significantly
X greater than its complexity. Usage: used to refer to a program
X that could obviously be written, but is not worth the trouble. It
X is also used ironically to imply that a difficult problem can be
X easily solved because a program can be written to do it; the irony
X is that it is very clear that writing such a program will be a
X great deal of work. Example: "It's easy to change a FORTRAN
X compiler to compile COBOL as well; it's just a Small Matter of
X Programming." 2. Often used ironically by the intended victim
X when a suggestion for a program is made which seems easy to the
X suggester, but is obviously a lot of work to the programmer.
X
XSNAIL-MAIL n. Paper mail, as opposed to electronic. Sometimes written
X as the single word `SnailMail'. Derives from earlier coinage
X `USnail' for which there have been parody posters and stamps made.
X Oppose EMAIL.
X
XSNARF /snarf/ v. 1. To grab, esp. a large document or file for the
X purpose of using it either with or without the author's permission.
X See BLT. Variant: SNARF (IT) DOWN. to snarf, sometimes with the
X connotation of absorbing, processing, or understanding. "I think
X I'll snarf down the list of DDT commands so I'll know what's
X changed recently." 2. [in the UNIX community] to fetch a file or
X set of files across a network. See also BLAST.
X
XSNARF & BARF /snarf-n-barf/ n. The act of grabbing a region of text
X using a WIMP (q.v.) environment and then stuffing the contents of
X that region into another region or into the same region, to avoid
X re-typing a command line.
SHAR_EOF
chmod 0644 jsplit.ag || echo "restore of jsplit.ag fails"
if [ $TOUCH = can ]
then
touch -am 1215215290 jsplit.ag
fi
exit 0