Return to BSD News archive
Xref: sserve comp.os.386bsd.misc:3054 comp.os.linux.misc:21197 Path: sserve!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!msuinfo!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!gatech!udel!news.sprintlink.net!agphx.agcs.com!not-for-mail From: robertsw@agcs.com (Wallace Roberts) Newsgroups: comp.os.386bsd.misc,comp.os.linux.misc Subject: Re: source of TCP/IP (was I hope this wont ignite a major flame ...) Date: 5 Aug 1994 17:12:01 -0700 Organization: agcs Lines: 52 Message-ID: <31ukgh$eao@oscar.agcs.com> References: <31od8d$15l@fw.novatel.ca> <31pc9l$ctp@oscar.agcs.com> <deeken.775988151@iti.informatik.th-darmstadt.de> NNTP-Posting-Host: oscar.agcs.com deeken@iti.informatik.th-darmstadt.de (Hannes Deeken) writes: >robertsw@agcs.com (Wallace Roberts) writes: > >>if you're writing (or fixing) a device driver, you are expected to have >>the h/w manuals handy. comments are unnecessary if you have the device >>manual & understand the h/w. this is the expected level of competence >>for a programmer writing or fixing a device driver. > >Sure, you can figure out what these number means, if you have >the manuals. isn't that what i wrote? "you are expected to have the h/w manuals handy." >But it takes you magnitudes longer to understand a >piece of source if you have to lookup every number in a manual. ok, follow closely; it may get a little deep for you. the numbers used in masking usually are cumulative, i.e., each bit has a meaning. do you expect the guy writing the driver to spell out each bit for you, then inclusive or them all together so you won't have to hurt yourself? >Ever heard of the '#define' directive available with the C preprocessor? ever hear of the "death of a thousand #define's?" if you #define each bit's meaning, then or them all together, things can get unwieldy in a hurry: rx_status &= (PWR_BIT | TST_BIT | OH_BIT | HS_BIT | DTR_BIT | RXD_BIT | TXD_BIT | BUTT_BIT); ugh. >Attitudes like yours are normally found in old programmers working >on IBM mainframes and hacking /370 assembler or JCL. sounds like you speak from close personal experience. >>"if you can't run with the big dogs, stay on the porch..." > >Well... maybe you should follow your own advice... mere mortal. you are not worthy to lick the sweat from my balls. gears, ye wilde ryder -- robertsw@agcs.com | 86 cr250 "dirt devil" 83 v65 magna "animal" "E Pluribus Unix" | 79 it250 "mr. reliable" 84 650 nighthawk ">> for sale <<" "Criminals (especially tyrants) prefer unarmed victims." "Ignorance can be cured; stupidity, on the other hand, is hereditary."