Brief History Of Linux (#2)
Hammurabi's Open-Source Code
Hammurabi became king of Babylonia around 1750BC. Under his reign, a
sophisticated legal code developed; Version 1, containing 282 clauses, was
carved into a large rock column open to the public. However, the code
contained several errors (Hammurabi must have been drunk), which numerous
citizens demanded be fixed.
One particularly brave Babylonian submitted to the king's court a stack of
cloth patches that, when affixed to the column, would cover up and correct
the errors. With the king's approval, these patches were applied to the
legal code; within a month a new corrected rock column (Version 2.0) was
officially announced. While future kings never embraced this idea (who
wanted to admit they made a mistake?), the concept of submitting patches
to fix problems is now taken for granted in modern times.
Hammurabi's Open-Source Code
Hammurabi became king of Babylonia around 1750BC. Under his reign, a
sophisticated legal code developed; Version 1, containing 282 clauses, was
carved into a large rock column open to the public. However, the code
contained several errors (Hammurabi must have been drunk), which numerous
citizens demanded be fixed.
One particularly brave Babylonian submitted to the king's court a stack of
cloth patches that, when affixed to the column, would cover up and correct
the errors. With the king's approval, these patches were applied to the
legal code; within a month a new corrected rock column (Version 2.0) was
officially announced. While future kings never embraced this idea (who
wanted to admit they made a mistake?), the concept of submitting patches
to fix problems is now taken for granted in modern times.
Related:
- patch
1. n. A temporary addition to a piece of code,
usually as a quick-and-dirty remedy to an existing... - Brief History Of Linux (#29)
"The Cathedral and the Bazaar" is credited by many (especially ESR
himself) as the reason Netscape announced January 22,
1998 the release of the Mozilla source code. In addition... - Open Source Irrational Constant
BREEZEWOOD, PA -- In a revelation that could rock the foundations of
science,
a researcher in Pennsylvania has discovered that the... - bug n.
An unwanted and unintended property of a program or
piece of hardware,
esp. one that causes it to malfunction. Antonym... - Microsoft Open Source Solitaire
REDMOND, WA -- In a first attempt at "embrace-and-extend" of open source
software,
Microsoft will release its popular Solitaire and FreeCell... - bit-paired keyboard n.,obs.
(alt. `bit-shift
keyboard') A non-standard keyboard layout that seems to have
originated with the Teletype ASR-33 and remained common for several
years on early computer equipment.
The ASR-33 was a mechanical device (see EOU), so... - Brief History Of Linux (#24)
Linus Torvalds quotes from his interview in "LinuxNews" (October 1992):
"I doubt Linux will be here to stay, and maybe Hurd... - diff: /dif/ n. 1. A change listing, especially giving
differences between (and additions to) source code or documents
(the term is often used in the plural `diffs').
"Send me your diffs for the Jargon File!" Compare... - diff /dif/ n.
1. A change listing, especially giving
differences between (and additions to) source code or documents
(the term is often used in the plural `diffs').
"Send me your diffs for the Jargon File!" Compare...
