Love UNIX? Share Your Story Here!

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around participants sharing their experiences and preferences regarding UNIX and its various applications in programming. Topics include personal anecdotes, comparisons with other operating systems, and opinions on programming languages, particularly in the context of UNIX environments.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express a strong affection for UNIX, highlighting its simplicity and lack of unnecessary features compared to Windows.
  • Others agree that transitioning from Windows to UNIX feels like returning home, with nostalgic references to older systems like MS-DOS.
  • One participant praises UNIX for its programming environment, mentioning tools like Makefiles and man pages as beneficial for development.
  • There is a mention of C# and .NET, with one participant suggesting that they are gaining popularity, while another counters that they prefer cross-platform languages like Python.
  • Java is brought into the conversation, with mixed opinions on its quality, and some participants jokingly challenge each other's views on the language.
  • One participant shares their experience of rescuing old hardware and software, expressing enthusiasm for vintage technology and discussing the challenges of using older systems like OpenVMS.
  • There are humorous exchanges regarding the perceived shortcomings of certain programming languages and operating systems.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on their appreciation for UNIX, but there are multiple competing views regarding the merits of other programming languages and operating systems, particularly in relation to UNIX. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the superiority of specific languages and systems.

Contextual Notes

Some participants reference specific programming environments and tools, but there are no detailed technical comparisons or resolutions regarding the effectiveness of different systems or languages. The discussion includes personal anecdotes that may not reflect broader consensus.

franznietzsche
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I just started a FORTRAN 90 programming class this quarter, and we do all our work on the school's UNIX servers, and I love it. The simplicity, no dealing with all the unnecessary crap windows comes attached with.

I just felt like sharing.
 
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Very much share your affection ... doing stuff in Unix after spending time in Win - world is like coming home :smile: .
 
PerennialII said:
Very much share your affection ... doing stuff in Unix after spending time in Win - world is like coming home :smile: .


It completely is.

It makes me miss MS-DOS. I feel old knowing that i remember using DOS.
 
UNIX is an excellent environment for any sort of programming. Makefiles, excellent shells, and UNIX compilers are very intuitive when working in a terminal environment.

Man pages are also an added incentive. There's always some documentation a command away for whatever function your curious about when programming.
 
Last edited:
aggree, but C# .net is on its way up... (waits to be flamed! :smile: )
 
.NET = Windows Lock In

I prefer to work with cross platform compatible languages.

Go Python !
 
Me being a Sun junkie, I'll retaliate with a swift Java recommendation. It's funny, a few months ago I never would've thought of Java as a half-decent language. Things change, though. :approve:
 
graphic7 said:
Me being a Sun junkie, I'll retaliate with a swift Java recommendation. It's funny, a few months ago I never would've thought of Java as a half-decent language. Things change, though. :approve:

Don't worry. I'll continue not thinking of it as a half-decent language for you. :smile:
 
master_coda said:
Don't worry. I'll continue not thinking of it as a half-decent language for you. :smile:

You are referring to versions of Java <= 1.2? Yes? :-p
 
  • #10
master_coda said:
Don't worry. I'll continue not thinking of it as a half-decent language for you. :smile:

LoL

--------------------------------------

franznietzsche said:
The simplicity, no dealing with all the unnecessary crap windows comes attached with.

Yeah, eunichs are lacking in attachments.
 
  • #11
Dissident Dan said:
LoL

--------------------------------------



Yeah, eunichs are lacking in attachments.

Yes, eunuchs are, but those are necessary attachments.
 
  • #12
i resecued a Alpha with OpenVMS and a SCO unix CD set from the computer-recyclers at work :smile:

its amazing how cool old junk (?) can be! :biggrin:

graphic7: have you seen sun's new err.. windowmanager - lookingglass ? :confused:
ummm here
 
  • #13
gazzo said:
i resecued a Alpha with OpenVMS and a SCO unix CD set from the computer-recyclers at work :smile:

its amazing how cool old junk (?) can be! :biggrin:

graphic7: have you seen sun's new err.. windowmanager - lookingglass ? :confused:
ummm here

I haven't heard of Looking Glass, but it looks fairly interesting. Right now I'm between JDS (Sun's souped up Gnome2) and CDE. I've been trying to find a love for Gnome2 because I think within the release (or couple of releases) after Solaris 10, they'll be discontinuing CDE support. It's hard to part with it, though.
 
  • #14
franznietzsche :

I just love UNIX

I just started a FORTRAN 90 programming class this quarter, and we do all our work on the school's UNIX servers, and I love it. The simplicity, no dealing with all the unnecessary crap windows comes attached with.

I just felt like sharing.

-----------------------------------
if you say so, why not, Bill gates once loved Dos
 
  • #15
philocrazy said:
franznietzsche :

I just love UNIX

I just started a FORTRAN 90 programming class this quarter, and we do all our work on the school's UNIX servers, and I love it. The simplicity, no dealing with all the unnecessary crap windows comes attached with.

I just felt like sharing.

-----------------------------------
if you say so, why not, Bill gates once loved Dos

That hurts, i don't want to be compared to
him
 
  • #16
gazzo said:
i resecued a Alpha with OpenVMS and a SCO unix CD set from the computer-recyclers at work :smile:

its amazing how cool old junk (?) can be! :biggrin:
If I'm not mistaken, OpenVMS is so backwards it uses 1 as default return value for succes and 0 for default return value for failure. Which is aganst POSIX, ANSI-C(unless you use EXIT_SUCCESS and EXIT_FAILURE) and god knows what else :)

I'd really like to get my hands on a OpenVMS-system and see how portable my code really is :)
 

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