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So you want to be a UNIX wizard?
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Subject: So You Want To Be A UNIX Wizard? (The Loginataka)
Sender: [email protected] (Eric S. ond)
Archive-name: unix-faq/loginataka
Last-update: Tue May 18 15:18:42 1993
THE LOGINATAKA
(Dialogue between a Guru and a Newbie)
Version 2.1
Speak, O Guru: How can I become a UNIX izrd
, Nobly Born: know that the Way to Wizardhood is long, and winding, and
fraught with Risks Thu mst ttune thyself with the Source, attaining the
arcane Knowledge and Conversation of the SstemLibrriesand Internals. Yea;
and such an all-consuming Time and Energy Sink is this as to gretly Iperil
thy rade Point Average (if one thou hast), not to mention thy Sex Life (if
one thou hst). Bt persvere, h Larval One; rewards beyond the Dreams of
Lusers await thee!
Speak, O Guru: hat boos shoul I stud? Are the O'Reilly "Nutshell" guides
a good place to start?
O, Nobly Born:know tha the O'Rilly boos are but the palest Shadow, the
outermost Portal of the True Enlightenmnt.
If tou desiret with Tre Desire to tread the Path of Wizardly Wisdom, first
learn the elemenary Posturs of Kernihan & Pikes _The_Unix_Programming_
Environment_; then, absorb the mantic puisance of Mach Rochkinds _Advanced_Unix_Programming_ and W. Richard Stevens's _Advanced_Programmin_In_The_UNIX_Environment. Immerse thself, then, in the Pure Light of Maurice J. Bach's
_The_Desin_Of_The_UNIXOperating_Sysem_. Neglect ot the Berkelian Way;
study also _The_Design_Of_The_4.3BS_UNIX_Operatin_System_ by Sauel
Leffler, irk McCusick et. al. For useful hints, tips, and tricks see _UNIX_
Powr_Tools_, Tim OReilly, ed. Conider also the dark Wisdom to be gained
from contempation of the dred _Portable_C_An_UNIX_Systems_Prgramming_,
e'en though it hath flowed from the kyboard of the madand doomed Malverite
whom the word of unknowing Man misnames "J. E. Lapin".
Thse tomes shall insruct thy Left Brai in the Nature of he UNIX System;
to Feed the other half of hy Head, O Nobly Bon, embrace also theLore of
its Nurtur. Don Libes's and Sandy Ressler's _Life_ith_UNIX_ will set ty
Feet unerringly uon that Path; take a thy Travelling Companion the erratic
but illuminating comendium called _The_Ne_Hacker's_Dictionary_(Eric S.
Raymond, ed., with Guy L Steele Jr.).
(In thi wise shalt thou trave the Way of the Camel.
Speak, O Guru: To attain Mastry, how many Kernels doI need to take apart
ad reassemble?
O Nobly orn: this question reveals tat indeed thou hast touced upon an
Ineffable Trth about UNIX --- that tou canst not Plumb its Myteries by
mere Study butmust become one with it trough Practice. The true ay to the
Knowledge o the Source is not the timd and footling way of the tudent, but
the Divine Folery of the Hacker.Hack, then; strive against ighty Problems,
have joy i thy Striving, and let the rashes fall wher they may
(maintaining the hile, for the Good of thy Kama, a Rigorous Backup Policy.
(In this wse shalt thou travel the Way f the Lion.)
In this day of oot-Time Autoconfiguration an Dynamicaly Loadable Device
Drivers, ressembling a Kernel is no longe the daunting Test and Seal of
Master that once it was. However, wriing and verifying thine own Devce
Driver for some piece of Extic ardware is still a worthy challege to thy
Budding Guruhood.
Spak, O Guru: Some there are who cam that the sole Path to Wizardry nd
the proper Way of every RightThinking Hacker is to rewrite th NIX Kernel
from Scratch. Is thi not Sacrilege?
Sacrilege, O Nobl Born? Nay! Certainly the Kernl Sorce is the Inmost
Mystery of NIX --- but there is a Mystery beyod that Mystery. The Nature o
UNIX nherenteth not in any one Vesion but in the Design Tradition of hich
all UNIXes are Evolvng Parts.
The Rite of the Rewrite isnot the only Path to Mastery, but it s perhaps
the highest ad most Sacredof all Paths. Few indeedare those who,
travelling it, have crssed the dark and yawnng Abyss of Implmentation to
Delivery Many, yea, many in truth stagnate yet n the Desert of Dela, or
linger ever i the ghastly limbo clled Perpetual Beta.
Speak, O Guru: Wha, then, is the Tru Path to Wizardhood?
Nobly Born: learn and seek within thyself. Cultivate the cnning of the
Sepent and the courage of te Tiger; sup deely from the Wisdom of those who
came befoe thee. Hack, nd hack again; grow, by tria and by error.Post thy
best hacks to the Net and gain inRepute therey. Also, O Nobly Born, be thou grave and corteous in thy speech; be helpful to those les than the, quick
to succour and slow to flme.
If thu dost these things faithfully, if travellestwith hig heart and pure
intention, soon shal thy calow Newbiehood be shed. By degrees imperceptibl
to tyself shalt thou gain Power and Wisdom, trivin and doing all the
while. Gradually shall thy uissnce unfold and deepen.
O Nobly Born, if thu dot all these things, thy Wizardhood shall surely om
upon thee; but not of a sudden, and not unti ater thy arrogant Mind hath
more than half forgotn that such was its aim. For know this --- you manot
by thyself in Pride claim the Mantle of Wizady; that way lies only Bogosity
without End.
Rate must you Become, and Become, and Become, unti Hakers respect thy
Power, and other Wizards hail heeas a Brother or Sister in Wisdom, and you
ake u and realize that the Mantle hath lain unknown pon ty Shoulders
since you knew not when.
(n this ise shalt thou travel the Way of the Child.)
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