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Xref: sserve comp.os.386bsd.misc:3019 comp.os.linux.misc:21052 Path: sserve!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!msuinfo!agate!library.ucla.edu!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!news.uoregon.edu!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!uxa.cso.uiuc.edu!rkb55989 From: rkb55989@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Rafal Boni) 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: 4 Aug 1994 12:56:43 GMT Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana Lines: 57 Message-ID: <31qoib$jva@vixen.cso.uiuc.edu> References: <31od8d$15l@fw.novatel.ca> <31pc9l$ctp@oscar.agcs.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: uxa.cso.uiuc.edu robertsw@agcs.com (Wallace Roberts) writes: >hpeyerl@sidney.novatel.ca (Herb Peyerl) writes: > [ ...snip happens... ] >>I've tried reading Linux networking code. At least some of the device >>drivers and each of the ones I looked at gave me a brain hemorrage... >> >>This is an example of some of the Linux device-drivers I've seen: >> >> short error = rx_status & 0x3C00; >> outw(inw(ioaddr + 0x0A) | 0x00C0, ioaddr + 0x0A); >> >>As far as I can tell; Linux Ethernet device-drivers were written in >>Write-Only-C. There are no comments in the surrounding code that in any >>way indicates exactly what "0x3c00", "0x0a", "0x00c0" actually mean. To >>people without docs (usually these are the people who are trying to fix >>the code) the above is completely meaningless. >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. >"if you can't run with the big dogs, stay on the porch..." Geez... And people wonder why code maintenance is such a f**ing headache. If people simply gave 3 seconds thought to the other folks looking at their code, and forgot their "I can write code that no-one can read" egos, life would be much better. IMHO, the only place code like the above belongs is the obfuscated C contests, not in a publicly distributed code that will be potentially read my 1,000's of people. Claiming that someone is not a competent programmer/hacker/etc. because they prefer code that is clear is a very lame ego-building tactic... >>Thank you; I'll stick to working on code that I can actually read. >you're welcome. now run along and play... Whoa! Outaa control ego on the field... Better watch out. >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." /--------------------------------------------------------------------------\ |"There are only two people you lie to in your | Rafal Boni | | life... You girlfriend and the police" | r-boni@uiuc.edu | | - Jack Nicholson | My opinions, not UIUC's | \--------------------------------------------------------------------------/