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I've used Linux for 12 years, but I never knew these 17 facts

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  I've used Linux for 12 years, but I never knew these 17 facts rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-03-31 01:09 +0000
    Re: I've used Linux for 12 years, but I never knew these 17 facts bonkmaykr <bonkymaykr@canithesis.org> - 2026-03-30 20:50 -0500
      Re: I've used Linux for 12 years, but I never knew these 17 facts rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-03-31 08:13 +0000
    Re: I've used Linux for 12 years, but I never knew these 17 facts Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> - 2026-03-30 18:59 -0700
      Re: I've used Linux for 12 years, but I never knew these 17 facts c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2026-03-30 22:20 -0400
        Re: I've used Linux for 12 years, but I never knew these 17 facts candycanearter07 <candycanearter07@candycanearter07.nomail.afraid> - 2026-03-31 19:00 +0000
          Re: I've used Linux for 12 years, but I never knew these 17 facts Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> - 2026-03-31 20:41 -0700
          Re: I've used Linux for 12 years, but I never knew these 17 facts The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2026-04-01 13:05 +0100
      Re: I've used Linux for 12 years, but I never knew these 17 facts rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-03-31 08:17 +0000
      Re: I've used Linux for 12 years, but I never knew these 17 facts not@telling.you.invalid (Computer Nerd Kev) - 2026-04-01 07:57 +1000
        Re: I've used Linux for 12 years, but I never knew these 17 facts Eli the Bearded <*@eli.users.panix.com> - 2026-03-31 23:11 +0000
          Re: I've used Linux for 12 years, but I never knew these 17 facts Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-03-31 23:50 +0000
        Re: I've used Linux for 12 years, but I never knew these 17 facts Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> - 2026-04-01 08:37 +0100
          Re: I've used Linux for 12 years, but I never knew these 17 facts "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-04-01 13:50 +0200
            Re: I've used Linux for 12 years, but I never knew these 17 facts rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-04-02 00:39 +0000

#84763 — I've used Linux for 12 years, but I never knew these 17 facts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnox-XrjdB8

I'd never seen the 'sl' thing but years ago I was very happy when I 
discovered Vim doesn't do anything stupid when you type ':sl'.  

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#84776

rbowman wrote:
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnox-XrjdB8
> 
> I'd never seen the 'sl' thing but years ago I was very happy when I
> discovered Vim doesn't do anything stupid when you type ':sl'.
> 
Really? Because everyone I know myself included first began to 
understand Vim when we learned how to use :q

https://www.gnu.org/fun/jokes/ed-msg.html

-- 
*bonkmaykr*
Director, Programming Lead
<https://canithesis.org/>

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#84811

On Mon, 30 Mar 2026 20:50:49 -0500, bonkmaykr wrote:

> rbowman wrote:
>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnox-XrjdB8
>> 
>> I'd never seen the 'sl' thing but years ago I was very happy when I
>> discovered Vim doesn't do anything stupid when you type ':sl'.
>> 
> Really? Because everyone I know myself included first began to
> understand Vim when we learned how to use :q
> 
> https://www.gnu.org/fun/jokes/ed-msg.html

That's about right. My first exposure was to vi on a CP/M system. Type vi 
and then wonder WTF do I do now? It was sort of like a newbie's 
introduction to i3 or Sway.  This was the real thing, 10 years before Vim.

I chuckle when people say 'I use vi'.  Chase it down on most Linux distros 
and you'll find something like

$ ls -l /etc/alternatives/vi
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 17 Jan  9  2025 /etc/alternatives/vi -> /usr/bin/
vim.gtk3

While I love Vim and even have the Vim extension in VS Code I was happy 
that the CP/M machine bundled WordStar. It wasn't that bad a programming 
editor in text mode.

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#84778

On 3/30/26 18:09, rbowman wrote:
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnox-XrjdB8
> 
> I'd never seen the 'sl' thing but years ago I was very happy when I
> discovered Vim doesn't do anything stupid when you type ':sl'.
> 

	No you would have to install "sl" first and it is a Command Line utility.

	Tux was the mascot I understand, because one such penguin bit Torwalds.

	"Freax" would have insured adoption among certain groups.

	Systemd ubiquity is not.  I use a systemd Free system using SysV
for init and we have had several SysV updates recently and several systems
permit the choice of either systemd or SysV.
	Of course the gentleman on the screen is correct about having
to learn to deal with systemd if you want a job as system engineer.
I don't want such a job at 88 when I barely have the energy to read
and type on the Usenet.

	bliss

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#84781

On 3/30/26 21:59, Bobbie Sellers wrote:
> 
> 
> On 3/30/26 18:09, rbowman wrote:
>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnox-XrjdB8
>>
>> I'd never seen the 'sl' thing but years ago I was very happy when I
>> discovered Vim doesn't do anything stupid when you type ':sl'.
>>
> 
>      No you would have to install "sl" first and it is a Command Line 
> utility.
> 
>      Tux was the mascot I understand, because one such penguin bit 
> Torwalds.
> 
>      "Freax" would have insured adoption among certain groups.
> 
>      Systemd ubiquity is not.  I use a systemd Free system using SysV
> for init and we have had several SysV updates recently and several systems
> permit the choice of either systemd or SysV.
>      Of course the gentleman on the screen is correct about having
> to learn to deal with systemd if you want a job as system engineer.
> I don't want such a job at 88 when I barely have the energy to read
> and type on the Usenet.


   Systemd has some good uses ... and some annoying
   complications. Par for the course.

   However it doesn't seem to be "evil".

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#84904

c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> wrote at 02:20 this Tuesday (GMT):
> On 3/30/26 21:59, Bobbie Sellers wrote:
>> 
>> 
>> On 3/30/26 18:09, rbowman wrote:
>>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnox-XrjdB8
>>>
>>> I'd never seen the 'sl' thing but years ago I was very happy when I
>>> discovered Vim doesn't do anything stupid when you type ':sl'.
>>>
>> 
>>      No you would have to install "sl" first and it is a Command Line 
>> utility.
>> 
>>      Tux was the mascot I understand, because one such penguin bit 
>> Torwalds.
>> 
>>      "Freax" would have insured adoption among certain groups.
>> 
>>      Systemd ubiquity is not.  I use a systemd Free system using SysV
>> for init and we have had several SysV updates recently and several systems
>> permit the choice of either systemd or SysV.
>>      Of course the gentleman on the screen is correct about having
>> to learn to deal with systemd if you want a job as system engineer.
>> I don't want such a job at 88 when I barely have the energy to read
>> and type on the Usenet.
>
>
>    Systemd has some good uses ... and some annoying
>    complications. Par for the course.
>
>    However it doesn't seem to be "evil".


I do think systemd is annoying in how much it DOES do a lot, it feels a
bit like it's trying to overtake a lot of smaller things. I get why
people are anti-systemd, having so much tied to one project damages the
philosophy of KISS 
-- 
user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom

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#84952

On 3/31/26 12:00, candycanearter07 wrote:
> c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> wrote at 02:20 this Tuesday (GMT):
>> On 3/30/26 21:59, Bobbie Sellers wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> On 3/30/26 18:09, rbowman wrote:
>>>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnox-XrjdB8
>>>>
>>>> I'd never seen the 'sl' thing but years ago I was very happy when I
>>>> discovered Vim doesn't do anything stupid when you type ':sl'.
>>>>
>>>
>>>       No you would have to install "sl" first and it is a Command Line
>>> utility.
>>>
>>>       Tux was the mascot I understand, because one such penguin bit
>>> Torwalds.
>>>
>>>       "Freax" would have insured adoption among certain groups.
>>>
>>>       Systemd ubiquity is not.  I use a systemd Free system using SysV
>>> for init and we have had several SysV updates recently and several systems
>>> permit the choice of either systemd or SysV.
>>>       Of course the gentleman on the screen is correct about having
>>> to learn to deal with systemd if you want a job as system engineer.
>>> I don't want such a job at 88 when I barely have the energy to read
>>> and type on the Usenet.
>>
>>
>>     Systemd has some good uses ... and some annoying
>>     complications. Par for the course.
>>
>>     However it doesn't seem to be "evil".
> 
> 
> I do think systemd is annoying in how much it DOES do a lot, it feels a
> bit like it's trying to overtake a lot of smaller things. I get why
> people are anti-systemd, having so much tied to one project damages the
> philosophy of KISS

	And I am given to understand that it increase the intrusion attack surface
unnecessarily. I am no expert in Linux or in computer security but when 
people
who are write articles giving their conclusions regarding these matters I am
quite inclined to take them seriously.
	Now it may very well provide a back door into systems and few would be
the wiser.

	bliss

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#84981

On 31/03/2026 20:00, candycanearter07 wrote:
> I do think systemd is annoying in how much it DOES do a lot, it feels a
> bit like it's trying to overtake a lot of smaller things. I get why
> people are anti-systemd, having so much tied to one project damages the
> philosophy of KISS

Yes. In particular I find its error logging to be especially egregious, 
both in the size and complexity of the log files.

It seems to be a ;big company' server solution that is entirely 
inappropriate for desktop workstations.
Whereas Wayland seems the opposite. Its lighter weight and suitable to 
maybe 95% of applications.


-- 
“it should be clear by now to everyone that activist environmentalism 
(or environmental activism) is becoming a general ideology about humans, 
about their freedom, about the relationship between the individual and 
the state, and about the manipulation of people under the guise of a 
'noble' idea. It is not an honest pursuit of 'sustainable development,' 
a matter of elementary environmental protection, or a search for 
rational mechanisms designed to achieve a healthy environment. Yet 
things do occur that make you shake your head and remind yourself that 
you live neither in Joseph Stalin’s Communist era, nor in the Orwellian 
utopia of 1984.”

Vaclav Klaus

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#84812

On Mon, 30 Mar 2026 18:59:49 -0700, Bobbie Sellers wrote:

> 	Systemd ubiquity is not.  I use a systemd Free system using SysV
> for init and we have had several SysV updates recently and several
> systems permit the choice of either systemd or SysV.

The antiX I have on a very old laptop is systemd free. You can choose 
SysVinit, runit, or a couple of experimental schemes.  I've forgotten 
almost everything I even knew about run levels etc, but SysV works.

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#84933

Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> wrote:
> On 3/30/26 18:09, rbowman wrote:
>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnox-XrjdB8
>> 
>> I'd never seen the 'sl' thing but years ago I was very happy when I
>> discovered Vim doesn't do anything stupid when you type ':sl'.
> 
>        No you would have to install "sl" first and it is a Command Line utility.

I don't watch video links posted to Usenet, especially with only
a clickbait description, but this is the only "sl" command I know
of:

https://github.com/mtoyoda/sl

-- 
__          __
#_ < |\| |< _#

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#84939

In comp.os.linux.misc, Computer Nerd Kev <not@telling.you.invalid> wrote:
> I don't watch video links posted to Usenet, especially with only
> a clickbait description, but this is the only "sl" command I know
> of:
> 
> https://github.com/mtoyoda/sl

I can honestly say I cannot remember the last time I typed "sl" instead
of "ls". Just not a typo I make often. Leaving letters out is much more
common for me. I recall I used to have a problem with "mc" for "mv", but
I solved that with an alias that emits "command not found". (I don't
have "mc" installed on my own machine, but it is on a shared one I use.)

I didn't watch the video, but stuck the URL in one of the video
transcriber tools, and that tells me it's talking about the same
"sl" tool you are.

To save everyone time, here:

Key Insights and Highlights

*   IBM's Linux Wristwatch (2000):
    IBM developed a fully functional Linux-based wristwatch 15 years
    before the Apple Watch. It ran Linux kernel 2.2 on a 19 MHz ARM
    processor with 8 MB RAM, featured a touchscreen and wireless
    connectivity--an early example of ARM's presence in embedded Linux.

*   Linus Torvalds' Family Birthdays Embedded in Linux:
    The Linux reboot system call requires "magic numbers" that secretly
    encode Linus Torvalds' and his family's birthdays as a hidden
    security check in millions of Linux devices worldwide.

*   Government Backdoor Requests:
    At LinuxCon 2013, Linus Torvalds denied government requests for
    Linux backdoors but nodded yes, implying such requests occurred.
    Later, his father confirmed the NSA had approached Linus to install
    backdoors, raising concerns about Linux security despite its
    open-source transparency.

*   The "SL" Command Punishment:
    The sl command is a humorous Linux utility designed to punish users
    who mistype ls as sl. It animates a train crossing the terminal
    screen, which cannot be interrupted. Additional flags add effects
    such as an accident scene or a flying train.

*   Naming of Linux and Git:
    Linus Torvalds reportedly named git, a British slang term for an
    unpleasant person, after himself. However, the host clarifies that
    Linux was not named by Linus himself but assigned by others, and the
    name "git" has a disputed origin.

*   "Suicide Linux" Package:
    This package replaces the command-not-found handler with a
    destructive command (rm -rf /), deleting the entire root filesystem
    upon any typo, making it a risky and high-stakes typing test.

*   Systemd Controversy:
    Introduced in 2010 by Leonard Pering as a replacement for
    traditional Linux initialization, systemd expanded to control many
    system services. Its adoption caused significant backlash, including
    death threats and the creation of forks like Devuan, reflecting deep
    community divisions.

*   Linux Career Education:
    The host promotes a free, 8-hour Linux course tailored to teaching
    command-line skills and landing six-figure Linux-related jobs, drawn
    from his paid training offerings.

*   Linux Mascot Origin:
    Linus Torvalds once had a penguin nibble his finger at a zoo in
    1993, joking that he contracted "penguinitis." The Linux mascot
    "Tux" is inspired by this event, with a sign at the zoo
    commemorating "the original Tux."

*   Linux Dominates Supercomputing and Finance:
    Since 2017, all top 500 supercomputers run Linux continuously. The
    New York Stock Exchange operates on Red Hat Linux across over 600
    servers, processing hundreds of thousands of orders per second,
    illustrating Linux's critical role in high-performance and financial
    computing.

*   Historic Web Server and CERN Workstation:
    The first website ran on a Unix-based server, and the original
    workstation used by Tim Berners-Lee at CERN still exists, marked
    with a label warning not to power it down.

*   North Korea's Red Star OS:
    North Korea developed its own Linux distribution resembling macOS,
    preloaded with government spyware that watermarks opened files with
    unique machine identifiers for surveillance.

*   Trademark Dispute Over Linux:
    In 1994, William Crochi attempted to trademark "Linux" in the US,
    but the community successfully challenged it, leading to ownership
    being assigned to Linus Torvalds in 1997.

*   Real Penguins Adopted for Linus:
    The Linux community adopted live black-footed penguins at Bristol
    Zoo as a birthday gift for Linus Torvalds, tying the mascot to
    real-world animals.

*   Original Proposed Name "Freaks":
    Linus originally wanted to name the system "Freaks" (a blend of
    free, freak, and Unix), finding "Linux" egotistical. The community
    instead popularized the name Linux.

*   Steve Jobs Tried to Recruit Linus:
    Around 2000, Steve Jobs personally invited Linus to Apple, pitching
    Unix for macOS. Linus reportedly criticized the Mac kernel
    architecture, reflecting his candid nature.

Elijah
------
won't bother posting the full transcript

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#84942

On Tue, 31 Mar 2026 23:11:03 -0000 (UTC), Eli the Bearded wrote:

> *   IBM's Linux Wristwatch (2000):
>     IBM developed a fully functional Linux-based wristwatch 15 years
>     before the Apple Watch. It ran Linux kernel 2.2 on a 19 MHz ARM
>     processor with 8 MB RAM, featured a touchscreen and wireless
>     connectivity--an early example of ARM's presence in embedded
>     Linux.

The “WatchPad” <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_WatchPad>.

> *   Systemd Controversy:
>     Introduced in 2010 by Leonard Pering as a replacement for
>     traditional Linux initialization, systemd expanded to control
>     many system services. Its adoption caused significant backlash,
>     including death threats and the creation of forks like Devuan,
>     reflecting deep community divisions.

I look on systemd-haters as being like the anti-fluoridationists of
the open-source world.

> *   Linux Dominates Supercomputing and Finance:
>     Since 2017, all top 500 supercomputers run Linux continuously.
>     The New York Stock Exchange operates on Red Hat Linux across
>     over 600 servers, processing hundreds of thousands of orders per
>     second, illustrating Linux's critical role in high-performance
>     and financial computing.

Also the London Stock Exchange -- after first being taken in by
Microsoft’s glib assurances that Windows Server could do the job
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TradElect>.

> *   Original Proposed Name "Freaks":
>     Linus originally wanted to name the system "Freaks" ...

“Freax”.

> *   Steve Jobs Tried to Recruit Linus:
>     Around 2000, Steve Jobs personally invited Linus to Apple,
>     pitching Unix for macOS. Linus reportedly criticized the Mac
>     kernel architecture, reflecting his candid nature.

He said that OS X was, in some ways, worse than Windows to program
for. He also referred to the HFS+ filesystem Apple was using at the
time as “complete and utter crap”.

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#84975

Computer Nerd Kev wrote:

> this is the only "sl" command I know of:
> https://github.com/mtoyoda/sl

Yes, that's the one, but I struggle to believe it's widely installed by 
default.

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#84980

On 2026-04-01 09:37, Andy Burns wrote:
> Computer Nerd Kev wrote:
> 
>> this is the only "sl" command I know of:
>> https://github.com/mtoyoda/sl
> 
> Yes, that's the one, but I struggle to believe it's widely installed by 
> default.
> 

By default, no, but openSUSE has it:

cer@Telcontar:~> sl
If 'sl' is not a typo you can use command-not-found to lookup the 
package that contains it, like this:
     cnf sl
cer@Telcontar:~> cnf sl

The program 'sl' can be found in following packages:
   * sl [ path: /usr/bin/sl, repository: zypp (OBS_Games) ]
   * python3-softlayer [ path: /usr/bin/sl, repository: zypp (repo-oss) ]
   * sl [ path: /usr/bin/sl, repository: zypp (repo-oss) ]

Try installing with:
     sudo zypper install <selected_package>

cer@Telcontar:~>



-- 
Cheers, Carlos.
ES🇪🇸, EU🇪🇺;

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#85086

On Wed, 1 Apr 2026 13:50:15 +0200, Carlos E.R. wrote:

> By default, no, but openSUSE has it:

Ubuntu also:

$ sl
Command 'sl' not found, but can be installed with:
sudo apt install sl


however

$ cowsay windows sucks
 _______________
< windows sucks >
 ---------------
        \   ^__^
         \  (oo)\_______
            (__)\       )\/\
                ||----w |
                ||     ||

'cowsay' is a Perl script in /usr/games

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