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Groups > comp.os.linux.misc > #33145

Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC?

From "Carlos E. R." <robin_listas@es.invalid>
Newsgroups comp.os.linux.misc
Subject Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC?
Date 2021-09-06 02:14 +0200
Message-ID <u43g0ix3lu.ln2@minas-tirith.valinor> (permalink)
References (10 earlier) <sgsg99$776$1@news1.tnib.de> <9badna8ebY4aca_8nZ2dnUU7-aHNnZ2d@earthlink.com> <slrnsj7cac.nus.sc@scarpet42p.localdomain> <sh1vfr$nut$1@dont-email.me> <hcydnZYUt4CXyaj8nZ2dnUU7-I_NnZ2d@earthlink.com>

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On 06/09/2021 01.34, SixOverFive wrote:
> On 9/5/21 4:35 AM, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

...

>> One may do a 5 minute hack to prove a principle and get some code
>> working, but *if* it is going to be replicated or maintained by others
>> it behoves one to rework it into whatever is expected by e.g. other
>> engineers, installation scripts and the like.
>>
>> On the other hand, if it is *not*, so what? Typically embedded systems
>> that are neither subject to maintenance or upgrade can so whatever
>> they like.
>>
>> Faced with lack of space in a 2K EPROM, I replaced all instances of
>> POP AX
>> POP BX
>> POP CX
>> POP DX
>> RET
>>
>> with
>> JMP STDEXIT
>>
>>
>> STDEXIT:
>> POP AX
>> POP BX
>> POP CX
>> POP DX
>> RET
>>
>> and gained the 64 bytes of PROM space I needed to include an extended
>> BIOS.
> 
>   So long as there aren't multiple threads going on you CAN
>   just clean up in one spot. If the eeprom was 2k this was
>   probably WAY before multithreading. The single-location
>   thing might also be vulnerable to some race conditions.
>   I'd worry if there were interrupt routines happening too.
> 
>> I am sure those who are imbued with 'never use a goto' would be
>> horrified. But it worked, the customer got his extended bios without
>> having to change his bios and I got paid. And really, as we used to
>> say, in the end its all 'bits, in silicon.
> 
>   "GOTO" can be GREAT. They're not "elegant" and can indeed
>   lead to SERIOUS spaghetti code, but sometimes they're the
>   best, most economical, easiest to write solution. Unwrapping
>   multi-nested whiles/fors/do loops in the 'elegant' fashion
>   can actually get rather un-elegant.
> ,
>   I always liked Pascal because it COULD be "elegant", and far
>   more self-documenting than the crap 'C' some hotshots would
>   write that was mostly punctuation characters that actually DID
>   stuff but nobody - not even the author a month from then -
>   could figure out HOW. Just did a little utility pgm with a
>   GUI front-end for somebody last month and used Lazarus/FP
>   because it's quick and easy and has the Pascal virtues, so
>   Pascal is hardly some decades-past thing for me. But, some
>   Pascals DO have a GOTO <label> in there, just in case :-)

Indeed, Pascal does have a "goto", and I read about it in Nicklaus Wirth
book no less.


> 
>   Remember a thing called a Psion Organizer ? I think they came
>   out in the mid/late 80s. Looked like a thick pocket calculator
>   and had a 2 or 4 line LCD text screen. Various plug-in
>   cartridges could be had, including non-volatile memory.
>   Had a ROM BASIC in them that could cover most anything including
>   serial communications.
> 
>   Someone wanted me to write a pgm for them that handled
>   fairly static traveled routes - like a mail carrier
>   might do. Each stop was a little block and you had to
>   fill in some questions. The "elegant" way THEN was to
>   make very good use of GOTOs. I wrote the thing "ladder
>   style" and you could push a function key to jump back
>   a question, or the previous block or the next block.
>   All GOTOs. In THAT case the GOTOs and structure made
>   the whole pgm far easier to understand and quite compact.
>   The route particulars were on a plug-in and, when there
>   were any changes, staff would update the list and hand
>   out new cartridges. Far more "sneaker-net" back then.
>   I did rig it so you could sync over serial, but mostly
>   they found it simpler to just swap cartridges.
> 
>   I recently found out that at least some workers were
>   still using the system almost 15 years later ... I'd
>   have never expected that. They had the devices, the pgm
>   worked, so why spend more $$$ ?


Certainly, gotos have their place. Spaghetti code is something else.

-- 
Cheers,
       Carlos E.R.

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Thread

Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? ant@zimage.comANT (Ant) - 2021-08-30 18:22 -0500
  Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? Roger Blake <rogblake@iname.invalid> - 2021-08-31 00:14 +0000
  Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? Bobbie Sellers <bliss@mouse-potato.com> - 2021-08-30 17:57 -0700
  Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2021-08-31 04:39 +0100
    Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? Joerg Lorenz <hugybear@gmx.ch> - 2021-08-31 15:19 +0200
      Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2021-08-31 14:34 +0100
        Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? Joerg Lorenz <hugybear@gmx.ch> - 2021-08-31 16:16 +0200
          Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2021-08-31 15:47 +0100
            Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? Joerg Lorenz <hugybear@gmx.ch> - 2021-08-31 18:54 +0200
              Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2021-08-31 17:59 +0100
              Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? Bobbie Sellers <bliss@mouse-potato.com> - 2021-08-31 11:52 -0700
              Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2021-09-01 04:21 +0000
  Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? SixOverFive <hae274c.net> - 2021-08-31 01:07 -0400
    Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? Marc Haber <mh+usenetspam1118@zugschl.us> - 2021-08-31 11:01 +0200
      Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? SixOverFive <hae274c.net> - 2021-08-31 11:01 -0400
        Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? Marc Haber <mh+usenetspam1118@zugschl.us> - 2021-09-01 11:07 +0200
          Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? Andreas Kohlbach <ank@spamfence.net> - 2021-09-01 07:55 -0400
            Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2021-09-01 13:10 +0100
              Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? SixOverFive <hae274c.net> - 2021-09-01 23:58 -0400
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? "Carlos E. R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2021-09-02 13:04 +0200
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? SixOverFive <hae274c.net> - 2021-09-03 01:56 -0400
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? Marc Haber <mh+usenetspam1118@zugschl.us> - 2021-09-03 08:44 +0200
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? "Carlos E. R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2021-09-03 11:22 +0200
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? SixOverFive <hae274c.net> - 2021-09-04 00:31 -0400
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? Marc Haber <mh+usenetspam1118@zugschl.us> - 2021-09-04 10:56 +0200
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? Joerg Lorenz <hugybear@gmx.ch> - 2021-09-04 11:44 +0200
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? Bobbie Sellers <bliss@mouse-potato.com> - 2021-09-04 08:04 -0700
                OT Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? Rinaldi <rm@nunya.inv> - 2021-09-04 10:28 -0500
                Re: OT Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? Bobbie Sellers <bliss@mouse-potato.com> - 2021-09-04 08:41 -0700
                Re: OT Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2021-09-04 18:33 +0100
                Re: OT Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? SixOverFive <hae274c.net> - 2021-09-05 00:53 -0400
                Re: OT Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? Joerg Lorenz <hugybear@gmx.ch> - 2021-09-05 08:57 +0200
                Re: OT Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? Andreas Kohlbach <ank@spamfence.net> - 2021-09-05 12:12 -0400
                Re: OT Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? SixOverFive <hae274c.net> - 2021-09-05 20:01 -0400
                Re: OT Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? Bobbie Sellers <bliss@mouse-potato.com> - 2021-09-04 08:42 -0700
                Re: OT Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? Bobbie Sellers <bliss@mouse-potato.com> - 2021-09-04 08:45 -0700
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2021-09-04 18:32 +0100
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? Andreas Kohlbach <ank@spamfence.net> - 2021-09-03 19:51 -0400
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? SixOverFive <hae274c.net> - 2021-09-03 23:48 -0400
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? Richard Kettlewell <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2021-09-04 08:44 +0100
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? SixOverFive <hae274c.net> - 2021-09-05 00:07 -0400
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? Richard Kettlewell <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2021-09-05 08:16 +0100
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2021-09-05 09:36 +0100
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? Richard Kettlewell <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2021-09-05 12:50 +0100
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? Dan Espen <dan1espen@gmail.com> - 2021-09-05 09:33 -0400
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? "Carlos E. R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2021-09-04 11:22 +0200
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? Joerg Lorenz <hugybear@gmx.ch> - 2021-09-04 11:46 +0200
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? Stéphane CARPENTIER <sc@fiat-linux.fr> - 2021-09-04 17:47 +0000
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2021-09-05 09:35 +0100
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? SixOverFive <hae274c.net> - 2021-09-05 19:34 -0400
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? "Carlos E. R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2021-09-06 02:14 +0200
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2021-09-06 08:43 +0100
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2021-09-06 08:45 +0100
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? SevenOverSix <hae274c.net> - 2021-09-07 01:54 -0400
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2021-09-07 08:44 +0100
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? SevenOverSix <hae274c.net> - 2021-09-08 01:36 -0400
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2021-09-08 07:46 +0100
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? SevenOverSix <hae274c.net> - 2021-09-09 01:53 -0400
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2021-09-09 07:41 +0100
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? SevenOverSix <hae274c.net> - 2021-09-10 01:52 -0400
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? Richard Kettlewell <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2021-09-08 08:46 +0100
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2021-09-08 10:57 +0100
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? Richard Kettlewell <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2021-09-08 12:12 +0100
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2021-09-08 13:06 +0100
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? Richard Kettlewell <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2021-09-08 13:29 +0100
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? Tauno Voipio <tauno.voipio@notused.fi.invalid> - 2021-09-08 14:17 +0300
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? SevenOverSix <hae274c.net> - 2021-09-09 02:04 -0400
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2021-09-09 07:46 +0100
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? SevenOverSix <hae274c.net> - 2021-09-10 02:51 -0400
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? Richard Kettlewell <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2021-09-10 09:49 +0100
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? SevenOverSix <hae274c.net> - 2021-09-11 02:03 -0400
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2021-09-11 07:19 +0100
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? Richard Kettlewell <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2021-09-11 08:32 +0100
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? SevenOverSix <hae274c.net> - 2021-09-12 00:17 -0400
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? Richard Kettlewell <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2021-09-12 09:09 +0100
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? SevenOverSix <hae274c.net> - 2021-09-12 23:43 -0400
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2021-09-12 11:33 +0100
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? Tauno Voipio <tauno.voipio@notused.fi.invalid> - 2021-09-06 11:08 +0300
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2021-09-06 09:24 +0100
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? Tauno Voipio <tauno.voipio@notused.fi.invalid> - 2021-09-06 12:38 +0300
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2021-09-06 12:21 +0100
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? SevenOverSix <hae274c.net> - 2021-09-07 02:20 -0400
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? Richard Kettlewell <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2021-09-06 11:39 +0100
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2021-09-06 12:22 +0100
              Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? Marc Haber <mh+usenetspam1118@zugschl.us> - 2021-09-02 09:29 +0200
                Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2021-09-02 09:48 +0100
          Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? SixOverFive <hae274c.net> - 2021-09-01 23:32 -0400
            Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? Marc Haber <mh+usenetspam1118@zugschl.us> - 2021-09-02 09:30 +0200
              Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? SixOverFive <hae274c.net> - 2021-09-03 00:04 -0400
            Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? Stéphane CARPENTIER <sc@fiat-linux.fr> - 2021-09-04 17:58 +0000
              Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? SixOverFive <hae274c.net> - 2021-09-05 00:22 -0400
  Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? Marc Haber <mh+usenetspam1118@zugschl.us> - 2021-08-31 10:59 +0200
    Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2021-08-31 10:46 +0100
      Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2021-08-31 10:50 +0100
        Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2021-08-31 10:57 +0100
      Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? Marc Haber <mh+usenetspam1118@zugschl.us> - 2021-09-01 11:09 +0200
        Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2021-09-01 10:42 +0100
          Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? "Carlos E. R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2021-09-01 13:47 +0200
            Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? Stéphane CARPENTIER <sc@fiat-linux.fr> - 2021-09-04 18:09 +0000
  Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? Andreas Kohlbach <ank@spamfence.net> - 2021-08-31 06:04 -0400
    Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2021-08-31 11:42 +0100
  Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? TJ <TJ@noneofyour.business> - 2021-09-14 22:42 -0400
    Re: Is Debian still good for GUI stuff in an over 12 yrs. old PC? Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2021-09-16 08:02 +0000

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