Messages in this thread |  | | Date | Mon, 24 Jun 1996 19:44:15 -0400 | From | Fred Love <> | Subject | Re: GLOAT BLOAT (Was: Boot messages, Ideas for v2.1) |
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Systemkennung Linux wrote: > > Hi, > > > When I did my Linux parallel port driver rewrite some years ago, the > > original author had put a comment something like "/* unknown error; > > on fire? */ under a conditional. I liked it so much I turned it into > > an error message (for better or worse...) that said "lp on fire". > > I had never seen that error message in any other unix (at the time, > > I had only used BSD on a VAX and SunOS, none of the machines I used > > *had* an lp device, and I wasn't the sysadmin anyway). > > > > Just out of curiousity, can you name any of those older unices with > > the same error message? > > Not a UNIX, but a CPU with a similar thing. One of the first versions > of a CPU, I think it was the Z80, had a debugging instruction left in > the instruction set that would toggle the voltage levels on one pin > as fast as possible. This turned out to be let lethal to the electronics > and so the instruction was named "Halt and catch fire". > > Can't even remember where I got this story from or if it's a urban legend > of the computer bussines, so just take it for your personal amusement, > > Ralf
No debug instructions in the Z80 instruction set, only one output instruction was left undocumented by Mostek.
Fred -- Frederick C. Love Home Phone 404-847-0564 4176 Roswell Rd. Work Phone 404-841-4324 ext.3129 Atlanta GA 30342-3761 email: flove@mindspring.com USA
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