From comp.unix.questions Mon Nov 23 17:09:10 1992 From: esr@snark.thyrsus.com (Eric S. Raymond) Subject: Re: How does a mortal become a UNIX WIZARD ? > What does it take for a man, er, person, to become a Unix Wizard ? Oh, Nobly Born: know that the Way to Wizardhood is long, and winding, and fraught with Peril. Thou must Attune thyself with the Source, attaining the arcane Knowledge and Conversation of the System Libraries and Internals. > Which bibles should we study ? (after memorizing O'Rileys to become > an X Wizzie ?) Oh, Nobly Born: the O'Reilly books are but the palest shadow, the outermost Portal of the True Enlightenment. If thou desirest with true desire to tread the Path of Wizardly Wisdom, first learn the elementary postures of Kernighan & Pike's _The_Unix_Programming_ Environment_; then, absorb the mantic puissance of March Rochkind's _Advanced_ Unix_Programming_. Immerse thyself, then, in the Pure Light of Maurice J. Bach's _The_Design_Of_The_UNIX_Operating_System_. Neglect not the Berkelian Way; study also _The_Design_Of_The_4.3BSD_UNIX_Operating System_ by Samuel Leffler, Kirk McKusick et. al. Consider also the dark wisdom to be gained from contemplation of the dread _Portable_C_And_UNIX_Systems_Programming_, e'en though it hath flowed from the pen of the mad and doomed Malvernite whom the world of unknowing Man misnames "J. E. Lapin". These tomes shall instruct thy Left Brain in the Nature of the UNIX System; to feed the other half of thy head, oh Nobly Born, embrace also the Lore of its Nurture. Don Libes's and Sandy Ressler's _Life_With_UNIX_ will set thy feet unerringly upon that Path; take as thy Travelling Companion the erratic but illuminating compendium called _The_New_Hacker's_Dictionary_. (In this wise shalt thou travel the Way of the Camel.) > How many kernels (and which ones) we need to take apart and reassemble ? Oh Nobly Born: this question reveals that indeed thou hast touched upon the Ineffable Truth about UNIX --- that thou canst not Plumb its Mysteries by mere Study but must become One with it through Practice. The true Way to the Knowledge of the Source is not the timid and footling way of the Student, but the Divine Foolery of the Hacker. Hack, then; strive against Mighty Problems, have joy in your Striving, and let the Crashes fall where they may (maintaining the while, for the Good of your Karma, a Rigorous Backup Policy). (In this wise shalt thou travel the Way of the Lion.) In this day of Boot-Time Autoconfiguration and Dynamically Loadable Device Drivers, reassembling a Kernel is no longer the daunting test and seal of Mastery that it once was. However, writing and verifying your own Device Driver for some piece of Exotic Hardware is still a worthy challenge to thy Budding Guruhood. > Some doth say that the only way thou shall gain salvation is to > partake in the (sacrireligios) ceremony of rewriting Unix from > scratch. Sacrilegious, oh Nobly Born? Nay! Certainly the Source is the Inmost Mystery of UNIX --- but there is a Mystery beyond that Mystery. The Nature of UNIX inhereth not in any one version but in the Design Tradition of which all UNIXes are Evolving Parts. The Rite of the Rewrite is not the only Path to Mastery, but it is perhaps the highest and most Sacred of all Paths. Few indeed are those who, travelling it, have crossed the dark and yawning Abyss of Implementation to Delivery. Many, yea, many in truth stagnate yet in the Desert of Delay, or linger ever in the ghastly limbo called Perpetual Beta. > So, oh, mylord, how does a mortal become a Unix Wizard ? Oh Nobly Born: learn, and seek within yourself. Cultivate the cunning of the Serpent and the courage of the Tiger; sup deeply from the Wisdom of those who came before thee. Hack, and hack again; grow, by trial and by error. Post thy best hacks to the Net and gain in Repute thereby. Also, oh Nobly Born, be thou grave and courteous in thy speech; be helpful to those less than thee, quick to ponder and slow to flame. If thou dost these things faithfully, if thou travellest with high heart and pure intention, soon shall thy callow Newbiehood be shed. By degrees imperceptible to thyself shalt thou gain Power and Wisdom, striving and doing all the while. Gradually shall thy puissance unfold and deepen. Oh Nobly Born, if thou dost all these things, thy Wizardhood shall surely come upon thee; but not of a sudden, and not until after thy arrogant Mind hath more than half forgotten that such was its aim. For know this --- you may not by yourself in Pride claim the Mantle of Wizardry; that way lies only Bogosity without End. Rather must you Become, and Become, and Become, until Hackers respect your Power, and other Wizards hail you as a Brother in Wisdom, and you wake up and realize that the Mantle hath lain unknown upon your Shoulders since you knew not when. (In this wise shalt thou travel the Way of the Child.) > (next question: how does a newbie become a net.personality ?) Oh, Nobly Born: not by trying... -- Eric S. Raymond