Message: 16
Date: Sun, 22 Mar 2009 10:48:30 -0500
From: "Michael B. Brutman" <mbbrutman-cctalk at brutman.com>
Subject: Re: Which way to go, from now on?
To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
<cctalk at classiccmp.org>
Message-ID: <49C65DCE.20701 at brutman.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Coding ...
Getting a development environment setup for a machine can be fairly
intensive. Especially if the machine had a few vendors that provided
environments. Once you are setup, nothing teaches you more about the
machine than trying to wring something useful out of it. ;-0
My favorite example .. the TCP/IP stack that I wrote for DOS. It is
part of a long process to put a BBS on my PCjr. I missed the
opportunity 20 years ago to have a dialup BBS, so I'm making up for it
with a multi-user Telnet BBS.
Getting the development environment setup, writing code that works and
is stable, and wringing the performance out of it has put me a lot
closer to the machine that just powering it on once in a while. Given
your collection, you could spend a few lifetimes doing software.
Mike
<ears perking up>
As an oldtimer trying to teach myself more about TCP/IP, it has occurred to
me to wonder whether a similar project might just be the best way to truly
understand the protocols. I think it is probably best that I continue
working
my way through Stevens' and Snader's books first though.
Later,
Charlie C.