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From: mark@promark.UUCP (Mark J. DeFilippis)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Re: How do you tell a wizard?
Message-ID: <227@promark.UUCP>
Date: 21 Oct 89 01:11:12 GMT
References: <1019@psc90.UUCP> <253E39D3.16055@ateng.com>
Distribution: na
Organization: Promark Data Concepts, Garden City, NY
Lines: 35


I have worked with one flavor of Unix or another for several years, and
to this day will not call myself a wizard.  I have long felt it was a form
of rationalization.  Wizard implies "knows all", and Unix is ever growing
with each release of the operating system.  BSD flavors that meet SVID.
System V with BSD extentions, different with every vendor.

However, I have found the following holds true for
most *very knowledegable Unix people* :

1	They have seen and/or modified Unix source at the kernel and
	provided utilities level.
2	They have implimented, at least once, a device driver, or some
	other kernel linkable code, and know how much fun it is to
	debug this code.
3	They all have at least one beat up copy of the C bible, possibly
	hard cover, or if not, the front or back cover is gone.
4	They have a copy of either the BSD or System V "Implimentation of
	the Unix operating system."
5	All the above books have pages that are starting to bio-degrade
	from age.
6	They have a copy of the SVID from AT&T if they work with SYSTEM V.
7	They all spell kernel as KERNEL, not KERNAL.
8	They don't call themselves wizards, but the people around them
	usually do.

Each one of these alone does not constitute a wizard, especially 2, and 3.
But In the case of 2, it has been my experience that if they have been there
a few times, they know their way around pretty well.

-- 
Adelphi University, Garden City, NY 11530                   (516) 663-1170
Department of Mathematics and Computer Science
                                 markd@adelphi.UUCP  or  mark@promark.UUCP
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