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From: rees@pisa.ifs.umich.edu (Jim Rees)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apollo
Subject: Re: What is exactely /dev/console?
Keywords: /dev/console,
Message-ID: <4fa35170.1bc5b@pisa.ifs.umich.edu>
Date: 5 Feb 91 20:14:16 GMT
References: <1991Feb1.193832.8060@alchemy.chem.utoronto.ca> <1079@eba.eb.ele.tue.nl> <4f9a812d.1bc5b@pisa.ifs.umich.edu> <2093@m1.cs.man.ac.uk>
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Reply-To: rees@citi.umich.edu (Jim Rees)
Organization: University of Michigan IFS Project
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In article <2093@m1.cs.man.ac.uk>, dente@els.ee.man.ac.uk (Colin Dente) writes:

  >a crash, complete with crash_status 220009 (look it up).

  I just did... does anyone know what this code was supposed to mean, and why
  the OS/Magtape manager? - If you've got a tape that won't fit through a
  25" hatch, then I really don't want to hear about it!!

According to legend, there was once a defense contractor bidding on some
computer equipment to be installed in a submarine.  On a submarine, all
equipment has to go in or out through a hatch that's 25 inches (about 60 cm)
in diameter.  If it can't fit, then they have to get out a cutting torch and
make a hole in the deck.

This contractor is supposed to have submitted a bid that was just fine
except that the tape drive wouldn't fit through the hatch.  The more
apochryphal version of this story has the contract actually awarded and
equipment delivered before the mistake is discovered.

I hope this little gem doesn't go the way of the "You must be from PR1ME"
boot shell error message and the more(1) author credit.

I once worked for a company (not Apollo) where we were instructed to find
another name for the garbage collector.  They didn't like the implication
that their programs were full of garbage!