Robert A. Uhl

Why mailx doesn’t do Windows

Gunnar Ritter, maintainer of the commonly-used mailx program, explains why it’s not available on Windows. It’s an interesting tale of how the kluges deep within that semi-operating psuedo-system mean that even in 2010 design decisions made in the Seventies afflict Windows. They afflict Unix too, of course, but generally our design mistakes were smarter than Windows’s design mistakes. Even in error we’re better. Read more →

Why mailx doesn’t do Windows

Gunnar Ritter, maintainer of the commonly-used mailx program, explains why it’s not available on Windows. It’s an interesting tale of how the kluges deep within that semi-operating psuedo-system mean that even in 2010 design decisions made in the Seventies afflict Windows. They afflict Unix too, of course, but generally our design mistakes were smarter than Windows’s design mistakes. Even in error we’re better. Read more →

London Stock Exchange abandons failed Windows platform

You just can’t ask for a better headline than this. It looks like the London Stock Exchange, having lost a packet due to using Microsoft and Accenture technology, has decided to call the whole thing off. No word yet on what the replacement will be, although Linux is one option. Not that Linux — or even Unix — is necessarily the best option. There are even better OSes out there, for example any mainframe OS. Read more →

London Stock Exchange abandons failed Windows platform

You just can’t ask for a better headline than this. It looks like the London Stock Exchange, having lost a packet due to using Microsoft and Accenture technology, has decided to call the whole thing off. No word yet on what the replacement will be, although Linux is one option. Not that Linux — or even Unix — is necessarily the best option. There are even better OSes out there, for example any mainframe OS. Read more →

Using Microsoft Excel corrupts genes

Well, that title is a bit alarmist, but it’s true: Excel corrupts gene names and Riken identifiers in spreadsheets. I have to ask: if you’re doing anything important, why are you using Microsoft software to do it? Read more →

Using Microsoft Excel corrupts genes

Well, that title is a bit alarmist, but it’s true: Excel corrupts gene names and Riken identifiers in spreadsheets. I have to ask: if you’re doing anything important, why are you using Microsoft software to do it? Read more →

Windows games that crash Vista but work on Linux

We all know that Windows Vista breaks a lot of things. What’s surprising is that it breaks Windows software so badly that running that same software under Linux and Wine (a free Windows implementation) can be a better choice. Here’s a list of games which run better under Linux+Wine than under Vista. Microsoft sure have some egg on their face with this one. Read more →

Windows games that crash Vista but work on Linux

We all know that Windows Vista breaks a lot of things. What’s surprising is that it breaks Windows software so badly that running that same software under Linux and Wine (a free Windows implementation) can be a better choice. Here’s a list of games which run better under Linux+Wine than under Vista. Microsoft sure have some egg on their face with this one. Read more →