Why do I like...

23n1th

... watching my computer defrag?

I've been doing the usual and downloading a lot and decided to defrag the HD which was over 55% fragmented. I can't stop watching it!

I really think if I ever move fully over to linux I'll missing this the most, just like watching the AV scan.

bat999

... because it's therapeutic
... or maybe hypnotic.:p

Probably the nearest thing in the Linux world is when compiling programs from source.
Watching line after line of text scroll past.:)

John_Gray

bat999 wrote: »

Probably the nearest thing in the Linux world is when compiling programs from source.
Watching line after line of text scroll past.:)

It has never failed to amaze me that in Linux it is not regarded as a complete waste of time for each user to compile exactly the same code (usually), rather than just being presented with an executable file for which no work is involved other than to run it! Reinventing wheels springs to mind...

kwikbreaks

John_Gray wrote: »

It has never failed to amaze me that in Linux it is not regarded as a complete waste of time for each user to compile exactly the same code (usually), rather than just being presented with an executable file for which no work is involved other than to run it! Reinventing wheels springs to mind...

Unlike Windows Linux runs on many different platforms so although the source may be the same the object code produced by the compiler certainly isn't. Try running a Windows Mobile program on your PC without an emulator. Even when the platform is the same there are many different versions of Linux. Having the source also means that the technically able can make changes to suit their own needs.

RobTang

kwikbreaks wrote: »

Unlike Windows Linux runs on many different platforms so although the source may be the same the object code produced by the compiler certainly isn't. Try running a Windows Mobile program on your PC without an emulator. Even when the platform is the same there are many different versions of Linux. Having the source also means that the technically able can make changes to suit their own needs.

But unlike say a JIT language, the compilers would be pretty generic targeting the system style rather than specific, eg x86 / x64 / ARM etc.

Theres no reason why they cant pre-build these specific builds, besides isn't the whole point of a operating system is that it encapsulates the hardware and expose a common interface, I should not need to have a different build for specific hardware because linux is supposed to take care of it for me...

Being able to modifiy the source code is overrated, nearly everyone will not look at it and those thay do a significent number will ignore the licence conditions that come with modifying the source code.