I started working on the all-new MirOS website in the all-new web module. At the moment, no new content nor design has been incorporated. However, I started writing a parser for news and wlog entries. These entries can be dynamically converted to HTML and RSS formats.

The entry format is largely self-explanatory and like an e-mail message. The header has metadata of the form "Name: value" and is delimited by an empty line. Then comes the body, delimited by a line with four hyphens. New entries are added at the bottom but I show an example of sorting antichronologically on index.php.

There won't be any more base64-coded filenames. I rather want to use php like you would use server-side includes, i.e. <?php require "header.php" ?>.

tyler@ pointed me to oswd.org, a website with free design templates. I have some ideas on how I would like it to look but nothing definitive yet.

Tonight I must write down my thoughts again, as to sort them and may bsiegert@ help me with some, as it touches MirPorts and the Macintosh. First off I found that ranlib(1) is needed on Darwin and added it back to <bsd.lib.mk> in an if clause. Now, we're already building the standard mirmake library in ${LOCALBASE}/share/mmake/libmirmake.a (the default location is different, but I'm focusing on MirPorts, willingly forgetting MirMake works on GNU/Linux too for now). I intend on adding a lot of functions to libmirmake – already added arc4random_push for systems which don't have it (i.e. everything other than MirOS), an arc4random(3) suite for systems which don't have that (Darwin didn't have it in older versions (I now scan with autoconf-style tests instead of using hardcoded #ifdefs) and the one of Interix sucks, and, it can be replaced by one spawning an EGD later), libohash, fgetln(3), i.e. everything which is required for MirMake anyway and more. Now, an enhanced libmirmake is not a problem. but not a benefit either, unless it gets used, which it doesn't, yet. Adding "-L${.SYSMK} -lmirmake" to LDFLAGS is a way to easily do that, but then we're entering the libgcc hell: what if we link libfoo, update libmirmake, and link progbar with libfoo? Suddenly, we have two different versions of libmirmake's code. Clash. That's why we need libgcc_s.so and libmirmake.dylib. Now that's not the problem either (I started versioning it already), but where to place the library? Can we use rpaths etc. so that on all systems, when we link against libmirmake, its location is added to the binary built, or library, of course, so that it can be found even if it's outside of any normal shared library paths and LD_LIBRARY_PATH variables? Or must I go the way to place it in ${LOCALBASE}/lib like any other shlibs? In the latter case, we could probably do a two-stage build of everything, leaving the Interix bootstrap (NOMAN) case up to the caller; that's an interesting yet slower (in compile times) outcome. Or did I overlook a totally different thing?

Maybe we should call libmirmake libshouldbeinlibc – oh wait, a library of that name already exists in GNU OS. (On that matter, Debian currently investigates the case of libast, which exists twice as well, once as "assorted spiffy things" and once in e.g. ksh93 (the shell), where the latter definitively has age precedence. I wonder how MirPorts is going to handle this and who's going to do it. Fact is, we can't have two libraries with the same name, and the devel/libast port is probably going to have to change its name.

While tinkering with the mirmake build system, I also added autoconf style scans to mksh's. And mirmake's build should definitively stop if errors are encountered. PS: Solaris /bin/sh is… weird.

Developing on Windows® 2000 is different. Not that productive if you ask me, you're much more limited if you are used to terminal-based operations. At least, the combination of PuTTY, Cygwin (ssh, scp, cvs, working text editor whose poll loop doesn't, like 16-bit DOS jupp, get my laptop to turn itself off due to heat), and Interix provides a work environment which is slightly suitable, but I still don't have perl5.8 for the mksh testsuite or stuff like that, and my fan is spinning. The hardware support of MirOS is so much better.

bsiegert@ might also want to convert ports/Hints into something more usable to the end user, and we had a request for MirPort howtos on the mailing list today too. Sysjail 1 was released today, and I like the benchmarks, which show MirOS easily outperforming OpenBSD and even NetBSD® in most things.

Angelo (the MacWorm hacker) is currently in town. I got quite drunk, last night, I must admit. I had an interesting hangover today. Hacking helped me to overcome it though, as did much sleep (too much). This is not improving my bank account's or my work situation though.

During a Netzladen session @LUUSA, mksh(1) now works on Plan 9.

I've been hacking random stuff, improving and adding user feedback I got, but I'm still primarily looking for a job in the area programming or system/network administration. Contact me if you have any hints, in this region.

While we're tracking down a few remaining bugs in the package tools, our lynx port is the best one available for the Mac and I'm submitting offsprings (e.g. mksh, mirmake) to the FSF directory.

bsiegert@ and tyler@ started hacking on the new website.

I unbroke HEAD, so snapshots can be built. I couldn't yet finally do the required work on the baselive CD, due to distraction (chess with a friend who needed attention) in the evening. Expect a new snapshot (of i386 only) soon (sparc will take fairly longer).

tyler@ yelled at me in Jabber today to "STOP COMMITTING SO MUCH :p", and then begged for MirPorts ${SYSCONFDIR}/screenrc… seems as if he found a unique selling point, finally…

mksh is now probably ready to release R28.

If the person responsible for the existence of /usr/bin/libtool on a Mac, which is not GNU libtool, and that this pathname is hard coded in gcc's specs file, gets to meet me, in a park at dark night, I can't be held responsible for the outcome…

I hope src/distrib/ is in usable shape again. I'll fix missing parts and build a snapshot afterwards, maybe without live cd for now, though that'd suck. The sparc live cd is not completed, although the miniroot should be buildable now, for the first time in MirOS ever.

Despite it all, I made lynx and GNU groff mirports, reinstated tyler as developer by his own request, fixed *roff macros (new MirNroff cpio distfile for Interix might be required soon), enhanced and fixed docs, helped FreeWRT people (website/server is down, we know), etc.

Licence is now up to date again, and links are actually links.

Sendmail 8.13.8 is out, but not a high-priority update.

Today it was rainy, depressive, and headaches arrived. Not the best, but a chance to hack something. I couldn't do much, but I improved the shell again and got an old NetBSD® PR (30842) finally fixed.

I also cleaned up some of the stuff in src/etc/ (especially rc which should be faster and more reliable now). Works for me.

I've also started on reworking the text of the mksh page, but can't get myself to finish it. Call it summer hole.

Although I'm still looking for employment I can't get myself around, sending out applications etc., because of these bad circumstances like the weather etc. If someone wants to pay 1000 € netto (i.e. taxes and so on already subtracted), or more, for a unix developer or admin, please contact me.

I just came back from a prolonged weekend at my best friend's place. That's why there hasn't been much activity, except Benny's starting an update on documentation.

Hubert should just always use cvs -Rq up -PAd like every CVS user in the world (according to MirOS docs). I did think of implementing a tag in the output for sticky files for him, but I don't think it's worth a try because stickiness can actually be useful (tracking branches).

I did some major cool mksh(1) work. Please test the beta. Details in #mksh (freenode).

I'm off for the weekend.

Benny has started fixing the website, finally (thanks!)

He also committed a www/firesomething security update.

Yay for bsiegert!

I've played around and fixed a little too, not too much.

More fun with FreeWRT (it sucks) and IRC (we now bridge a channel in two networks, but the TCL plugin for eggdrop sucks worse, so ciruZ has threatened to rewrite it (including the bot) in Ruby – so gecko2 can't configure it to death and it won't talk).

It's still fairly warm.

herc.mirbsd.org now serves dynamic IPv4… TTL is 60 so beware, and it can't be updated in case herc goes down.

I planned to write a more lengthy wlog entry but since I have gecko2 here visiting me for a few days I don't get to do as much stuff as I'd like to (but on the other hand he helps me cleaning up the appartement but also makes me work :'( hard…). And now I even have headaches and get some VPN DNS whatever confusion instead of working on distrib. Also he tells me to goto bed at weird early hours, and so.

But the kitchen already looks more clean, and I did my job too.

It's too warm a summer.