A stranger from the land of Woot came to Master Foo as he was eating the morning meal with his students.
I hear y00 are very l33t, he said. Pl33z teach m3 all y00 know.
Master Foo's students looked at each other, confused by the stranger's barbarous language. Master Foo just smiled and replied: You wish to learn the Way of Unix?
I want to b3 a wizard hax0r, the stranger replied, and 0wn ever3one's b0xen.
I do not teach that Way, replied Master Foo.
The stranger grew agitated. D00d, y00 r nothing but a p0ser, he said. If y00 n00 anything, y00 wud t33ch m3.
There is a path, said Master Foo, that might bring you to wisdom. The master scribbled an IP address on a piece of paper. Cracking this box should pose you little difficulty, as its guardians are incompetent. Return and tell me what you find.
The stranger bowed and left. Master Foo finished his meal.
Days passed, then months. The stranger was forgotten.
Years later, the stranger from the land of Woot returned.
Damn you! he said, I cracked that box, and it was easy like you said. But I got busted by the FBI and thrown in jail.
Good, said Master Foo. You are ready for the next lesson. He scribbled an IP address on another piece of paper and handed it to the stranger.
Are you crazy? the stranger yelled. After what I've been through, I'm never going to break into a computer again!
Master Foo smiled. Here, he said, is the beginning of wisdom.
On hearing this, the stranger was enlightened.
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There was a novice who learned much at the Master's feet, but felt something to be missing. After meditating on his doubts for some time, he found the courage to approach Master Foo about his problem.
Master Foo, he asked why do Unix users not employ antivirus programs? And defragmentors? And malware cleaners?
Master Foo smiled, and said When your house is well constructed, there is no need to add pillars to keep the roof in place.
The novice replied Would it not be better to use these things anyway, just to be certain?
Master Foo reached for a nearby ball of string, and began wrapping it around the novice's feet.
What are you doing? the novice asked in surprise.
Master Foo replied simply: Tying your shoes.
Upon hearing this, the novice was enlightened.
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Master Foo once said to a visiting programmer: There is more Unix-nature in one line of shell script than there is in ten thousand lines of C.
The programmer, who was very proud of his mastery of C, said: How can this be? C is the language in which the very kernel of Unix is implemented!
Master Foo replied: That is so. Nevertheless, there is more Unix-nature in one line of shell script than there is in ten thousand lines of C.
The programmer grew distressed. But through the C language we experience the enlightenment of the Patriarch Ritchie! We become as one with the operating system and the machine, reaping matchless performance!
Master Foo replied: All that you say is true. But there is still more Unix-nature in one line of shell script than there is in ten thousand lines of C.
The programmer scoffed at Master Foo and rose to depart. But Master Foo nodded to his student Nubi, who wrote a line of shell script on a nearby whiteboard, and said: Master programmer, consider this pipeline. Implemented in pure C, would it not span ten thousand lines?
The programmer muttered through his beard, contemplating what Nubi had written. Finally he agreed that it was so.
And how many hours would you require to implement and debug that C program? asked Nubi.
Many, admitted the visiting programmer. But only a fool would spend the time to do that when so many more worthy tasks await him.
And who better understands the Unix-nature? Master Foo asked. Is it he who writes the ten thousand lines, or he who, perceiving the emptiness of the task, gains merit by not coding?
Upon hearing this, the programmer was enlightened.
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- WolfShield