millosh's old blog

SHARE Operating System

2007-01-14T02:02:00.000+01:00

SHARE Operating System (or SOS) is created in 1959 by the group SHARE as a successor of GM-NAA I/O. SHARE improved sharing programs, managing buffers and allowed execution of programs made in assembly language. SOS was standard operating system on IBM computers in late 1950s. (Image from the left side is from the page 709 Data Processing System on IBM's site.)

Like GM-NAA I/O, SOS initially worked in IBM 704, but later it was used on IBM 709 computers. Later, IBM used SOS as basis for it's operating system called IBSYS which was used on computers IBM 7090 and 7094.

Companies which used IBM 701 and IBM 704 computers were dependent of IBM computers (Thorton). They tried to make organization which would decrease their dependence of IBM, including sharing software between them and even making their own operating system. However, in 1964 IBM madeincompatible System/360 with it's own operating system OS/360 (Thorton, Harcke).

Unlike for GM-NAA I/O, there are a lot of references for SHARE Operating System. However, don't confuse SHARE OS with description of modern operating systemswhich aim to share resources.

Bibliography

Harcke, Leif Jon, http://insar.stanford.edu/...
IBM SHARE library (on Paul Pierce's site)
Programmer's Manual for the SHARE Operating System, 1959 scan, PDF scan, 8 861 797 bytes (thanks to Paul Pierce)
Programmer's Manual for the SHARE Operating System, 1960 scan, PDF scan, 28 739 298 bytes (thanks to Paul Pierce)
Thorton, Adam Justin, SHARE as a Window Into the Post-War Corporate Landscape, March 26, 1997.
Tomayko, James E., Computers in Spaceflight, The NASA Experience, March 1988.
The History of Computing Project
Wikipedia contributors. SHARE Operating System. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 2006 [accessed at 2006/04/25]. Available in http://es.wikipedia.org/w/.... (and Google translation in English).

Space colonization, geological events, part 2

2007-01-10T14:29:00.000+01:00

Volcano Toba caused population bottleneck of modern humans and Neanderthals and destroyed all other human species, as well as destruction of almost the whole life in Southeast Asia. Volcano Explosivity Index of this volcano is 8, it occurs once per 10,000 years or more and the last eruption was more then 70,000 years ago.

Deccan Traps in India, with over 2 kilometers thick basalt layer on the area of 500.000 square kilometers (France i Spain have similar size), was made in volcano eruption. This volcano is rated with 10 on the Volcano Explosivity Index and occurs once per 1 million of year or more.

Siberian Traps initially had seven millions of square kilometers (Australia has the similar size). Siberian Traps are generated by volcano eruption and volume of it's lava was between one and four millions of cubic kilometers. Eruption frequency of this volcano is once per 10 millions of years or more and the last eruption occurred 251 millions of years ago. This volcano has Volcano Explosivity Index 11.

All of those information say to us that catastrophes caused by supervolcano eruption are more then possible. As time passes, chances for such eruption are bigger.

If such volcano eruption occurs, I don't think that we have other possibilities then to escape into the space. Actually, the only way to escape is to get warning enough time before the event. But, small or big group of humans which leaving the Earth is not able to survive without self-sufficient space colonies. If we want to have just a possibility that some humans survive, we will have to have space developed space colonies on Mars, Moon, Europa... According to the present situation, we need to wait at least 100 years for the first colonies out of the Earth. (At the up right side you may see terraformed Mars. Image is made by Mathew Crisp.)

Mount Erebus

2007-01-09T10:37:00.000+01:00

Mount Erebus is the southernmost active volcano on the Earth. It is located on Ross Island on Antarctica.

Image is very interesting to me because it looks like a landscape from some distant world.

Space colonization, geological events, part 1

2007-01-08T15:00:00.000+01:00

If humans want to survive, as soon as possible they have to emigrate out of Earth. As time is passing, possibility for global catastrophe is increasing. Yes, we may prevent some of them, like wars are. However, our technology is not able to exert influence on natural events. Dangerous pandemics are still possible, more then 90% of asteroids and comets which may be dangerous for life on Earth may be discovered too late, volcano on Java 70.000 years ago destroyed 98% of human population.

This article is about geological reasons why to emigrate into the space.

This idyllic lake on the left side is known as Taupo. It is on the North Island of New Zealand. Climate on North Island is subtropical and I am sure that it is very nice to be near and to swim in the lake.

But, this lake was dangerous place in the past. Lake Taupo is caldera of former volcano. The most famous eruption of this volcano happened 26,500 years ago and last one was 181 AD. Taupo is supervolcano with Volcano Explosivity Index 7.

Geological events, like supervolcano eruptions are very dangerous for human specie. Eruption of supervolcano Toba, today Lake Toba (satellite image of Lake Toba is on the right side) which was happened around 70,000 years ago, according to Toba catastrophe theory, left human population on few tens of thousands. This event probably caused different skin colours of modern humans.

Our contemporary knowledge about events inside of the Earth is not so big. There are only statistics which say how much time would take from one to another eruption.

Volcano Krakatoa, which is responsible for existence of two islands instead of one (Java and Sumatra), has has Volcano Explosivity Index 6 and eruptions occur once per 100 years or more. The last eruption occurred at 1883.

Desktop from Kazakhstan

2007-01-08T09:04:00.000+01:00

This image is on my desktop. This is Kaindy lake in south-east of Kazakhstan. The sticks are dead Picea schrenkiana trees.

Image was picture of the day on Wikimedia Commons at November 19, 2006.

Photo is made by Jsx and more of his his photos on his site http://satkauskas.com/ (i.e. http://satkauskas.blogspot.com/).

GM-NAA I/O (History of operating systems)

2007-01-07T17:27:00.000+01:00

It is widely accepted that GM-NAA I/O was the first operating system. It is designed by Bob Patrick of General Motors and Owen Mock of North American Aviation in 1956.

Operating system was installed on IBM 704 (on the photo) and it's main function was batch processing.

GM-NAA I/O preceded SHARE Operating System.

(There is no relevant documentation about this operating system on the Internet and if you know something about it, please write the comment or write somewhere and give a link in the comment. Existing references only mention information from the first two paragraphs of this text.)

References

Software history in the Library of the Oracle ThinkQuest Education Foundation.
George Gray, Unisys History Newsletter. Volume 1, Number 3, March 1993 (revised 1999), Exec II.
Timeline of Computer History on Compupter History Museum.
Computer History Timeline by Robby Peterson.
GM-NAA I/O on Spanish Wikipedia (translation in English via Google).

Sunset

2007-01-07T13:01:00.000+01:00

What do you think: from which continent this photo is coming?

The future came to us. Images of distant worlds now exist not only in our imagination.

Learning GNU/Linux

2007-01-06T13:42:00.000+01:00

Very often my friends ask me to tell them what is the best way to learn GNU/Linux system. So, I decided to write it. The first version is available in Serbian, but I'll try to maintain this maunal in English, too.

Before you start

Learn English up to the lever that you are able to read technical language. This is not so complex level of knowledge. If you are able to read this text, then you know English good enough. However, this note is important for the people who are not native speakers of English. So, if you want to translate this manual in your own language, keep this information as the first one.
Read Eric Raymond's document Unix and Internet Fundamentals (one HTML file, PDF).
Continue with Eric's document How to Become a Hacker.

Keep in mind that I am not telling you to accept Raymond's ethics ;) Also, keep in mind that he is a controversial. A good source for reading about him is the article on Wikipedia about him.

The next document is also Eric's, How to Ask Smart Questions.

System

When you come to this stage, find someone who knows how to install GNU/Linux operating system. The best way to find someone is to find your local Linux user group. Read LUG HOWTO for more information. Keep in mind that GNU/Linux distributions are free and some of them, like Ubuntu, are shipping their distribution to your home for free.
You are ready now to read the first book: Introduction to Linux - A Hands on Guide (one HTML file, tar.gz, PDF).
My intention is to introduce you into the system core. The next document is From Power up to Bash Prompt (PDF).
Learn to write scripts. Learn bash:

Read document Bash Guide for Beginners (one HTML file, tar.gz, PDF).
If you want to continue with bash, read the document Advanced Bash-Scripting Guide (tar.gz, PDF).

Learn how to make your own GNU/Linux distribution:

Make your distro on floppy disc or on CD using the document Bootdisk How to (PDF).

Note that this document is partially outdated and there are some better tools instead of suggested inside of the document (GRUB instead of LILO; Busybox is very good tool now etc.). However, this document will give to you the basic knowledge of making your own distribution.

If you want to continue with making your own distribution, try to study the document Linux From Scratch (one HTML fajl, tar.gz, PDF).

Reference guides and other documentation
There are a lot of documentation for GNU/Linux systems. I suggest you some sites and documents as the first step toward further learning.

Keep with you GNU/Linux Command-Line Tools Summary (one HTML file, tar.gz, PDF).
The main site for GNU/Linux documentation is The Linux Documentation Project. This project has the next sections:

HOWTO documents

Visit this site periodically.

Notes

This document will be develped in the future. You may contact me via email.

Belgrade from Google Earth

2006-12-10T16:14:00.000+01:00

I made the first version of places in Belgrade using Google Earth. You may download the file.

Transitional horror in Serbia

2006-11-26T00:26:00.000+01:00

Serbia is in so called "transitional period". This means that it is in times when big robbers, from Serbia or not from Serbia, are stealing everything which they are able to steal. After that period, Serbia will not be anymore in "transitional period", but in capitalism, which means that feudal relations between people will become usual relations.

A lot of people are fired from their jobs. A lot of them don't see any other way to go out from their poverty except to make a suicide. This story on Serbian news portal B92 describes a couple of such events.

Nenad Tarlanovic, a young butcher from Novi Sad, cut his neck using two butcher knifes after his boss told to him that he will be fired because he was late for a job for three minutes.
Dragica Simic, one of the best workers of the company FAD from Gornji Milanovac, hanged up herself in the company after she had been fired. She had been working in the factory for 28 years.
Milivoje Nikolic, worker from US Steel from Smederevo died from hard attack near the
factory after he had been fired. He had been working in the factory for 33 years.
Zvezdan Todorovic, worker of the Belgrade Port, made a suicide after he realized that he is on the list or the workers who should be fired. He had gone to Danube with his car.

And B92 (actually some of "experts" who had been talking with B92 journalist) suggested only one "reasonable solution": just not to say so hardly to people that they are fired, but to say it to them a little bit softer, better, more carefully... And what would be happened with that people, with their families without money -- who cares?

A couple of days after, they suggested to people from transitional Serbia a "Corporate training of the team spirit". Oh, what a solution for people who are fired? And how nice Orwellian future is coming to Serbia... Oh, this is the present of human relation in the Western countries...

Wireless transfer of electricity

2006-11-26T00:22:00.000+01:00

See this link. However, we need research to find is it so new event...

Only free sources

2006-10-28T13:11:00.000+02:00

As it seems that I am starting again to write something which may be called scientific papers, I have to explain in short my long term idea about not dealing with closed sources.

Myths
Knowledge has to be free. I see no reason against it. Fears like "what if knowledge comes into wrong hands" are irrational because, if speaking in such manner, knowledge is already in the wrong hands: if it is in right hands, we would not have wars, poverty and all other huge problems of contemporary humanity. However, for making a gun more things are needed then only knowledge: the whole complex of industries is needed for such thing.

On the other side, the most of manipulations through known and unknown history are made only because knowledge was not and is not accessible to the public. There are so much events related to this that I don't have any reason to make any example.

And Internet made a lot on knowledge liberation. In this moment all people who may use Internet and English language are able to find a lot of information. If they are using it well, there are a small chances that someone lying them about some obvious thing.

There is Wikipedia, too -- with 1.5 millions of articles which covers the most important parts of human life. Today, people are free to know a lot of things which was just ten years ago a privilege of having a good library in the city and a lot of free time. Because of that, I hope that a wide range of manipulations is not possible anymore.

Ignore them!
But, this is not the end of the struggle for free knowledge. There is a lot of scientific work which is done out of public. A lot of kinds information are available only to small group of people because of particular selfish interests. At least, people have to buy a book or paper to be able to know something. But, this is at least. Try to learn how your mobile phone is working. Try to find what is the technology of making food which you are eating. Try to find how any other completely ordinary process is working. At least, you will need a lot of time even it is not necessary.

In the known history, conditions to make knowledge really free are the best today. We have a lot of people who are working together in building free knowledge. Thanks to Internet, today we are almost able to ignore non-free knowledge. And we should do so! If we don't refer to non-free knowledge, we would be able to make a strong social and economic pressure to the people who are making non-free knowledge. Internet is our territory and they depends of Internet.

I don't read books nor newspapers. I read only books and news on the net. Of course, I am not so dogmatic, but I don't remember when I read some book last time. I don't remember even when I bought some newspaper last time. I don't need them. And I don't feel any frustration because of that. I have Internet.

Of course, the questions are what would be if I wouldn't have access to Internet and what about people who don't have access to Internet? Yes, I wouldn't be able to access to free knowledge and, yes, people who don't have access to Internet don't have (at least good) access to free knowledge. But, this is the problem which should be solved in other ways. One of such ways is that people who are able to access to free knowledge should help to people who are not able: in their neighborhood as well as on the other side of the planet.

Possible logical fallacy?
No, I am not saying that anyone should ignore facts only because they are incorporated inside of non-free knowledge. Yes, I know that a lot of knowledge is not free today. So, yes, we should use it if it is necessary.

Yes, I know that a lot of scientist are not able to contribute free knowledge. Maybe they would like it, but they don't understand free knowledge concepts or they are not able to put their knowledge as free. If we are able, we should talk with them and we should try to explain them what is free knowledge. I found a lot of scientists who were delighted when they had been found firstly Internet, then Wikipedia. A lot of them want to participate in making free knowledge. So, help them. It is not so easy to learn new concepts in the old ages. And some young person, even (s)he doesn't have so big knowledge -- may help to some scientist in using computers, Internet, Wikipedia or whatever -- in making free knowledge.

Conclusion
Inside of something which may be treated as my scientific work, I will not use non-free knowledge if it is possible: I will not use restrictively copyrighted books if there are books which are not copyrighted; I will not use restrictively copyrighted periodicals if I don't need. And I am calling all others to do so.