Posts by Paul Foxworthy

Pratchett is a good source

I recommend Terry Pratchett character names for computers.

Greebo, Gaspode, Luggage (for a netbook, of course), Unseen (for a wireless access point), Vimes, Weatherwax, Magrat, Rincewind, Havelock. They seem to have a ring to them, and when you need a new name you have a theme to work with.

Ten years - nope

Microsoft's big move on security was in 2002, hardly ten years ago.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/security/cc448177.aspx

Tuz was the mascot for linux.conf.au 2009

Tuz the Tasmanian devil was the mascot for the linux.conf.au conference held in January 2009 in Hobart, Tasmania. It was a brilliant idea - the Tassie Devil with the penguin disguise to fit in with all the penguinistas coming to Hobart. Attendees are proud owners of Tuz stuffed toys.

There is a charity auction at the conference dinner every year, and this year the cause was Save The Tassie Devil. The auction was a free-ranging affair. Linus Torvalds offered to change the logo from Tux to Tuz for one release of the kernel if the bidding reached a good amount.

Also at the auction Bdale Garbee of HP was persuaded (again, after demanding higher bids) to allow Linus Torvalds to shave off his beard, which duly happened on Friday and made the television news in Hobart. Pictures, complete with Bdale holding Tuz, at http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/274149 /slideshow_linus_torvalds_shaves_bdale_garbee_beard?fp=4194304&fpid=1

A blow-by-blow description of the auction is at http://zarfmouse.livejournal.com/291848.html

The auction was on the evening Wednesday 21 January. I think Linus was surprised when the patch to change Tux to Tuz was submitted overnight, and a Linux with Tuz was shown booting at a conference keynote speech the next morning.

More on Tuz replacing Tux, if only for one kernel release, at http://www.itwire.com/content/view/23976/1141/