Build environments? Luxury...
I've never had time to sit down and sort out Makefile dependencies. Every company I've worked in thinks it's more productive to have to do a make clean followed by a make then wait for ages after every tiny change.
Google Chrome developer Evan Martin has open sourced the custom-designed build system he uses to build the browser's Linux port. Martin calls the system Ninja because it "strikes quickly." According to Martin's Ninja manual, he previously used a customized system based on the old GNU Make build-automation system, and while …
2,3,5 and 15 definitely seem appropriate here...
Top 15 lines, likely to be overheard if you had a Klingon on your software development team [Source: unknown]:
1. A TRUE Klingon warrior does not comment his code!
2. This machine is a piece of GAGH! I need dual Pentium processors if I am to do battle with this code!
3. I have challenged the entire ISO-9000 review team to a round of Bat-Leth practice on the holodeck. They will not concern us again.
4. Behold the keyboard of Kalis! The greatest Klingon code warrior that ever lived!
5. Defensive programming? Never! Klingon programs are always offensive. Yes, offensive programming is what we do best.
6. Klingon programs don't do accountancy. For that, you need a Ferengi programmer.
7. Klingon function calls do not have 'parameters' - they have 'arguments' - and they ALWAYS WIN THEM.
8. This code is a piece of crap! You have no honour!
9. By filing this bug you have questioned my family honour. Prepare to die!
10. I am without honour...my children are without honour... My father coded at the Battle of Kittimer...and...and...he... HE ALLOWED HIMSELF TO BE MICROMANAGED. <Shudder>
11. You question the worthiness of my code?! I should kill you where you stand!
12. Microsoft Cooperation is actually a secret Ferengi-Klingon alliance designed to cripple the Federation. The Ferengi are doing the marketing and the Klingons are writing the code.
13. Specs are for the weak and timid!
14. Klingons do not believe in indentation - except perhaps in the skulls of their project managers.
15. Perhaps it IS a good day to die! I say we ship it!
Some file changes here result in a 30 minute build time. Much time for web surfing during the day. Unfortunately our short sighted management can't fathom the cost saving of spending a small amount of resource to improve things (there are loads of things that can be done very simply).
Still their loss and my gain.
Google placing software under an open source license is nothing new. Chrome is open source as Chromium (and the corresponding OS as Chromium OS), and Android has an open source version. Not to mention, there are plenty of projects hosted on Google Code that Google has created by themselves. So really, this came as no surprise to me.