From: jerry@ora.ora.com (Jerry Peek)
Subject: Your favorite mysterious error messages, please
I'm writing a new book about solving problems in UNIX. One of my
favorite problems is error messages like:
% rsh host cmd
Where are you?
(caused by putting "biff" in the .cshrc file), or:
You don't exist. Go away.
(I don't remember where that one came from... maybe "script"?).
The messages don't have to be humorous, but they shouldn't have a
command name or something that gives them away. If you've got some
favorites and you know where they're from, please mail them to me (I guess
you shouldn't post them unless you think they're worth the net bandwidth).
If I use yours in the book, I'll give you credit in the Acknowledgments.
If anyone wants a summary of the messages I get, let me know. Thanks!
Jerry Peek, O'Reilly & Associates, jerry@ora.com or uunet!ora!jerry
--
From: betsys@ra.cs.umb.edu (Elizabeth Schwartz)
Subject: Re: Your favorite mysterious error messages, please
Happened to me yesterday:
% lpr myfile
Who are you?
Caused by someone deleting /etc/passwd !
--
From: jscott@isis.cs.du.edu (James Scott)
Subject: Re: Your favorite mysterious error messages, please
How about this
$ sh -g shell.script
sh: black magic
--
From: bguthy@tiber.engin.umich.edu (bala s guthy )
Subject: Re: Your favorite mysterious error messages, please
% talk root
Who are you? You have no entry in /etc/utmp! Aborting...
%
caused by running a xterm session with the -ut option.
--
From: apl@world.std.com (Anthony P Lawrence)
Subject: Re: Your favorite mysterious error messages, please
How about
"Shut her down-the system is sucking mud!"
This came from Radio Shack Xenix on their Model 16 system, and caused a
rather excited phone call from a Lawyer client who wanted me to know
that he did not appreciate my immature sense of humour, and his system
was totally dead, damn it!
It took some talking to convince him that the message was NOT mine...
Tony
--
From: andy@research.canon.oz.au (Andy Newman)
Subject: Re: Your favorite mysterious error messages, please
How about...
leave: You are not logged in
Caused by the lack of utmp record in an xterm -ut.
--
Back to my Computer Humor Page
Back to my humor page
Back to my home page