Mark Laws ([info]mdl) wrote,
@ 2009-08-23 21:49:00
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Entry tags:computers, idiots, rant

Why attempting systems programming on OS X is a waste of your time
Do you enjoy piles of unintelligible code written without any regard to consistent style? Do you like documentation that's worse than non-existent? Do you like worthless samples that you can't compile because Apple hasn't thrown all the headers and/or libraries and/or tools over the wall that are needed to actually build them? Do you like the idea of a second-system effect poster boy for interacting with hardware that manages to be even more hideous than ioctl? Do you like the idea of a decrepit kernel trailing both Windows and Linux in most regards based on technology proven to have failed in 1990 and kept around for mostly political reasons? Do you like having nobody from which to get help because most every other Mac developer is a clueless wanker writing insultingly simple applications and selling them for $25+? If so, you may enjoy OS X systems programming!

Stay tuned for "Why attempting applications programming on OS X is also a waste of your time," featuring yet more private APIs, lousy documentation, and a general experience that makes raw Win32 look like a good time.




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[info]meansteve
2009-08-24 11:15 am UTC (link)
You don't need any of that stuff, as you'll recall Macs just work!

hey wait what are you doing to my underwear pulling them up like that it's massively tight down there and now hey knock it off why are you pouring that latte into my ass it hurts so very much what with it being all warm and steaming it feels like I just took a massive dump in my BVDs here and all oh no now you're kicking me out of the Starbucks and stomping on my precious precious MacBook Pro Air Titanium GX5 2010: The Final Fight I was writing a screenplay on that oof owf ack dof huf duf bof now you're kicking and punching me the least you could do is wiggle your finger around in my asshole a bit if you're going to clamp down on my balls like that

screw you guys I'm going back to the Genius Bar where they appreciate people like me

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[info]dotmx
2009-08-25 01:25 am UTC (link)
your posts make my wiener tingle.

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[info]revmischa
2009-08-27 05:27 pm UTC (link)
im kinda curious what exactly you're running into. also, why is there a nice cutesy api for everything except opening sockets. like apple can't conceive of anyone doing anything with a socket except loading http urls

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[info]mdl
2009-09-07 09:34 am UTC (link)
I was trying to figure out how to dim the screen (i.e. DPMS). There's not even a function to do it; it's some undocumented magic message you send with IO Kit to IODisplayWrangler (hey guys we reinvented ioctl except it's even uglier).

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