Difference between revisions of "456: Cautionary"

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{{comic
 
{{comic
 
| number    = 456
 
| number    = 456
| date      =  
+
| date      = July 30, 2008
 
| title    = Cautionary
 
| title    = Cautionary
 
| image    = cautionary.png
 
| image    = cautionary.png
Line 8: Line 8:
  
 
==Explanation==
 
==Explanation==
Many people who use Linux start out not really knowing anything about it, other than that it's free. So, they find someone who knows about it to help them set it up.
+
[[Cueball]]'s cousin decides to install Linux on her new PC, and calls Cueball, whom she views as her personal Linux expert. The overarching joke revolves around the fact that Linux, especially home PC-based GNU/Linux, is much more often used as a "hobby" OS, as compared against a "productivity" OS such as {{w|Windows}} or {{w|OS X}}. Large numbers of people use Windows or Mac by default, because it came with their computer hardware when they bought it, and it already had the software suite they wanted to use installed along with it. Linux, on the other hand, rarely comes pre-installed on PC hardware and generally must be deliberately chosen and acquired; and while it can be set up to achieve efficient and productive workflow in virtually any area on PCs, because it often must be consciously selected, installed, and configured by users, it tends to either attract or, in a few cases, create individuals who take disproportionate pleasure in, and derive self-identification from, hacking the operating system itself. Thus, many people who are {{w|Linux}} {{w|Hacker (hobbyist)|enthusiasts}} began by not really knowing anything about it other than that it's {{w|Gratis|free of cost}}, but the process of actually building Linux on their machines gradually lead them to take an increasing interest in it, which the comic humorously likens to substance addiction.
  
XORG (officially X.Org) is an implementation of the X window manager, a program used on Linux. It often has configuration problems, and can be difficult and/or painful to fix (see comic 963).
+
Xorg (officially {{w|X.Org Server|X.Org}}) is an implementation of the X Window System, a program responsible for the graphical display used on Linux. If it has configuration problems, which was quite common with some video card drivers back in 2008 (especially {{w|fglrx#Linux|those
 +
for ATI Radeon cards}}), it is often difficult and/or painful to fix (see [[963: X11]]). {{w|man page|Man pages}} are manual pages for Unix-based operating systems and software, usually accessible online but also bundled with the software itself, that explain in simple unambiguous language what certain things are, how they work, and providing clear illustrations of their use.
  
Linux has many versions, called "distributions". Each distribution, or "distro", has a different look and feel, and different features. Ubuntu is a "beginner" version of Linux, designed to just "work" and be friendly toward people used to Windows. Debian is a somewhat more advanced distro that requires more knowledge of Linux (and sometimes programming), and gentoo is a very advanced version. Because she is fed up with Ubuntu trading functionality for ease-of-use, she switches to Gentoo.
+
Linux has many versions, called "distributions". Each distribution, or "distro", has a different look and feel, and different feature sets and design philosophies. {{w|Ubuntu (operating system)|Ubuntu}} is a very popular "beginner" version of Linux, designed to "just work" and be familiar/usable to people fresh out of Windows. {{w|Debian}} is a popular but somewhat more "advanced" distro, more traditionally "{{w|Unix-like}}" than Ubuntu, with a huge and diverse base of supported software that generally requires more Linux know-how to configure and use, or at least more eagerness to learn. {{w|Gentoo Linux|Gentoo}} is a very advanced distro allowing for extreme customization and optimization but requiring extensive install and setup time. Because Cueball's cousin is fed up with Ubuntu trading functionality for ease-of-use,  
 +
she decides to switch to Debian or maybe Gentoo, both of these successive options prompting [[Cueball]] to fear that she may just be getting in deeper and deeper. ("Autoconfig issues" refers to [[416: Zealous Autoconfig]])
  
Some advanced users of Linux decide to compile their kernel from source. This basically means that instead of downloading Linux and installing it, they download the source code, change somethings, build the source code into a runnable version of the OS, and then use it. To many advanced users, their installation of Linux is like a house might be to a homeowner: A never-ending project, improved slightly every day, but modified more often than it's actually used. In the final panel, she has become addicted to Linux, and as a heroin addict might take another dose, or a homeowner might paint something or move a picture, she might change a setting or two and recompile the kernel (OS).
+
Some advanced users of Linux choose to compile their kernel from source; Gentoo requires this, and is customarily compiled locally. Source code is a computer program expressed in an easily human-readable format, often simply as text. However, source code cannot be run directly by a computer, and instead needs to be "compiled" into object code, a computer-runnable but human-unreadable low level code. A coder will generally hack a program in source code, then compile their source code so that the computer itself may run the program (see [[303: Compiling]]). This means that with Gentoo, instead of downloading an already functional Linux system to install and run, users download the source code for the system, customize it to their own needs, then compile the code into a runnable version of the OS, all before they can begin to use the system. To many such advanced users, their installation of Linux is like a hobby sportscar: A never-ending project, constantly tweaked and cleaned and adjusted to improve performance, that spends far more time sitting around with its hood open than actually being used for its ostensible purpose.
  
==Transcript==
+
In the final panel, Cueball's cousin has become addicted to Linux, and is lost in the {{w|Flow (psychology)|flow}} of hacking her kernel to her liking, having forgotten whatever it was she originally purchased the new PC to do.
Linux: A True Story:
 
  
[A man talks on a cell phone]
+
The title text jokes about the bad support for many then-common {{w|Wi-Fi}} cards within Linux back in 2008.
  
Week One:
+
It is likely that the last cautionary aspect of the comic, explicitly present in both its title and its conclusion, is sarcastic. Randall is clearly very fond of Linux and even a Linux and open source advocate. (See [[272: Linux User at Best Buy]] as an example.) At the beginning of the comic, the cousin seems to barely know how computers work past very basic end-user functionality. After just a few weeks, she's become extremely advanced. Not only can she compile her own kernel, she does not do so by blindly following instructions. She does so in a critical and meaningful way. This high praise of Linux is most likely wrapped into a facetious tone of caution for comic reasons.
  
Female cousin [via phone]: Hey, it's your cousin. I got a new computer but don't want Windows. Can you help me install "Linux"?
+
==Transcript==
 
+
:Linux: A True Story:
Man: Sure.
+
:[Cueball talks on a cell phone.]
 
+
:Week One:
[The female cousin sits in an office chair with her laptop on her lap. She is on the phone]
+
:Cousin: Hey, it's your cousin. I got a new computer but don't want Windows. Can you help me install "Linux"?
 
+
:Cueball: Sure.
Week Two:
 
 
 
Female cousin: It says my XORG is broken. What's an "XORG"? Where can I look that up?
 
 
 
Man [via phone]: Hmm, lemme show you man pages.
 
 
 
[The female cousin crouches on the floor with the laptop on her lap. She is still on the phone]
 
 
 
Week Six:
 
 
 
Female cousin: Due to auto-config issues, I'm leaving Ubuntu for Debian.
 
 
 
Man [via phone] Uh.
 
 
 
Female cousin: Or Gentoo.
 
 
 
Man [via phone]: Uh oh.
 
 
 
[The female cousin lies on her stomach with the laptop on the floor. On the floor are several pieces of paper and a book. The man stands to her left]
 
 
 
Week Twelve:
 
 
 
Man: You haven't answered your phone in days.
 
  
Female cousin: Can't sleep. Must compile kernel.
+
:[Cueball's cousin sits in an office chair with her laptop on her lap. She is on the phone.]
 +
:Week Two:
 +
:Cousin: It says my XORG is broken. What's an "XORG"? Where can I look that up?
 +
:Cueball: Hmm, lemme show you man pages.
  
Man: I'm too late.
+
:[Cueball's cousin crouches on the floor with the laptop on her lap. She is still on the phone.]
 +
:Week Six:
 +
:Cousin: Due to auto-config issues, I'm leaving Ubuntu for Debian.
 +
:Cueball: Uh.
 +
:Cousin: Or Gentoo.
 +
:Cueball: Uh oh.
  
[Box with text:]
+
:[Cueball's Cousin lies on her stomach with the laptop on the floor. On the floor are several pieces of paper and a book. Cueball stands to her left.]
 +
:Week Twelve:
 +
:Cueball: You haven't answered your phone in days.
 +
:Cousin: Can't sleep. Must compile kernel.
 +
:Cueball: I'm too late.
  
Parents: talk to your kids about Linux... Before somebody else does.
+
:[Box with text:]
 +
:Parents: talk to your kids about Linux... Before somebody else does.
  
{{comic discussion}}  
+
{{comic discussion}}
<!-- Include any categories below this line-->
+
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
 +
[[Category:Linux]]
 +
[[Category:Man pages]]

Revision as of 07:35, 11 June 2016

Cautionary
This really is a true story, and she doesn't know I put it in my comic because her wifi hasn't worked for weeks.
Title text: This really is a true story, and she doesn't know I put it in my comic because her wifi hasn't worked for weeks.

Explanation

Cueball's cousin decides to install Linux on her new PC, and calls Cueball, whom she views as her personal Linux expert. The overarching joke revolves around the fact that Linux, especially home PC-based GNU/Linux, is much more often used as a "hobby" OS, as compared against a "productivity" OS such as Windows or OS X. Large numbers of people use Windows or Mac by default, because it came with their computer hardware when they bought it, and it already had the software suite they wanted to use installed along with it. Linux, on the other hand, rarely comes pre-installed on PC hardware and generally must be deliberately chosen and acquired; and while it can be set up to achieve efficient and productive workflow in virtually any area on PCs, because it often must be consciously selected, installed, and configured by users, it tends to either attract or, in a few cases, create individuals who take disproportionate pleasure in, and derive self-identification from, hacking the operating system itself. Thus, many people who are Linux enthusiasts began by not really knowing anything about it other than that it's free of cost, but the process of actually building Linux on their machines gradually lead them to take an increasing interest in it, which the comic humorously likens to substance addiction.

Xorg (officially X.Org) is an implementation of the X Window System, a program responsible for the graphical display used on Linux. If it has configuration problems, which was quite common with some video card drivers back in 2008 (especially those for ATI Radeon cards), it is often difficult and/or painful to fix (see 963: X11). Man pages are manual pages for Unix-based operating systems and software, usually accessible online but also bundled with the software itself, that explain in simple unambiguous language what certain things are, how they work, and providing clear illustrations of their use.

Linux has many versions, called "distributions". Each distribution, or "distro", has a different look and feel, and different feature sets and design philosophies. Ubuntu is a very popular "beginner" version of Linux, designed to "just work" and be familiar/usable to people fresh out of Windows. Debian is a popular but somewhat more "advanced" distro, more traditionally "Unix-like" than Ubuntu, with a huge and diverse base of supported software that generally requires more Linux know-how to configure and use, or at least more eagerness to learn. Gentoo is a very advanced distro allowing for extreme customization and optimization but requiring extensive install and setup time. Because Cueball's cousin is fed up with Ubuntu trading functionality for ease-of-use, she decides to switch to Debian or maybe Gentoo, both of these successive options prompting Cueball to fear that she may just be getting in deeper and deeper. ("Autoconfig issues" refers to 416: Zealous Autoconfig)

Some advanced users of Linux choose to compile their kernel from source; Gentoo requires this, and is customarily compiled locally. Source code is a computer program expressed in an easily human-readable format, often simply as text. However, source code cannot be run directly by a computer, and instead needs to be "compiled" into object code, a computer-runnable but human-unreadable low level code. A coder will generally hack a program in source code, then compile their source code so that the computer itself may run the program (see 303: Compiling). This means that with Gentoo, instead of downloading an already functional Linux system to install and run, users download the source code for the system, customize it to their own needs, then compile the code into a runnable version of the OS, all before they can begin to use the system. To many such advanced users, their installation of Linux is like a hobby sportscar: A never-ending project, constantly tweaked and cleaned and adjusted to improve performance, that spends far more time sitting around with its hood open than actually being used for its ostensible purpose.

In the final panel, Cueball's cousin has become addicted to Linux, and is lost in the flow of hacking her kernel to her liking, having forgotten whatever it was she originally purchased the new PC to do.

The title text jokes about the bad support for many then-common Wi-Fi cards within Linux back in 2008.

It is likely that the last cautionary aspect of the comic, explicitly present in both its title and its conclusion, is sarcastic. Randall is clearly very fond of Linux and even a Linux and open source advocate. (See 272: Linux User at Best Buy as an example.) At the beginning of the comic, the cousin seems to barely know how computers work past very basic end-user functionality. After just a few weeks, she's become extremely advanced. Not only can she compile her own kernel, she does not do so by blindly following instructions. She does so in a critical and meaningful way. This high praise of Linux is most likely wrapped into a facetious tone of caution for comic reasons.

Transcript

Linux: A True Story:
[Cueball talks on a cell phone.]
Week One:
Cousin: Hey, it's your cousin. I got a new computer but don't want Windows. Can you help me install "Linux"?
Cueball: Sure.
[Cueball's cousin sits in an office chair with her laptop on her lap. She is on the phone.]
Week Two:
Cousin: It says my XORG is broken. What's an "XORG"? Where can I look that up?
Cueball: Hmm, lemme show you man pages.
[Cueball's cousin crouches on the floor with the laptop on her lap. She is still on the phone.]
Week Six:
Cousin: Due to auto-config issues, I'm leaving Ubuntu for Debian.
Cueball: Uh.
Cousin: Or Gentoo.
Cueball: Uh oh.
[Cueball's Cousin lies on her stomach with the laptop on the floor. On the floor are several pieces of paper and a book. Cueball stands to her left.]
Week Twelve:
Cueball: You haven't answered your phone in days.
Cousin: Can't sleep. Must compile kernel.
Cueball: I'm too late.
[Box with text:]
Parents: talk to your kids about Linux... Before somebody else does.


comment.png add a comment! ⋅ comment.png add a topic (use sparingly)! ⋅ Icons-mini-action refresh blue.gif refresh comments!

Discussion

Isn't 'Talk to your kids about...' from a famous Unilever ad? 101.174.52.183 09:47, 2 June 2013 (UTC)

Is this Megan? Her hair seems awfully curly and it says she's his cousin. Is there an official transcript? Theo (talk) 20:46, 14 August 2013 (UTC)

Official transcripts, if they do exist, do not contain names in general. These names are just an invention by some communities like this wiki. So, if you have a better stick figure which would match her, talk about this.--Dgbrt (talk) 21:16, 14 August 2013 (UTC)
She is clearly not Megan. I propose to call her cousin. Xhfz (talk) 22:20, 13 October 2013 (UTC)
There exists an official transcript for each comic, available to see in the page's source code. According to a comment in 1037:_Umwelt, Randall does apparently not type those, but is seemingly done by Davean, his friend maintaining the server. (Note: this is just a guess) Vgr (talk) 11:22, 22 October 2013 (UTC)
I don't think that this is Megan either. I propose to call her Alice, though, in reference to cryptography. Official.xian (talk) 19:46, 10 July 2014 (UTC)


I think we're all forgetting something very important here: It's a true story, therefore she has a real name. If we really wanted her correct name, we'd be pestering Randall for it. Anonymous 23:26, 18 August 2014 (UTC)
And since it's a true story Cueball here's probably meant to be Randall himself. Elektrizikekswerk (talk) 08:57, 14 November 2014 (UTC)
And the hair not reminiscent of Megan.173.245.55.25 17:26, 18 March 2015 (UTC)
Then why has nobody fixed it to say Cousin instead of Megan?... 173.245.54.166 19:42, 3 April 2015 (UTC)
Done. I'm not sure abiut the hyperlinks though, if they're supposed to be on every reference to curball then someone shoulf add those. Bbruzzo (talk) 15:28, 26 August 2015 (UTC)


The last paragraph is taking quite a leap. While she has obviously learned over the 3 months, we have no idea if she is actually building her kernel in a critical and meaningful way. Does not fit with actual comic. flewk (talk) 19:28, 28 December 2015 (UTC)

The part where it says man pages use simple unambiguous language made me laughThaledison (talk) 17:59, 26 January 2016 (UTC)

It's called mansplaining for a reason... 172.68.59.186 (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)

Shouldn't it be explained outright that Randall is Cueball (since title text confirms it's a true story)? -- [[User:{{{1}}}|{{{1}}}]] ([[User talk:{{{1}}}|talk]]) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)

The [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=456:_Cautionary&oldid=226935 "There's no learning curve..." edit" is not quite right. Though all Man Pages should be accessible, do you remember the first time you came across something like:

URI       = scheme ":" hier-part [ "?" query ] [ "#" fragment ]
hier-part = "//" authority path-abempty / path-absolute / path-rootless / path-empty

...and wondered what it meant, or how to parse it? Some of the Man Pages out there are even more technically-inclined, presupposing prior knowledge (or where to go to get it), which may not be their intended philosophy but is nonetheless a fact. Not changing anything, but pointing this out. 141.101.99.20 13:22, 12 February 2022 (UTC)