Monday, Debtember 13, 2021
Maybe another name for this project should be “Charlie Foxtrot”
I'm still diving into “Project: Bradenburg” and I'm amazed that it's being used in production. I found mention of two specific versions of Linux distributions that are known to compile the code, but only one was able to compile the code as is (the other one had a compiler that was too old to use—go figure).
I wanted to start compiling with the version used in production at The Corporation, but it turns out to be difficult to check out that version. We use Subversion, and it appears that the revision used by production isn't in the main line of code, but in some branch. I tried using Fisheye (the Corporation has it installed and integrated into our build system) to find the appropriate branch, but the view for “Project: Bradenburg” was turned off four months ago
I was only able to find the branch by checking out the entire repository (all branches included—it took a while). It turns out that even if I knew which branch the production code was in, it wouldn't have mattered (per the wisdom of the ancients).
Eventually I get the proper version and … it doesn't compile. Two syntax errors and one linking error. Sure, they were easy to fix, but now I'm wondering how this was ever built by our build system to begin with. But that's moot as the build server can't even build the latest version—it can't find the proper target system to build on! It was then I noticed that “Project: Bradenburg” was last built over a year ago.
Woot!
This project certainly is putting the word “fun” in “disfunctional.”
Notes on an overheard conversation while checking the mail box
“I was worried we wouldn't get any Christmas cards this year.”
“I see we got one from Peggy, and … our neighbor across the street actually sent his card through the mail?”
“Yes.”
“He spent 58¢ for a stamp when he could have just walked across the street and put it in our mailbox?”
“Yes. That's the way it's supposed to be.”
“Across the street?”
“Yes. I'm doing the same.”
“You are wierd, sir.”
“Pththththththththth!”
