Essays

These are some essays I have written. If you don't agree with what I say, or even if you do, I am always happy to get feedback at ian@airs.com.

The GNU configure and build system (Texinfo source) (Postscript)

A discussion of GNU autoconf, automake, and libtool, explaining how they fit together and how to use them. This was written in 1998 when I was working for Cygnus Solutions, and is somewhat out of date, but still useful.

Debugging (Docbook source)

My thoughts on debugging, developed over the course of my programming career.

My Visit to SCO (Docbook source)

I visited SCO on June 17, 2003, to see what they would tell me about their claims that Linux includes code which is copied from Unix. This is my trip report.

Stock Prices (Docbook source)

My thoughts on stock prices, and why I think they are widely misunderstood.

Why I Am an Atheist (Docbook source)

I wrote an essay on why I am an atheist. I wrote this more for myself than for anybody else. If you don't care, I don't blame you.

Why I Am a Vegetarian (Docbook source)

Similarly, I wrote an essay on why I am a vegetarian.

Why I Am Not a Libertarian (Docbook source)

A brief critique of libertarian ideas.

Choosing an Open Source License (Docbook source)

Some notes on how to select an open source license for a software project.

Return Palm V leather covers

Why I returned the leather cover which came with my Palm V.