IRIX and Software

OK so I was just thinking about my machines getting stolen.

What if we created a script that ftp'd to your location, if the external IP changed or you couldn't ping a neighbouring machine (this wouldn't work if they stole the whole of your network and left in tack) with a header "I'VE BEEN STOLEN", thus giving the 'at the time' the culprits IP address?

I'm sure my quick idea has many flaws and many things missing, but would it be worth a service?

I've written this (although not to do with being stolen) in C# quite easily for servers that have DHCP external WAN addresses and email a recipient if the external address changes so that I can RDP into and run as a service.

I worry about my babies!

Thoughts?

Doing it in C# is out of the question on IRIX... Why in hell you'd use it for that in the first place is beyond myself.

As for doing the actual thing, you could do so pretty easily in either Perl, C or even shell script, but the odds of a collector stealing from another collector ( and thus possessing the knowledge of the machine ) is unlikely. Thieves generally go for Apple machines in my experience, or Lenovo, Dell and other Wintel stuff. Servers or specialty systems is unlikely. So your idea is unlikely to be useful.

Team, I never suggested doing it in C# in Irix, 'm well aware of what C# is and the platform it lies on. My example was that I had done something similar in C#.

Now, see you have hit on something there. SGI boxes look nice, so I recon they would steel them. But, the majority are set to Console G which doesn't boot if the keyboard isn't present??

But lets say we got past that stage. They stole it and it booted.

What if they were on a different network.. first failure, unless you couldn't ping anything around you so you switched to a network until you could..

"Phone home" capability is already included in Performance CoPilot.

robespierre wrote: "Phone home" capability is already included in Performance CoPilot.

No Irix version?

uunix wrote:

robespierre wrote: "Phone home" capability is already included in Performance CoPilot.

No Irix version?

Sorry yes there is source code. Have you compiled it?

generally not a bad idea to add such a last resort but as TeamBlackFox pointed out already chances that such a theft actually happens are quite low

uunix wrote: Team, I never suggested doing it in C# in Irix, 'm well aware of what C# is and the platform it lies on. My example was that I had done something similar in C#

I fully am aware. I was pointing out two things:

1. The obviousness that the .NET CLR won't run on IRIX.
2. The, in my opinion, absurdity of using C# for anything... ( I have a problem with VM languages )

I have less of a problem with VM languages when the VM isn't wholly own and directed by one company and also when the VM doesn't itself consume hundreds of megabytes but mostly gets used for functionality that Visual Basic provided in less than one.

commodorejohn wrote: the VM doesn't itself consume hundreds of megabytes but mostly gets used for functionality that Visual Basic provided in less than one.

sad but true

TeamBlackFox wrote: 2. The, in my opinion, absurdity of using C# for anything... ( I have a problem with VM languages )

Really? You might have been out of the CLR world for a while, but you can pre-jit your application and with the relatively new .NET Native (came out a year ago), it compiles your C# code to machine code without any dependencies on the .NET framework.

You're entirely entitled to your opinion, but there is a time and place for everything.

I seem to recall when SAQ was burgled they took everything BUT his SGI's.

pentium wrote: I seem to recall when SAQ was burgled they took everything BUT his SGI's.

Another benefit to computing gear you can't lift with one arm.

pentium wrote: I seem to recall when SAQ was burgled they took everything BUT his SGI's.

The one who raids my place for SGIs will have to deal with an alarm system, the neighbors (systems are linked), and the alarm company. You will have to bring a truck with a tailgate lift and I promise you it will take you all day. I would probably take it as an assault on my wife and kids rather than an attempt to steal some old computers, and act accordingly

Burglars are usually interested in cash and things which are light *and* can easily be converted into cash. I would expect them to snatch a smartphone, a MacBook and maybe some AV gear and vanish before anyone can react.

Indeed, thieves would have to be very aware of what I have to go after it.

Adrenaline wrote: Really? You might have been out of the CLR world for a while, but you can pre-jit your application and with the relatively new .NET Native (came out a year ago), it compiles your C# code to machine code without any dependencies on the .NET framework.

Well aware of this, I just don't care. Its in the same class as Java, but worse because Mono is a hopelessly broken piece of junk and the open sourced .NET doesn't run on FreeBSD or OpenSXCE, the two modern desktop OSes I use, unless you happen to use the aforementioned Mono. There'ls other complaints but moreso I've rarely heard of someone so into UNIX being a fan of an Microsoft-derived product (yes, everyone knows abotu Xenix, which is now defunct.)

In my case they'd have to deal with a burglar alarm, sensors, cameras, and one pissed off inhabitant with a 40-caliber handgun.

My wife would help them load the truck.

Adrenaline wrote: you can pre-jit your application and with the relatively new .NET Native (came out a year ago), it compiles your C# code to machine code without any dependencies on the .NET framework
...
there is a time and place for everything.

but not for jumping through so many hoops for no reason at all

mopar5150 wrote: My wife would help them load the truck.

TeamBlackFox wrote: Indeed, thieves would have to be very aware of what I have to go after it.

Adrenaline wrote: Really? You might have been out of the CLR world for a while, but you can pre-jit your application and with the relatively new .NET Native (came out a year ago), it compiles your C# code to machine code without any dependencies on the .NET framework.

Well aware of this, I just don't care. Its in the same class as Java, but worse because Mono is a hopelessly broken piece of junk and the open sourced .NET doesn't run on FreeBSD or OpenSXCE, the two modern desktop OSes I use, unless you happen to use the aforementioned Mono. There'ls other complaints but moreso I've rarely heard of someone so into UNIX being a fan of an Microsoft-derived product (yes, everyone knows abotu Xenix, which is now defunct.)

The thing for me is the ability to do everything under the sun with C# - Mobile Apps for every platform, Web Services, backend services, quick tools etc.

It's evolved nicely since I started developing in it 8 years ago, between the task parallel library, asynchronous support and lamba expressions I couldn't be happier. Been diving into the C++/cli lately to do OpenCL work, which if you do it right you get the best of both worlds. You can write unmanaged C++ and only writing a few managed wrapper functions so you wouldn't need to do p/invoke calls all over your managed code. There is still an overhead when making calls between managed and unmanaged, but if you bulk load operations (i.e. send a collection of requests) to the unmanaged code you get a significant increase in speed over a managed code implementation.

I love my Silicon Graphics machines and I use either Linux or BSD daily (more so now that my masters program does everything in either), but at the end of the day, my C#/SQL Server skillset puts a roof over my head.

I program mostly as a hobby as I am going to school for system administration of Solaris, BSD and other UNIX OSes so my need/use case is different. I mostly program in C99 and Perl, and while I could easily make my life simpler by using any one of the shinier newer languages I wouldn't be proud of myself for giving into someone else's ideals of programming. C does the system level job and Perl fills the hole between shell and C.

I do nothing in Windows anymore except the occasional offhanded task an old XP box I have in the closet gets every so often, everything else runs a BSD, a commercial UNIX or an Android.