[lug] BLUG Meeting Announcement 2010-09-09

[Boulder Linux]

    http://lug.boulder.co.us/calendar.html

The September Boulder Linux User Group meeting is coming up.

   Talk : The Evolution of Lower Middle UNIX Userland 1985-2010

Speaker : Bart Massey

   When : 7 p.m. on Thu, Sep 09, 2010 

  Where : Aztek Networks, 2477 55th St, Suite 202, Boulder, CO.

          Aztek Networks is on 55th between Arapahoe and Pearl, just
          north of the Humane Society.  There's plenty of parking, and
          the 206 and 208 busses stop across the street.

    Map : http://lug.boulder.co.us/meetings.html

Summary of 'The Evolution of Lower Middle UNIX Userland 1985-2010'
------------------------------------------------------------------

In about 1985 I got to use a UNIX box for the first time.  Much has
changed; much has stayed the same.  In succeeding years, attention has focused
on the top and bottom of the UNIX software stack.  At the bottom of the stack
the Linux kernel, advanced device drivers, for modern hardware and X-based
multimedia have evolved to provide a rich substrate.  Near the top of the stack
GUIs, web services, and other high-level services attempt to provide a solid
user experience.  Between these endpoints change has been much less swift, and
complexity and cruft has piled up.

In this talk I will briefly survey the 25-year evolution of the programming
languages, libraries, and services that constitute the most basic layers of
UNIX userland.  Along the way I will advocate several fundamental changes that
I think are highly desirable: a better programming language, cleaner and
simpler architectures, and better interface toolkits.  I will also report on
some research toward achieving these goals.


Pre meeting food
----------------

Please join us informally for a bite to eat at Panera Bread before the
meeting, around 5:30 P.M.  Panera is in the 29th street mall, east of
Highway 36/28th street near Walnut.


--
Boulder Linux User Group
http://lug.boulder.co.us