IT Anthems: OpenBSD
Published: 17 Apr 2003 10:57 BST
OpenBSD: Puff the Barbarian (MP3)
The open-source movement is well-known for unlocking the creativity of programmers. So it's no surprise to find it also generates top-quality IT anthems.
These songs are included on the distribution CDs of OpenBSD, a free, multi-platform 4.4BSD-based Unix-like operating system.
April 2003 sees the launch of a new release (version 3.3) of OpenBSD, and a new song. Project leader Theo de Raadt explains that the heavy metal music has a Barbarian theme this year because the release slaughters buffer overflows. He also explains some of the references that might otherwise be a little obscure:
"Over the last year, we started work on this security technology called W^X. It wants an X bit in the PTE, so that it can do execution support per-page. This partially stops buffer overflows. With another technology we have called ProPolice, it stops them even further. We've got RSM coming soon, random shared mappings, and all 3 together kill buffer overflows."
The fastest hardware that has an X bit is the Ultrasparc III, but Sun Microsystems did not co-operate closely enough for the OpenBSD team. "We struggled for 6 months at that," said de Raadt. Meanwhile, something else has appeared that supports the X bit: AMD Hammer. "AMD has approached us and given us docs and pre-release machines," said de Raadt.
The songs are the work of Ty Semaka, multi-talented Klezmer/ska/pop group the Plaid Tongued Devils and friends, all credited below.
Goldflipper (from release 3.2) is a James Bond spoof. Systemagic (from version 3.1) is a threatening heavy metal number and e-Railed (released with version 3.0) is an ironic pop number.
OpenBSD is developed by volunteers, and funded by sales of CDs and T-shirts, as well as receiving donations. The highest profile sponsor of the Canada-based project is the US military research agency, DARPA -- despite this funding, OpenBSD stresses that it operates completely independently.
Any more open-source anthems, or IT-related music? Send them to corpanthems@zdnet.co.uk.
Puff the Barbarian Lyrics
Deep through the mists of time
Gaze to the crystal ball
Back to the age of darkness
Black was the protocol
A King ruled the web with fear
Spilling the blood of men
Then from the ocean came
Puff the Barbarian
Born in a tiny bowl Puff was a pet
Sold into slav-er-y by the man
Eating the weeds till he was strong enough
Breaking his bonds like nobody can
Down the sewer pipes of Hell
A thousand kitties then did bleed
Constraints were slain as well
Hacked his way out to the C
And there he found
His destiny
Hammer of the Ocean God
"Xor taking care of me"
Then in a dream Xor requested he
"Go to the Sun King, get what I yearn
Kernighan saw it, prophet of the C
Knowledge - so they may never return"
At the tower Puff appealed
For the wisdom of the One
Denied, his mind did reel
Puff was getting tired of Sun
Broke down the guard
Cause math is hard
Found McNealy on his throne
All alone and only bones
Come the Sun King blade ablur
Hammer down eclipse the Sun
And Puff, the land secured
The new King Barbarian!
Written and arranged by Ty Semaka. Co-arranged, recorded, mixed & mastered by Jonathan Lewis. Vocals by DeVille, guitar by Sean Desmond, bass by Ian Knox, drums by John McNiel, violin by Jonathan Lewis. I>
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