Alan McKinnon wrote:
On Wednesday 22 June 2011 13:13:03 Dale did opine thusly:
Nikos Chantziaras wrote:
On 06/22/2011 07:58 PM, Dale wrote:
[...]
Mine never had fortran in it at all. I still don't really know
what fortran is.
It's a programming language. You know, C, C++, stuff like that.
Except that it's a zombie-relict from the 1950's that refuses to
die because people still programming in it are too lazy to
learn a proper, more modern language :-P
When you enable the fortran USE flag for GCC, you are telling it
to compile and install the GNU Fortran compiler. Sometimes USE
flags can have more dramatic effects than just enabling some
extra functionality; in this case for example, a whole compiler
and supporting runtime libraries are built and installed.
Well he double hockey sticks. That's why gcc compiles faster when
fortran is disabled. :/ Now I know. I wasn't even born in 1950
so I had no clue. Dang, that was when puters were made out of
vacuum tubes. Talk about a old fuddy. lol
Fortran put Armstrong on the moon.
NASA wouldn't dare let Windows try that, they take one look at Air
Traffic Control or nuclear submarines or Aircraft Carriers or even,
god forbid, Airbus's latest and greatest, and know exactly what NOT to
do
I have a calculator I got from Radio Shack when I was in high school.
It's a EC-4020. I read it has more computing power than the puters that
were on Apollo or something to that effect. It's hard to believe they
had such whimpy puters but could do so much. Funny thing is, I'm not
sure we could go to the moon now. I know I wouldn't get on one. Then
again, I don't fly either. I have told people that if they see me on a
plane, close the lid on my coffin. That's the only way I would get on a
plane.
It's amazing how far things have come but how far off some things still
are.
Dale
:-) :-)
