Post ATOuO2vz2o9a1rqlPc by 0x58@infosec.exchange
 (DIR) More posts by 0x58@infosec.exchange
 (DIR) Post #ATOtw11uX0Co0xFxM8 by mjg59@nondeterministic.computer
       2023-03-08T08:52:17Z
       
       2 likes, 1 repeats
       
       Many many years ago I was at Debconf and someone asked for help with their wifi card and I spent a whole bunch of time debugging it and doing things like forcing the use is i82365 (the old-school PCMCIA driver) instead of Yenta (the new-school Cardbus driver) and multiple different wifi drivers and it would work /sometimes/ but not consistently and finally I noticed that the card was physically bent, straightened it, and it worked perfectly from then on.
       
 (DIR) Post #ATOuArLunGr4LPgvGS by mjg59@nondeterministic.computer
       2023-03-08T08:53:26Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       It is usually, but not always, software.
       
 (DIR) Post #ATOuO2vz2o9a1rqlPc by 0x58@infosec.exchange
       2023-03-08T08:57:21Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @mjg59 And.. indirectly, humans.
       
 (DIR) Post #ATOuWPt5aXDdXBUHSK by cvtsi2sd@hachyderm.io
       2023-03-08T08:57:44Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @mjg59 recently our CFO came to me because «Internet was no longer working» on his laptop, and indeed Windows showed no wireless connection; I went through all the usual driver stuff, but the card was completely missing. Finally, I opened the thing, removed and reinstalled the card (cleaning the contacts with my shirt/blowing in the slot just for good luck) and indeed it worked ever since. Yeah sometimes (but rarely) software is not at fault.
       
 (DIR) Post #ATOwTlBIA8oYcArXma by 0xabad1dea@infosec.exchange
       2023-03-08T09:20:59Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @mjg59 It Actually Wasn’t DNS This Time
       
 (DIR) Post #ATP68fWmz9C8XeV1VI by dascandy42@mastodon.social
       2023-03-08T11:09:05Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @mjg59 I called in help from Altera to get their DDR memory controller IP to work. I'd tried a number of things already and was lost for what other things to try; already tried using different delay-linked loops, checking the PLLs etc.I had not seated the RAM module well enough.If you're the Altera engineer helping me with that about 18 years ago, I am so sorry.
       
 (DIR) Post #ATPI4ThiCdtYA8NPbU by jyrgenn@mas.to
       2023-03-08T13:22:45Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @mjg59 At the university, a group of my co-students took a process control course. At one practical assignment, their program didn't work despite all debugging. They went to the TA and said, we have a hardware problem. Yeah right, he said, that's what they all say. Find the bug in your program.Again, debugging, TA, same answer. Then they examined the hardware and finally found a bent pin in a V24 connector. Ah, and they were EE students, not CS.
       
 (DIR) Post #ATPIt6bXqV6JI0dJIG by SoftwareTheron@mas.to
       2023-03-08T13:31:49Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @mjg59 Hardware issues are a thing :)
       
 (DIR) Post #ATPaf6InyH2HTNL5pg by ecn@mastodon.social
       2023-03-08T16:50:56Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @mjg59 I once was debugging a strange issue with a RHEL box where the interface would flap between 1000 and 100 and duplex, while the switch on the other side was having no problems.Only after collecting info and reporting the bug did I notice the cable got badly pierced and pinched... swapped it and the problem went away...