AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGHHH!!!!!
Warning: Technical Post
Since when the cock does Redhat Linux have the same endian-ness as Windows?

I've been staring at the same kitten-raping bit of code for two days now, wondering what the paedophile was wrong with it, and all I had to do was switch off the swap-endian flags. Surely Unix is the opposite endian-ness to Windows?

/breathes out
(LongJohnBaldry, Fri 21 Nov 2008, 9:55, 10 replies, latest was 16 years ago)

There is a minority view
that if you code properly you never need to know the endian-ness of the computer you're using.

EDIT: And unix running on an x86 processor or variant is little-endian.
(Freddy Woo suggesting your questions since, Fri 21 Nov 2008, 10:01, Reply)

Normally it's not an issue
Unfortunately I'm using a butchered version of someone else's code to read in some data which in some sexually-deviant not-quite-binary format, so I don't think I can get around the endian-ness.
(LongJohnBaldry, Fri 21 Nov 2008, 10:03, Reply)

Is the answer
purple?
( Bert Monkeysex is waiting for the mods to delete him, Fri 21 Nov 2008, 10:09, Reply)

Yes Bert
Yes it is.
(Freddy Woo suggesting your questions since, Fri 21 Nov 2008, 10:12, Reply)

Woohoo!
*jumps up and down clapping*

Can I have a biscuit and some juice please?
( Bert Monkeysex is waiting for the mods to delete him, Fri 21 Nov 2008, 10:15, Reply)

Yes you may Bert
And when I escape from the confounded packaging of this flapjack, I'll save a bit just for you.

Would Freddy like a piece as well?
(LongJohnBaldry, Fri 21 Nov 2008, 10:21, Reply)

Aw, thanks Crow
Will you be my dog? I'm hoping the juice will be Kia Ora?
( Bert Monkeysex is waiting for the mods to delete him, Fri 21 Nov 2008, 10:23, Reply)

Crows always bring Kia Ora.
And yes, I'll be your dog. I've always wanted to be able to poo in public and have someone pick it up for me.

CRAAA....I mean, um...WOOF!
(LongJohnBaldry, Fri 21 Nov 2008, 10:25, Reply)

Showing my ignorance here
But I thought the endian was related to the processor e.g. x86, it was running on rather than the operating system.

For most desktop machines these days Linux and Windows happily run on the same bit of hardware.

Meh, what do I know though? I have the mother of all hangovers.
( djtrialprice, Fri 21 Nov 2008, 10:48, Reply)

I think you're right
The code in question was originally written to work on a Sun. My foolish assumption was that, since the Sun OS was based on Unix, the difference in endian-ness was a software thang, and so would naturally be the same for Linux.

A quick retrospective look on Wikipedia suggests that it is indeed related to the processor, not the OS. D'OH!
(LongJohnBaldry, Fri 21 Nov 2008, 10:51, Reply)