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mortifiedPenguin
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What do you do while compiling?

Thu Apr 04, 2013 8:16 pm

So, I'm currently waiting for a project to compile which led me to wonder what the other Dev Gerbils do while waiting for code to compile?

As for myself, I usually find myself here, looking through our bug tracker, checking email, or browsing random website. What about the rest of you guys?
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SecretSquirrel
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Re: What do you do while compiling?

Thu Apr 04, 2013 8:43 pm

If I hit a point in a task that will free me up for longer than it takes to glance at my email, I usually take that as a hint it is time to context switch and work on one of the other five things I'm doing for a while. Whether it is a long compile, a benchmark run, some test, or a simulation, time when the computer is off doing stuff without me is when I context switch. Yes, it will probably be an hour or more before I get back to it and it may only take 10 minutes, but it is the only way I can make efficient use of the time.

Now, if the project happens to be top priority and can't be context switched out, or if I am just fried and need a break, I'll usually hit the web for a bit and catch up on the news or something.

--SS
 
notfred
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Re: What do you do while compiling?

Fri Apr 05, 2013 10:54 am

http://xkcd.com/303/
And yes I have the shirt:
http://store.xkcd.com/products/compiling

Actually when I first started, a colleague taught me diablo tricks whilst we were waiting for compiles.
 
PenGun
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Re: What do you do while compiling?

Fri Apr 05, 2013 11:26 am

Depends. If it's a fairly short compile, like a Linux kernel, I often just watch it happen.
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chuckula
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Re: What do you do while compiling?

Fri Apr 05, 2013 11:34 am

Spec out a beefy hardware cluster for distcc to slash my compile times! :wink:
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Darkmage
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Re: What do you do while compiling?

Thu Apr 18, 2013 7:59 am

I look for funny cat pictures.
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mortifiedPenguin
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Re: What do you do while compiling?

Thu Apr 18, 2013 12:12 pm

Darkmage wrote:
I look for funny cat pictures.
Now that's the kind of response I was expecting. :P
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just brew it!
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Re: What do you do while compiling?

Thu Apr 18, 2013 12:29 pm

Most of the stuff I deal with these days compiles quickly enough that it is not an issue.

About a year ago when I was dealing with a monster VHDL project (that took over an hour to compile) I started juggling multiple sandboxes, developing/debugging multiple features in parallel. I would edit or test one while the other ones were compiling, to get my effective edit/compile/test cycle time down.

It's actually the reason I have an FX-8150 as my work desktop now. Having 8 cores (and 16GB of RAM) was an attractive option for running multiple FPGA compilations in parallel while also doing stuff in the foreground.
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nerdrage
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Re: What do you do while compiling?

Thu Apr 18, 2013 1:37 pm

I silently curse my aging circa 2007 Core2 machine and its painfully slow hard disk. I'm currently waiting for a lull in my work projects so I'll have time to obtain a new machine from IT and get it all set up like my old one.
 
Jive
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Re: What do you do while compiling?

Thu Apr 18, 2013 2:03 pm

Just finished a project that analyzed the losses and delinquency rates on subprime residential mortgage backed securities from 1999-2007. Took 2 hours to compile the data so that it can be readily used in the analysis portion. Much of that time is killed by reading news and forums.
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