I sat down at the main computer system. This was the system I used for my programming stints. It was a Pentium 700, over-clocked to 933mhz (with some extra fans to keep things cool), using the Linux operating system. I know that it's not the latest and greatest system, but you don't need extra power for a Linux system. It was connected to a Linux server via a 100mbs Ethernet port. The Linux server was an older 486 system, which was OK since Linux doesn't need a powerful computer, not like a bloated Microsoft NT-based operating system. I had another system connected to the Linux server that was running Unix, where I tested some of the Unix-flavor programs.
The Linux server was also connected to router. There was another computer system connected to the router, that computer was also running Unix. The two computer systems, Penguin-1 and Penguin-2, connected through a router, gave me a good testing ground for some of the programs that I used and tested. Penguin-1 also performed some routing functions, so it could also be used for testing.
I sat down to the main programming computer, and started up the program editor. I had my notes with me, and copied them into a separate window, adding the thoughts I got while I was shopping. I saved the file (I save often, just in case). And then I started on the first of the programs.
Programming is not too exciting to describe in detail, as some of you probably know. I start by writing pseudo-code, which is a sort of step-by-step description of what should happen. You set up subroutines of programs that perform common functions. You might have a subroutine that processed some data, returning a result of some sort. That subroutine would be used in various parts of the program, so by just writing it once, you can re-use it over and over again.
After you spend some time writing various programs, you develop a library of subroutines that you can use in other programs. I had a few collections of subroutine libraries that I used in the program.
By starting with a main outline of the program, I was able to quickly determine the subroutines I needed, and the starting and ending point of the program.
When you are writing programs, time passes quickly. You look at the clock, continue working on a short subprogram, and the next time you look at the clock, an hour has passed (or more). And in my case, the pile of cookies gets smaller. It can be very satisfying, though, and a well-written program can be almost a work of art.
It was about 10:30 am when I started that programming session. I took short breaks for snacks and meals, and a few pit stops, but it was well into that night before I got the first few programs done.