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simon.rodda@xxxxxx wrote: > > * File Handling > * IPC with PIPEs/shared memory etc > * Network Comms with Sockets etc > > Agreed; sometimes, they AREN'T looking for the complicated stuff. They just > want to know if you've heard of it, and can cope with cron tasks, > networking, maybe user account management... > > Simon > ex- system manager of large HP-UX network, and application software > [1,000,000 lines in 5 subsystems: UX + VME bus] When I worked at the UK Met Office I worked with large application software on HP-UX, and administered a small network of HP-UX. We also had some HP-UX boxes doing critical stuff - like processing satellite imagery, sending faxes, displaying stuff for forecasters. I believe some of the science groups have gone Linux since then! I doubt they are after C specifically, I only wrote one prototype C program whilst I was there, and that was to link two Fortran 77 programs together with ONC RPC calls. Being numerical modellers they use to prefer Fortran 77, and I expect Fortran90 is still used widely. Familiarity with parallel processing architectures is probably a plus, but not many people have that, it wasn't an issue in my time. C was used to make up for the lack of portability of certain Fortran features (I/O), but that was done by one or two people, and was just copied where needed. I agree on the Unix front, they probably want familiarity with file utils, possibly a little scripting. Their use of Unix was fairly basic in most parts when I was their, although we were busy developing it across all aspects of the business. What they usually want in recruits is interest, general knowledge of environmental concerns, and aptitude to learn. They use to teach any IT skills they needed, although the internal IT courses tended to be a little stale in content terms, a lot of my training was at HP Crowthorne, which was almost next door to their instrumentation labs. If I was going for interview to the Environmental group I'd make sure I'd read the various Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change papers from the website. In my day it was suffice to say you knew why the "greenhouse effect" was called the "greenhouse effect", but everyone knows that now don't they? Willingness to relocate to Exeter is vital for some posts, I think some of the environmental work will go to the UEA (Norwich) but I haven't heard that officially. Anyway drop me a line of list if you have more questions, as this is offtopic. Simon -- Are you using the Internet to best effect ? www.eighth-layer.com Tel: +44(0)1395 232769 ICQ: 116952768 Moderated discussion of teleworking at news:uk.business.telework -- The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG Mail majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxx with "unsubscribe list" in the message body to unsubscribe.