RootPrompt has dug out and dusted off an amusing enough
counterpoint to the item linked earlier regarding passing the Sair
certification:
"O, Nobly Born: know that the Nutshell Guides are but
the outermost Portal of the True Enlightenment. Worthy are they
(and praise to the Name of O'Reilly, whose books show the Hackerly
Spirit in numerous pleasing ways), but the Nutshell Guides are only
the Beginning of the Road.
If thou desirest with True Desire to tread the Path of Wizardly
Wisdom, first learn the elementary Postures of Kernighan &
Pike's The Unix Programming Environment; then, absorb the mantic
puissance of March Rochkind's Advanced Unix Programming and W.
Richard Stevens's Advanced Programming In The UNIX Environment.
Immerse thyself, then, in the Pure Light of Maurice J. Bach's The
Design Of The UNIX Operating System. Neglect not the Berkelian Way;
study also The Design Of The 4.3BSD UNIX Operating System by Samuel
Leffler, Kirk McKusick et. al. For useful hints, tips, and tricks,
see UNIX Power Tools, Tim O'Reilly, ed. Consider also the dark
Wisdom to be gained from contemplation of the dread Portable C And
UNIX Systems Programming, e'en though it hath flowed from the
keyboard of the mad and doomed Malvernite whom the world of
unknowing Man misnames "J. E. Lapin".
...O Nobly Born, if thou dost all these things, thy Wizardhood
shall surely come upon thee; but not of a sudden, and not until
after thy arrogant Mind hath more than half Forgotten that such was
its Aim. For know this --- you may not by thyself in Pride claim
the Mantle of Wizardry; that way lies only Bogosity without
End."
