Guru Meditation
The Guru Meditation is an error message that may occur in some versions of the Amiga computer system.
Description
Each occurred GuruMeditation contains the address at which the error occurred, and a code number that allows a programmer to draw conclusions on which error occurred. In the first place the code number, two digits for the subsystem ID, where a subsystem can be the CPU, a library, a device, a resource, or the like. For an unrecoverable error, the highest bit of the subsystem ID is set, thus increasing the first number by 8. Then follow two digits general error code that will be used to indicate lack of memory or faulting opening a subsystem. The last four digits indicate subsystem specific information about the type of error.
The Guru Meditation can be exited by clicking: The left button results in a restart of the computer, and the right button starts the contained in the ROM debugger or ROMWack which extends over one to the serial port ( interface parameters: 9600, 8 -N-1 can be operated ) connected terminal.
Conceptual history
The term derives from an anecdote: When AmigaOS, the operating system of the first Amigas has been programmed, the manufacturing company was still officially a production facility for joysticks. Among others, a Joyboard was made , which was extremely hard to use. It worked like a joystick, just that you had to use it with the entire body. To keep it in balance, a lot of practice was required.
The programmers used it whenever an error occurs, for relaxation. They sat like an Indian guru on the Joyboard and tried to remain as calm and motionless that the Joyboard got into a balanced position. They focused on the problem until they found a solution. After this " meditation " they went fresh and relaxed mind to eliminate the problem.
Occurrence
Until AmigaOS 1.3, a software error is not indicated by an error or something similar, but with a red frame that contains the description of the error and is titled Guru meditation. Even if the message from AmigaOS 2.0 only software failure is, the name has naturalized.
The visualization of errors as a guru meditation can also be found on other operating systems such as Windows, such as a script error message in the Winamp application, again. Also in the virtualization software VirtualBox is found that name again, as in case of serious errors in the virtual machine an error message called Guru Meditation is displayed. In the PC game Gothic 3, a window appears with serious errors with the title "Where is the guru? ". Also, the Web accelerator Varnish shows the error message 503 ( for example, if the underlying Apache2 not responding ) the string " Guru Meditation ".