Diagnostician. Author of Diagnomicon. Gang of One. Software Surgeon. Machine Learning and AI for Software Diagnostics and Observability. Generative Debugging.

Dublin, Ireland
Joined June 2009
Sending the Electronic Design Automation Acronym Dictionary to print production with a glossy cover so the gold pins will shine, I hope.
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Prolog for Pattern-Oriented Diagnostics: Logic Programming for Memory Dump, Trace, and Log Analysis - a book I asked to be written for me, both to brush up on Prolog and to experiment with my pattern languages. I'm planning to study the paperback version with a pen for possible corrections and new ideas. Full PDF: dumpanalysis.org/prolog-for-…
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Semiotics in My Work on Software Diagnostics: From memiotics to observability and Codesign A memory dump, a trace, or a log contains signs of software structure and behavior. Their diagnostic meaning depends on how they were produced, what they refer to, and the context in which I interpret them. A familiar message can suggest completion when it records only acceptance. A recurring pattern can direct an investigation while leaving its cause unresolved. In this article, I trace the semiotic thread in my work from memiotics, introduced in 2008, through analysis pattern icons, symbolic notation, software narratology, and trace linguistics to pattern-oriented observability and Codesign with large language models. I begin with an overview of semiotics and connect its concepts to concrete diagnostic examples. Articles, books, pattern descriptions, and seminar transcripts provide the historical references. The discussion brings together memory interpretation, meaningful trace units, diagnostic residues, and the design of interpretable observations. Throughout, I return to the relationship between an artifact, its interpretation, and the claim it supports. What does this sign allow me to say about the software, and what additional evidence do I need? dumpanalysis.org/semiotics-s…
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In 2009, I planned to publish Dictionary of Debugging (waterstones.com/book/diction…), but it would have taken a long time to research and write. And it would still be much shorter. I still wrote some entries that year (published as the Debugging Dictionary section in Volume 11 of Memory Dump Analysis Anthology). Now, I used AI summarization capabilities to create it, including summaries of my analysis patterns up to date (which I still need to verify with pen once the paperback is ready). This new book uses the original ISBN. The full current PDF version is here: dumpanalysis.org/dictionary-…. Please let me know if I missed any entries (I guess there are many more worth including).
🤖 Made with AI
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When reading books on chip design, manufacturing, and especially on electronic design automation like the 2-volume Electronic Design Automation Handbook, I discovered a lot of acronyms that are introduced on one page, and I quickly forget their meaning a page later and try to find their definition on the previous page. I recall that at Ericsson, in 2001, I had a several-page brochure of telecom industry acronyms. So I had an idea for this short book, which I will also make in paperback next week. If you don't see your favorite acronym, let me know. dumpanalysis.org/electronic-…
🤖 Made with AI
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The first dump on Surface Ultra (no pun intended).
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This is the first time I haven't set LocalDumps on a new laptop as the first thing, and I instantly regretted it when Explorer disappeared on Sunday while copying +100,000 files. Rectifying now.
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NVIDIA set this key before me! I only need to enable it for all other apps :-)
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A year later, I finally got a copy of Memory Dump Analysis Anthology, Volume 17. Nice-to-the-touch matte cover, ultra-premium color printing inside, a few snippets of AI output inside are on a light yellow background to distinguish them from my own writing, and half the book is pictures of books I was/am reading. I aim to prepare Volume 18 by the end of this year. This will bring the total number of Diagnomicon books to 20 (as I have 2 books per volume in volumes 8 and 9).
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Quick test for Surface Ultra WSL Ubuntu CUDA available: True GPU: NVIDIA RTX Spark N1X (6144-core Blackwell RTX GPU) Result for x @ x device: cuda:0 Despite the initial 3-hour install "ordeal", I'm quite happy with my new pet machine...
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It's not good that the newly opened Surface Ultra laptop has been stuck on "Just a moment..." for more than an hour and keeps doing the same thing after forced reboots. Preparing a recovery drive. Highly disappointed...
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As soon as the recovery drive was almost created, progress continued... More than 2 hours of "Just a moment..." - not a good UX experience anyway...
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