The term “BOFH” refers to the Bastard Operator From Hell, a fictional character from a series of humorous tech support stories. The BOFH is notorious for inventing absurd, pseudotechnical excuses to explain system failures or avoid helping users. Below is a comprehensive overview based on the search results:
๐ง 1. Today’s BOFH Excuse (2025-06-27)
- Duplicated Swapfile Rejection: A system error caused by redundant swapfile processes colliding .
- Leap second overloaded RHEL6 servers: Cosmic timing issues crashing legacy systems .
๐ค 2. Classic BOFH Excuse Generator
Randomly generates outrageous technical explanations, such as:
- “Solar flares disrupting electronics” .
- “Static from nylon underwear interfering with network packets” .
- “Little hamster in the server wheel had a coronary” .
Accessible via: - Web: BOFH Excuse Generator .
- CLI/Telnet:
telnet bofh.jeffballard.us 666
.
๐ ๏ธ 3. DIY Excuse Creation Guide
Construct your own BOFH-style excuse by combining terms:
- Structure:
[First] + [Second] + [Third] + [Optional Fourth]
Example: “Inherent Software Corruption Error” . - Key Vocabulary:
- First Column: Redundant, Quantum, Non-Specificโฆ
- Second Column: Array, Encryption, Backplaneโฆ
- Third Column: Destruction, Infection, Timeoutโฆ
- Fourth: Error, Warning, Problem.
๐ป 4. Integration Tools & APIs
- Python Package: Install via
pip install bofhexcuse
, then generate excuses programmatically . - Other Formats:
- Node.js, PHP, or PowerShell scripts .
- Linux
fortune
module for terminal jokes .
๐ 5. Origin & Cultural Impact
- Created by Simon Travaglia, the stories depict a sysadmin sabotaging users with creative malice (e.g., blaming “magnetic interference from credit cards”) .
- Full stories archived at sites like The Register .
For real-time excuses or contributions, visit Jeff Ballard’s Excuse Server or the BOFH Calendar . These tools blend IT humor with catharsis for overworked sysadmins! ๐
Leave a Reply