Walkthrough for 'Gnu in the Zoo'

{ <h1>Walkthrough for ‘Gnu in the Zoo’</h1> Rather than being a turn-by-turn solution for the game ‘<a href='http://alexball.me.uk/if/gnu/' target='_blank'>Gnu in the Zoo</a>’, this walkthrough will keep you on the right track while still giving you a chance to work things out for yourself. (If you really, truly, desperately want a turn-by-turn solution, <a href='http://alexball.me.uk/if/gnu/solution.txt' target='_blank'>there is one</a>, but where's the fun in that?) This is also a chance for me to explain some of the symbolism, but if you're not interested you don't have to read it. If you have made it partway through the game then got stuck, you can skip to right section via the [[Index]]. Otherwise, let's start at the beginning, in [[Your Stall]]. }

{ As the name of the game suggests, you are a gnu in a zoo, but you wish you weren't. There is not much to do here, so get exploring! You can go [[west->Affero's Stall]] or [[south->Gnu Enclosure Entrance]]. <ul> <li> (link-reveal: "Will I need to save every five minutes?")[(show: ?save)] |save)[I tried to make the game polite about losing moves, so you can safely try things out and undo if it all goes horribly wrong. There is one exception, and that is the time limit. As a kind of nod to realism, your character wakes up at midnight and has six in-game hours to escape. You get warnings after four hours and five hours respectively. This means, in practice, there is no necessity to save your progress at first, but if the zoo starts waking up you should start saving, and try to make progress in the fewest number of moves.] </li> <li> (link-reveal: "What's all this about Lee and the stallman?")[(show: ?mean1)] |mean1)[Richard Stallman founded the GNU Project in 1983 to develop a free-as-in-speech computing platform. Their main goal within that was to create an operating system similar to UNIX. The most intricate problem to solve was writing a kernel, being the bit of the software that directly talks to the hardware. Their kernel is called GNU Hurd and they are still working on it, so in the meantime they mostly use the Linux kernel instead. Linux is named after Linus Torvalds, who pronounces it ‘Leenooks’. The allegory here is not great so I don't push it.] </li> <li> (link-reveal: "What does the point-of-view gnu represent?")[(show: ?mean2)] |mean2)[The underlying principle here is that all the animals in the zoo represent software licences. You represent the GNU General Public Licence (GPL) v3. Some other licences are compatible with the GPL, which is to say that code with that licence can be combined with GPL code and released under the GPL; in other words, they can be turned into the GPL. Others aren't, and can't. The importance of this will soon become clear.] </li> <li> (link-reveal: "Where should I go next?")[(show: ?go)] |go)[I recommend going [[west->Affero's Stall]].] </li> </ul> }

{ You first encounter Affero the Gnu in the stall next to yours. Examine everything. <ul> <li> (link-reveal: "What do I have to do here?")[(show: ?do1A)(show: ?do2Q)] |do1A)[The description of Affero tells you that you want/need her to follow you.] |do2Q)[(link-reveal: "How do I make that happen?")[(show: ?do2A)]] |do2A)[The incantation you need is ‘AFFERO, FOLLOW ME’.] </li> <li> (link-reveal: "What does Affero represent?")[(show: ?mean)] |mean)[The Affero General Public Licence (AGPL) is another GNU licence, hence another gnu. While the regular GPL assumes the software will be compiled into a locally running application, the AGPL assumes that users will interact with it over the Web.] </li> </ul> Once you have done everything you need to, [[escape the Gnu Enclosure->Gnu Enclosure Entrance]] by going east then south. }

{ Outside the Gnu Enclosure is a crossroads. (if: (history:) contains "Affero's Stall")[ You have the choice of going ](else:)[ If you think you might have missed something, you can re-enter [[Your Stall]], otherwise you should head ] [[east->Elephant Enclosure]], [[west->Lion Enclosure]] or [[south->Riverside]]. Enjoy the scenery. <ul> <li> (link-reveal: "Where should I go next?")[(show: ?go)] |go)[I recommend going [[south->Riverside]].] </li> </ul> }

{ In the Riverside area is a very important artifact. You will know it when you find it. <ul> <li> (link-reveal: "Could you be more specific?")[(show: ?what)] |what)[Yes. Enter the hut and pick up the keys. Examine them for clues about what they unlock.] </li> </ul> Once you have, you can (if: (history:) contains "Elephant Enclosure")[ revisit the [[Elephant Enclosure]], ](else:)[ go [[north-then-east->Elephant Enclosure]], ](if: (history:) contains "Lion Enclosure")[ revisit the [[Lion Enclosure]], ](else:)[ go [[north-then-west->Lion Enclosure]], ] or go east to the [[Reptile House]], [[west->Devil Enclosure]], or [[south->Lakeside]]. <ul> <li> (link-reveal: "Where should I go next?")[(show: ?go)] |go)[(if: (history:) contains "Elephant Enclosure" and (history:) contains "Lion Enclosure")[ If you have explored the [[north->Gnu Enclosure Entrance]] of the zoo ](else:)[ I recommend going north again and exploring the [[east->Elephant Enclosure]] and [[west->Lion Enclosure]] ends of the path. If you have done that ]to your satisfaction, the most *logical* order is to then explore [[south->Lakeside]], [[east->Reptile House]], then [[west->Devil Enclosure]], but the most *efficient* order is [[west->Devil Enclosure]], [[east->Reptile House]], then [[south->Lakeside]].] </li> </ul> }

{ Here you meet Vincent the Elephant. There is one small thing you can do here before going back [[west->Gnu Enclosure Entrance]]. <ul> <li> (link-reveal: "I give up. What is it I'm supposed to do here?")[(show: ?do)] |do)[The game's help text tells you can only do so much for some residents. This is one of those times. For full marks, unlock the enclosure and walk away (you will need the right key). For a complete experience, try waking Vincent, then immediately undo.] </li> <li> (link-reveal: "What does Vincent represent?")[(show: ?mean)] |mean)[Vincent represents the PHP licence. Since the licence includes restrictions on using the name 'PHP' in derived products, it cannot be converted to the GPL, hence you cannot turn Vincent into a gnu. The imagery comes from the fact that the mascot of PHP is the <a href="http://php.net/elephpant.php" target="_blank">ElePHPant</a>, which was designed by Vincent Pontier.] </li> </ul> }

{ Here you meet Tex the Lion. There is one small thing you can do here before going back [[east->Gnu Enclosure Entrance]]. <ul> <li> (link-reveal: "I give up. What is it I'm supposed to do here?")[(show: ?do)] |do)[The game's help text tells you can only do so much for some residents. This is one of those times. For full marks, unlock the enclosure and walk away (you will need the right key).For a complete experience, open the enclosure gate, then immediately undo.] </li> <li> (link-reveal: "What does Tex represent?")[(show: ?mean)] |mean)[Tex represents the LaTeX Project Public Licence. It prevents modified files being released under the same name; this means it cannot be converted to the GPL, hence you cannot turn Tex into a gnu. LaTeX is a macro package that makes the TeX typesetting system easier to work with. The <a href="https://www.ctan.org/lion/" target="_blank">mascot for TeX</a> is a lion that was drawn by Duane Bibby and used both for Donald Knuth's *TeXbook* and Leslie Lamport's *LaTeX book*.] </li> </ul> }

{ This is the home of Beastie the Tasmanian Devil. You have a potential recruit here, but you have a few things to do first. <ul> <li> (link-reveal: "What do I have to do here?")[(show: ?do1A)] |do1A)[After unlocking the enclosure (with the right key) and entering, you need to provide some medical attention. You see (link-reveal: "what's wrong with Beastie?")[(show: ?do2A)]] |do2A)[Pull out the claws, and then touch him as if to give him a comforting pat. (link: "What next?")[Recruit Beastie to your herd by asking him to follow you.]] </li> <li> (link-reveal: "What does Beastie represent?")[(show: ?mean)] |mean)[The mascot of BSD-based operating system is a little red daemon called <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BSD_Daemon" target="_blank">Beastie</a>; here I've transformed him into a Tasmanian Devil. When you first meet him, he represents the original (4-clause) BSD licence. This licence cannot be converted to the GPL because of its advertising clause. Removing it results in the Modified (3-clause) BSD licence, which *can* be converted to the GPL. Hence you must mollify Beastie before you can turn him into a gnu.] </li> </ul> When you've finished, return [[west->Riverside]]. }

{ There are two ‘rooms’ in the Reptile House, a north end and a south end. Each contains an animal with which you can interact. (link-reveal: "The north end")[ contains the tank that houses Mo the Gecko. There is only one thing you need to do here.(show: ?n)] |n)[<ul> <li> (link-reveal: "What's that?")[(show: ?doN)] |doN)[Just unlock the tank (with the right key) and walk away. Mo is not dangerous but you can't recruit her.] </li> <li> (link-reveal: "What does Mo represent?")[(show: ?meanN)] |meanN)[Mo represents the Mozilla Public Licence version 1.1. There are some restrictions that mean it can't be converted to the GPL, hence Mo cannot be turned into a gnu. In 2012 (after I wrote the game), version 2 of the Mozilla Public Licence came out, which can be converted to the GPL. The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozilla_(mascot)" target="_blank">mascot for the Mozilla Foundation</a> is, unsurprisingly, a Tyrannasaurus Rex inspired by Godzilla. As this would be out of place in a zoo, I decided to refer instead to Gecko, the rendering engine used in Mozilla browsers such as Firefox and SeaMonkey.] </li> </ul>] (link-reveal: "The south end")[ contains the tank that houses Odi the Python. You can do some recruiting here.(show: ?s)] |s)[<ul> <li> (link-reveal: "What do I have to do here?")[(show: ?doS)] |doS)[Unlock the tank (with the right key). Touch Odi then ask her to follow you.] </li> <li> (link-reveal: "What does Odi represent?")[(show: ?meanS)] |meanS)[Odi represents the licence used by Python 2.1.1 and newer, which can be converted to the GPL. (The licence used by Python 1.6b1–2.0 and 2.1 specified a jurisdiction and could not be converted to the GPL, but we overlook that aberration.) Before the Python programming language had its current plus-shaped logo formed of two abstract snakes, its logo was a cute cartoon snake called <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20030105154824/http://python.org/wiki/img/Odi.jpg" target="_blank">Odi</a>.] </li> </ul>] When you've finished, exit west from the [[north end->Riverside]] or the [[south end->Lakeside]]. }

{ Here you meet Tabby the Cat, asleep on a park bench. After Affero, she is the easiest zoo resident to recruit. <ul> <li> (link-reveal: "How do I do that?")[(show: ?do)] |do)[Well, she's asleep, so the very first thing you have to do is wake her up. You can probably work out the rest.] </li> <li> (link-reveal: "What does Tabby represent?")[(show: ?mean)] |mean)[Tabby represents the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sleepycat_logo.svg" target="_blank">Sleepycat Software</a> Product Licence, known more generically as the Berkeley Database Licence, which can be converted to the GPL. The name is a vague play on tab-separated values as a way of representing data.] </li> </ul> After that, you can head back [[north->Riverside]], east to the [[Reptile House]], [[west->Storage Area]], or [[south->Main Concourse]] <ul> <li> (link-reveal: "Where should I go next?")[(show: ?go)] |go)[If you have three or fewer gnus in your herd, head back [[north->Riverside]] or [[east->Reptile House]]. If you have four, explore [[west->Storage Area]] then [[south->Main Concourse]].] </li> </ul> }

{ There are exactly three things you have to do here. <ol> <li> Examine everything. </li> <li> Establish whether you can catch Glenda the Rabbit, but don't waste too many moves on it. </li> <li> (link-reveal: "Guess what Glenda represents.")[(show: ?mean)] |mean)[If you were thinking anything naughty, then shame on you. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Plan9bunnysmblack.jpg" target="_blank">Glenda</a>, otherwise known as the Plan 9 bunny, is the mascot of the Unix-like operating system Plan 9 from Bell Labs. Here she represents the Lucent Public Licence, used for Plan 9 in 2003; it is a free software licence but since it specifies a jurisdiction it cannot be converted to the GPL.] </li> </ol> When you've had enough, head back [[east->Lakeside]]. }

{ There's nothing to do here except enjoy the scenery. You may have noticed the clock; it was because of that that I added the time limit. If you'd read the time and found it to be mid-morning, you may well have started to wonder where everyone was and why a keeper hadn't locked you back up. So now if you run out of time, a keeper *does* lock you back up. You can go [[north->Lakeside]] again if you need to, otherwise go west into the [[Aviary]] (you will need a key) or through the archway to the [[east->Front Entrance]]. <ul> <li> (link-reveal: "Where should I go next?")[(show: ?go)] |go)[If you have five gnus in your herd, it's time to go [[east->Front Entrance]]. If you have four, go [[west->Aviary]].] </li> </ul> }

{ There are three rooms in the Aviary: north, middle and south. I recommend examining everything in all three rooms before actually attempting to do anything. (link: "Done that?")[You will have found four birds: Miron the Condor, the eagles Behlendorf and Striker, and Sparky the Phoenix. Only one of them can be recruited for your herd, but you'll have to find a way to get that one to come nearer first.(show: ?q)] |q)[<ul> <li> (link-reveal: "How do I do that?")[(show: ?do)] |do)[The trick is to throw something at the perches. Now, there is a risk of losing whatever you throw, so don't throw the keys if you haven't used them all. Use the coal instead. Also, do bear in mind that only one of the birds will leave their perch. For a complete experience, keep pestering one of them ((link: "which?")[Sparky]) and immediately undo when the entirely evitable havoc ensues.] </li> <li> (link-reveal: "What does Miron represent?")[(show: ?mean1)] |mean1)[<a href="http://research.cs.wisc.edu/htcondor/" target="_blank">Miron the Condor</a> represents, unsurprisingly, the Condor Public Licence. This is a free software licence but because it includes protection of the Condor brand it cannot be converted to the GPL. The name derives from Professor Miron Livny, Director of the Center for High Throughput Computing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who is named as a contact by the licence text.] </li> <li> (link-reveal: "What does Sparky represent?")[(show: ?mean2)] |mean2)[This is so obscure, even I had trouble remembering, but my notes tell me <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Firebird_logo.svg" target="_blank">Sparky the Phoenix</a> represents the Interbase Public Licence, since it was used for the source code of the Firebird relational database. Needless to say, due to various complications it cannot be turned into the GPL. The name was probably a riff on SQL via SPARQL, but I have since found out that Sparky the Phoenix is also the mascot of the Moutohora Macaws Quidditch team. It probably would have made more sense to use the logo of Interbase itself, but for some reason I felt a hummingbird would be more out of place in a zoo than a creature from ancient mythology.] </li> <li> (link-reveal: "What do Behlendorf and Striker represent?")[(show: ?mean3)] |mean3)[The patchy eagles represent different versions of the Apache Licence, on the basis that the icon of the <a href="http://apache.org/" target="_blank">Apache Software Foundation</a> is a colourful eagle feather. Behlendorf, on the lower perch, represents version 1 of the licence, which cannot be converted into the GPL. He is named after Brian Behlendorf, one of the founders of Apache. Striker, on the higher perch, represents version 2 of the licence, which can be converted into the GPL. He is named after Sander Striker, who was Director of the Board of the Apache Software Foundation when the version 2 licence was released, and its Executive Vice President when this game was written.] </li> </ul>] You can exit [[east->Main Concourse]] from either end. }

{ This looks promising, doesn't it? Do you have everything you need to escape? <ul> <li> (link-reveal: "No")[(show: ?no)] |no)[You'll need to go back [[west->Main Concourse]] and get more help.] </li> <li> (link-reveal: "Yes")[(show: ?yes)] |yes)[Ah, well, congratulations are in order. I hope you enjoyed the game! If you followed this walkthrough all the way through you should have full marks, but in case you missed any, here's how they break down: <ol> <li>Recruiting Affero to your herd</li> <li>Unlocking Tex's enclosure</li> <li>Unlocking Vincent's enclosure</li> <li>Unlocking Beastie's enclosure</li> <li>Recruiting Beastie to your herd</li> <li>Unlocking Mo's tank</li> <li>Unlocking Odi's tank</li> <li>Recruiting Odi to your herd</li> <li>Recruiting Tabby to your herd</li> <li>Unlocking the Aviary</li> <li>Recruiting Striker to your herd</li> <li>Escaping within four game hours</li> </ol> If you can stand to play the game again, here's a challenge for you: can you win the game with a score of only 4?] </li> </ul> }

{ * [[Your Stall]] * [[Affero's Stall]] * [[Gnu Enclosure Entrance]] * [[Riverside]] * [[Elephant Enclosure]] * [[Lion Enclosure]] * [[Devil Enclosure]] * [[Reptile House]] * [[Lakeside]] * [[Storage Area]] * [[Main Concourse]] * [[Aviary]] * [[Front Entrance]] }

{ <hr> [[Index]] | (if: (history:)'s length > 0)[(link:"Restart")[(reload:)] |] <a href='http://alexball.me.uk/if/gnu/' target='_blank'>Revisit game</a> }