Dave Plummer, a retired operating systems engineer for Microsoft going back to the DOS and Windows 95 days, and his co-host Glen talk about technology and answer questions from his YouTube channels: Dave’s Garage and Dave’s Attic. Just 2 high school friends from 40 years ago hangin’ out, talkin’ tech and usually sharing some kind of prairie anecdotes from their youth growing up in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Dave is now in Seattle, WA and Glen is in Vancouver, BC.
Dave’s Garage: Shop Talk
Claim This Podcastby Dave Plummer and Glen Hodges
5.0(1 reviews)
85 episodes
Updated Daily
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Podcast Overview
Dave Plummer, a retired operating systems engineer for Microsoft going back to the DOS and Windows 95 days, and his co-host Glen talk about technology and answer questions from his YouTube channels: Dave’s Garage and Dave’s Attic. Just 2 high school friends from 40 years ago hangin’ out, talkin’ tech and usually sharing some kind of prairie anecdotes from their youth growing up in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Dave is now in Seattle, WA and Glen is in Vancouver, BC.
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
11/16/2024
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Recent Episodes
July 4, 2026
Why Engineering Is Harder Than It Looks | Shop Talk #86
<p>Why put a microcontroller in the trunk instead of simply tapping into the brake lights or turn signals?</p><p><br></p><p>In this episode of Shop Talk, Dave and Glen dig into the hidden trade-offs behind Dave’s Mark III RGB lighting project: reading outputs instead of inputs, handling hazard lights and reverse lights, burned-out bulbs, unexpected states, wiring, waterproofing, optocouplers, LEDs, ESP32s, schematics, Gerber files, and the difference between a quick solution and a robust one.</p><p><br></p><p>They also follow up on software optimization, AI-assisted programming, assembly-level code, compilers, C variable arguments, and whether modern hardware prices might finally make optimization matter again.</p><p><br></p><p>Plus: CAN bus projects, Knight Rider lights, a PDP-11 controller, time machines, Bunnyhugs, and other important engineering questions.</p><p><br></p><p>Questions from viewers on Dave’s Garage and Shop Talk.</p><p><br></p><p>00:00 - Hey I’m Dave…</p><p>00:34 - Why put the controller in the trunk?</p><p>03:05 - Why not just tap the brake and flasher circuits?</p><p>03:51 - Why avoid CAN and LIN bus projects?</p><p>05:36 - How does it handle burned-out bulbs?</p><p>06:52 - What happens with four-way flashers?</p><p>07:30 - Hazards and rapid turn-signal changes</p><p>08:07 - Hazards, reverse lights, and braking</p><p>09:21 - How does the strip behave in hazard mode?</p><p>10:21 - What happens if the controller reboots mid-drive?</p><p>11:09 - Will water collect behind the LED strip?</p><p>12:03 - Which LEDs did you use, and how are they mounted?</p><p>13:19 - How do the optocouplers protect factory wiring?</p><p>13:59 - Which LED strip and ESP32 should builders use?</p><p>15:34 - Can you share the schematic?</p><p>15:55 - How did you make the LED-system diagram?</p><p>16:23 - Are there certification rules for vehicle lighting?</p><p>18:33 - How did you route the wiring to the strip?</p><p>19:16 - Will you release the PCB design files?</p><p>19:56 - Will the controller board be available to buy?</p><p>20:45 - When does production start?</p><p>21:16 - Can AI optimize code at the assembly level?</p><p>21:53 - Did BBT support position-independent code?</p><p>23:01 - Do programmers use optional stops like CNC?</p><p>23:41 - Is programming becoming an AI-assisted profession?</p><p>24:29 - When did Microsoft start optimizing software?</p><p>25:52 - How are C variable arguments parsed?</p><p>26:37 - Why did programming languages become more human-readable?</p><p>28:22 - What is LNC 460?</p><p>28:42 - Why not use a PDP-11 as the controller?</p><p>29:40 - Why are rebuilt carburetors worse now?</p><p>30:40 - Why is there a case of oil in the trunk?</p><p>31:11 - Did this car come from an Alabama auction?</p><p>31:26 - How does the car handle unleaded fuel and synthetic oil?</p><p>32:16 - Why not add a Knight Rider light effect?</p><p>32:33 - Is “turn signaling” a Canadian thing?</p><p>32:53 - Could the emergency mode be triggered remotely?</p><p>33:24 - Why is the high-mounted brake light so low?</p><p>33:40 - Could brake-light brightness reflect braking force?</p><p>35:10 - Why not add an orange warning mode?</p><p>35:34 - Can Dave’s Garage make a Bunnyhug?</p><p>37:30 - End of show shenanigans</p><p>42:23 - The Friendly Coder…</p>
June 28, 2026
When Did We Stop Optimizing Software? | Shop Talk #85
<p>What happened to software optimization—and does understanding what's happening underneath still make you a better programmer?</p><p><br /></p><p>In Shop Talk #85, Dave Plummer answers viewer questions about software optimization, engineering discipline, abstraction, and whether modern developers are losing touch with the fundamentals that once made software remarkably fast and efficient.</p><p><br /></p><p>The discussion begins with a thoughtful viewer question about abstraction: should programmers simply embrace modern frameworks, or is it still worth understanding what's happening beneath the surface? From there, Dave shares stories from his years on Windows NT, including Microsoft's internal optimization tools like LEGO and BBT, how engineers measured performance, and why optimization was once considered a core engineering skill.</p><p><br /></p><p>Along the way, Dave and Glen discuss software bloat, AI-generated code, memory usage, operating system design, retro computing, and a handful of follow-up questions from the recent slot machine episode.</p><p><br /></p><p>Topics include:</p><p><br /></p><p>• Should programmers still understand what's under the hood?</p><p>• Why software optimization mattered</p><p>• Microsoft's LEGO and BBT optimization tools</p><p>• Modern software bloat</p><p>• AI-generated code and performance</p><p>• Windows NT engineering stories</p><p>• Operating system design</p><p>• ELKS, the RCA 1802, and retro computing</p><p>• DOS/Windows easter eggs</p><p>• Slot machine follow-up questions</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>
June 24, 2026
Everything Is a File? | Shop Talk #84
<p>What does it really mean when programmers say "everything is a file"?</p><p><br></p><p>In Shop Talk #84, Dave Plummer and Glen Hodges answer viewer questions inspired by the recent fopen() discussion and explore one of the most influential ideas in computing: abstraction.</p><p><br></p><p>The conversation begins with a question about why computer science classes often feel disconnected from real-world software development before diving deep into file descriptors, FILE pointers, pipes, devices, mmap, Unix philosophy, and the surprising design decisions that shaped modern operating systems.</p><p><br></p><p>Topics include:</p><p><br></p><p>• Why CS classes don't always reflect the real world</p><p>• Learning programming in the age of AI</p><p>• Neurodiversity and problem solving</p><p>• fopen(), FILE*, and file descriptors</p><p>• Pipes, devices, and streams</p><p>• DOS versus Unix approaches to I/O</p><p>• Why "everything is a file" became such a powerful idea</p><p>• Whether we'd design operating systems the same way today</p><p><br></p><p>Plus a few slot-machine questions, Flying Spaghetti Monster sightings, and other classic Shop Talk detours.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>#ShopTalk #Programming #Unix #ComputerScience #DavePlummer</p>
85 total episodes available
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