[COFF] Re: [TUHS] On Bloat and the Idea of Small Specialized Tools

[Grant Taylor via COFF <coff@tuhs.org>]

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On 5/11/24 08:12, Dan Cross wrote:
> `pr` is an interesting case in point. I would guess that the name comes 
> from Multics, where `print` (short name `pr`) is sort of the equivalent 
> of `cat`, but contains a lot of extra functionality to control output, 
> read archives, etc. But if one has never used Multics (and let's be 
> honest: the total number of people in the world who have done so is a 
> tiny, tiny fraction of the number of computer users), one would never 
> guess that. When I started using Unix, I thought that "pr" was how 
> you sent a file to the printer; "lpr" was highly non-intuitive, but 
> I'd never seen a line printer at that point (our first home computer 
> was a Mac with an imagewriter); the idea of `cat`ing a file into the 
> printer device wasn't something I'd ever even considered (besides, 
> I think the device was owned and writable only as root).

It wasn't until this thread that I became aware of `pr` as I've been an 
`nl` user for years.

It wasn't until the message that I'm replying to that I realized the 
naming relation between `pr` and `lpr`.

I also wonder if `pr` makes more sense in the context of teletypes 
wherein when you `pr`(int) a file, you end up with a printout on the 
teletype that you're using.  Conversely `lpr` would send something to 
the line printer elsewhere.

It makes sense in my head.

I have no idea if it's accurate or not.



-- 
Grant. . . .

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