Re: [TUHS] 8th Edition timeline

[Paul Ruizendaal <pnr@planet.nl>]

On 29 Mar 2020, at 16:04, arnold@skeeve.com wrote:
> 
> Paul Ruizendaal <pnr@planet.nl> wrote:
> 
>> Related is the question when the "file system switch" was added. It must
>> have been later than 1981 and before 1985, but I have not been able to
>> pinpoint it further.
> 
> IIRC there was a "paper" (only an abstract) on the file system
> switch published in a USENIX conference proceedings. That woud help
> trace it down.

I have that paper (“The Unix 8th Edition Network File System”), it was presented at a March 1985 ACM conference. However, there are indications that the roots of the file system switch existed earlier, possibly much earlier.

I think Doug McIlroy once described 1973 as a pivotal year for Unix, with many concepts devised that would blossom in the following 3-5 years. I’m increasingly tempted to think that Summer ’81 - Summer ’82 was a similarly pivotal year.

> Peter Weinberger, who did it, is at Google; you could ask him
> directly, as well.

That is a good idea. If someone has the email address I’d appreciate an off list message.

Paul