From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.2 (2018-09-13) on inbox.vuxu.org X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-0.7 required=5.0 tests=HEADER_FROM_DIFFERENT_DOMAINS, MAILING_LIST_MULTI,PLING_QUERY,RCVD_IN_DNSWL_NONE autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.2 Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (minnie.tuhs.org [45.79.103.53]) by inbox.vuxu.org (OpenSMTPD) with ESMTP id aa425c21 for ; Thu, 10 Oct 2019 23:49:49 +0000 (UTC) Received: by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix, from userid 112) id A94259B8E3; Fri, 11 Oct 2019 09:49:48 +1000 (AEST) Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 1832594703; Fri, 11 Oct 2019 09:49:31 +1000 (AEST) Received: by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix, from userid 112) id 1AA0C94703; Fri, 11 Oct 2019 09:49:28 +1000 (AEST) Received: from mail-pf1-f181.google.com (mail-pf1-f181.google.com [209.85.210.181]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 3203193DBB for ; Fri, 11 Oct 2019 09:49:27 +1000 (AEST) Received: by mail-pf1-f181.google.com with SMTP id y5so4929726pfo.4 for ; Thu, 10 Oct 2019 16:49:27 -0700 (PDT) X-Google-DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=1e100.net; s=20161025; h=x-gm-message-state:mime-version:subject:from:in-reply-to:date :reply-to:content-transfer-encoding:message-id:references:to; bh=7MuONqFme+yucm8mkX9YBZ9gupBi+9sAaSR6pp0y3os=; b=UFxPY94tlc3xxaWJsmsKhOfV6sD25TUfJGJObj2P7lGYTey9C5/RdJ/TyY9BjGcvFx xkGkLk++jMfpTdmlIK7i2bzbhtUNtFCAqdkjetH999rQ5ew0+ClI6wF9dBaukmdFUB2I 7pbUxlXCUvQVcXvqaHRX4Emwl5NOc0k4NsnoD78TN8JLw68L7jbPeZNz/r/pXm9fewB1 XdyvodD/r5IkTisrhKL1Xqc9g2dD/XErE+zUFzXr259Jjsjrqmgxxg3+8sWh1OLgz5E0 nEJQLbcB5L4Fvy28DgCTVlHTk5nAVP+6kYTbeH0QEgup0n57pH/wk38qH21N87HmgPj/ +MiQ== X-Gm-Message-State: APjAAAWfE2+2a72V/EDf9jc+cOI8LBscNkOPdmr4T7JqmGDbRE/EhYW5 NgNLPnSnjJ/b1+bae2jt3NhEdElc X-Google-Smtp-Source: APXvYqzwNXfi458cX0uVAIlwKTOd2fIG6H38J4ZGZidol0L3HTATrtj+A82EQsAAeU6blkyG7bjWog== X-Received: by 2002:a62:2f05:: with SMTP id v5mr12704465pfv.79.1570751366520; Thu, 10 Oct 2019 16:49:26 -0700 (PDT) Received: from [192.168.2.10] (107-193-50-41.lightspeed.sndgca.sbcglobal.net. [107.193.50.41]) by smtp.gmail.com with ESMTPSA id x23sm7989087pfq.140.2019.10.10.16.49.25 for (version=TLS1 cipher=ECDHE-RSA-AES128-SHA bits=128/128); Thu, 10 Oct 2019 16:49:25 -0700 (PDT) Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 Mime-Version: 1.0 (Mac OS X Mail 9.3 \(3124\)) From: David In-Reply-To: <91EB49CE-EF4F-4F0D-9734-2710ABC84E2F@bitblocks.com> Date: Thu, 10 Oct 2019 16:49:23 -0700 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Message-Id: <3A5CAD53-ABFD-468F-869D-59FACA81BD5D@kdbarto.org> References: <20191010205546.GA29154@minnie.tuhs.org> <91EB49CE-EF4F-4F0D-9734-2710ABC84E2F@bitblocks.com> To: The Eunuchs Hysterical Society X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.3124) Subject: Re: [TUHS] What was your "Aha, Unix!" moment? X-BeenThere: tuhs@minnie.tuhs.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.26 Precedence: list List-Id: The Unix Heritage Society mailing list List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Reply-To: david@kdbarto.org Errors-To: tuhs-bounces@minnie.tuhs.org Sender: "TUHS" > On Oct 10, 2019, at 4:35 PM, Bakul Shah wrote: >=20 > On Oct 10, 2019, at 1:55 PM, Warren Toomey wrote: >>=20 >> All, we had another dozen TUHS suscribers to the list overnight. = Welcome. >> A reminder that we're here to discuss Unix Heritage, so I'll nudge = you >> if the conversation goes a bit off-topic. >>=20 >> So I'll kick off another thread. What was your "ahah" moment when you >> first saw that Unix was special, especially compared to the systems = you'd >> previously used? >>=20 >> Mine was: Oh, I can: >> + write a simple script >> + to edit a file on the fly >> + with no temporary files (a la pipes) >> + AND I can change the file suffix and the system won't stop me! >>=20 >> I was using TOPS-20 beforehand. >>=20 >> Cheers, Warren >=20 I was at UCSD on the Pascal project, so I was used to using a machine = with a nice editor and had access to the OS source code to play with and = learn from. When UCSD spun the Pascal project out to SofTech MicroSystems I moved as well. SofTech had a pdp 11/45 running V6 with the famous patch tape. We called it V6.9. When I first logged in, it was just a feeling of simplicity and = elegance. I could edit files, move them around on the disk, and when I was curious about = what was happening under the covers, I could go look at the sources. Aha - I could use the shell to script the formatting of text files = making the task of generating new printed documentation for the Pascal Project something as easy as saying ./printdocs.sh. After that it was all nroff, vi, and C = compiler experiences, learning what really made this system tick. Back at UCSD I got access to the VAX (sdcsvax) and did all of my = homework there never again returning to the Pascal system on the Terak boxes. Never looked back, I=E2=80=99ve been using Unix as my OS ever since. David