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=-0.8 required=5.0 tests=DKIM_SIGNED,DKIM_VALID, DKIM_VALID_AU,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 90068a90 for ; Thu, 10 Oct 2019 23:10:43 +0000 (UTC) Received: by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix, from userid 112) id E27CB9B8B1; Fri, 11 Oct 2019 09:10:41 +1000 (AEST) Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 18A3494703; Fri, 11 Oct 2019 09:10:14 +1000 (AEST) Authentication-Results: minnie.tuhs.org; dkim=pass (2048-bit key; unprotected) header.d=loomcom.com header.i=@loomcom.com header.b="aonrgs3z"; dkim=pass (2048-bit key; unprotected) header.d=messagingengine.com header.i=@messagingengine.com header.b="eDLyXd1M"; dkim-atps=neutral Received: by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix, from userid 112) id 2C3ED94703; Fri, 11 Oct 2019 09:10:12 +1000 (AEST) Received: from wout2-smtp.messagingengine.com (wout2-smtp.messagingengine.com [64.147.123.25]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 9B89A93DBB for ; Fri, 11 Oct 2019 09:10:11 +1000 (AEST) Received: from compute3.internal (compute3.nyi.internal [10.202.2.43]) by mailout.west.internal (Postfix) with ESMTP id E5341629 for ; Thu, 10 Oct 2019 19:10:10 -0400 (EDT) Received: from mailfrontend2 ([10.202.2.163]) by compute3.internal (MEProxy); Thu, 10 Oct 2019 19:10:11 -0400 DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=loomcom.com; h= references:from:to:subject:in-reply-to:date:message-id :mime-version:content-type; s=fm1; bh=/e8PTGAQmWenpPLeEJQVKTDsUw +WBofctE344ZI4hb4=; b=aonrgs3ziEehjdTsrbogMdyHdG5/Is0OQQyWZWzdHP FIjo5iZOg7czSEjz9mP0Gc8YlGSASR+MtEMFw82C4uuuaV0sD5H1ZOq6Msoa/Tcj eD0MetvXHo1eQ013oeFYg5mtbeLDEt9zi5v4xEvw9Yuw0W9o+SLE6dDfrYWHXNkA xbZxJgiQU2OHKX95yixq0Lujt1cWSTW3IyG7F9cFpFEdzRq+F3UAQC3RyZGwifz+ H2cuy40t2Ow7BZmzRRxPm4Arq/0KxrlK34AxNDddOL4TWgqnlvpw52PMpXTLmV6I ycILJ7CoxGj/TGVe6kmspns3/LuUPAZDUHsTp2dxzuUA== DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d= messagingengine.com; h=content-type:date:from:in-reply-to :message-id:mime-version:references:subject:to:x-me-proxy :x-me-proxy:x-me-sender:x-me-sender:x-sasl-enc; s=fm1; bh=/e8PTG AQmWenpPLeEJQVKTDsUw+WBofctE344ZI4hb4=; b=eDLyXd1Mk5d7pIOPuzovVq hDajPDFkfUKU9ytYvnAklcnxrBBo/fgEH5jIkr+7qy27HJBzK3FeS/0kMD+jA2r7 wenMS5IwGutODRFtPQC4w32elwBAmclmZG7Mb7eLddgFAT/PUgXBuavWgpaPmWcl LTKrCfFZYUQ0NzzD6fyEynpnbvjeeWIE/6PmjZaY9blg9CcLHzDuUAfOidvyY+H1 P+5cggzqiEJ6CWTudZn2s3fo23iWPevfE71d+2a/+x6nQjH7AUKJ5VgNlYmOGEMD DP7OBACHh55RwQIksgFG6V4V9flaVE2eLxQiIYOHWSvcmQfc6ZWmNdRi7LLbG3Yg == X-ME-Sender: X-ME-Proxy-Cause: gggruggvucftvghtrhhoucdtuddrgedufedrieeggddujecutefuodetggdotefrodftvf curfhrohhfihhlvgemucfhrghsthforghilhdpqfgfvfdpuffrtefokffrpgfnqfghnecu uegrihhlohhuthemuceftddtnecunecujfgurhepfhgfhffvufgjfffkgggtsehttdertd dtredtnecuhfhrohhmpedfufgvthhhucflrdcuofhorhgrsghithhofdcuoeifvggssehl ohhomhgtohhmrdgtohhmqeenucfkphepvddtgedrvdefkedrkedrvdegleenucfrrghrrg hmpehmrghilhhfrhhomhepfigvsgeslhhoohhmtghomhdrtghomhenucevlhhushhtvghr ufhiiigvpedt X-ME-Proxy: Received: from motherbrain (unknown [204.238.8.249]) by mail.messagingengine.com (Postfix) with ESMTPA id 9F40DD6005E for ; Thu, 10 Oct 2019 19:10:09 -0400 (EDT) References: <20191010205546.GA29154@minnie.tuhs.org> User-agent: mu4e 1.3.4; emacs 27.0.50 From: "Seth J. Morabito" To: tuhs@minnie.tuhs.org In-reply-to: <20191010205546.GA29154@minnie.tuhs.org> Date: Thu, 10 Oct 2019 16:10:02 -0700 Message-ID: <875zkw5h9x.fsf@loomcom.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain 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: , Errors-To: tuhs-bounces@minnie.tuhs.org Sender: "TUHS" Warren Toomey writes: > 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. > > 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? A fun topic! I'm a bit on the young side, so Unix was my first exposure to any kind of timesharing or multi-user system. Prior to getting access to MIPS Ultrix 4.2 on a DECstation, my experience consisted ENTIRELY of: * 8-bit systems, mainly Commodore 64 and Tandy TRS-80 * The Commodore Amiga 1000 and 500 * DOS and Windows 3.0 in the form of an IBM PC XT and a PS/2 Then, when I arrived at Cornell University in 1992, I discovered that there was a network of three clustered DECstations, sharing about 2GB (!) of system and user disk space. Enormous! As an avid reader of BYTE Magazine, I had _heard_ of Unix in the trade press, but I didn't honestly know what it was. I was plunged head first into it as a user, and quickly found myself addicted. I did get some guidance from a few experienced users, so I wasn't completely on my own. I owe them quite a bit for their patience and guidance. For me, the "Aha!" moment was entirely related to being attached to Usenet and the Internet. The fact that I could suddently read email (with the RAND MH system) and Usenet (with nn) and communicate with all of these very clever people all over the world was positively intoxicating. My love only grew when I discovered that there was a C compiler installed, and that I could build my own programs from source downloaded by FTP. Later, Perl 4 was installed, and I learned how to write my own programs. It was an exciting time in my young life. -Seth -- Seth Morabito Poulsbo, WA, USA web@loomcom.com