From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.2 (2018-09-13) on inbox.vuxu.org X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.1 required=5.0 tests=DKIM_SIGNED,DKIM_VALID, DKIM_VALID_AU,FREEMAIL_FROM,HTML_MESSAGE,MAILING_LIST_MULTI, RCVD_IN_DNSWL_NONE,SPF_PASS autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.2 Received: (qmail 26009 invoked from network); 18 Apr 2020 22:27:05 -0000 Received-SPF: pass (minnie.tuhs.org: domain of minnie.tuhs.org designates 45.79.103.53 as permitted sender) receiver=inbox.vuxu.org; client-ip=45.79.103.53 envelope-from= Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (45.79.103.53) by inbox.vuxu.org with UTF8ESMTPZ; 18 Apr 2020 22:27:05 -0000 Received: by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix, from userid 112) id 3A56C9C73C; Sun, 19 Apr 2020 08:27:03 +1000 (AEST) Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 2A9789449E; Sun, 19 Apr 2020 08:26:32 +1000 (AEST) Authentication-Results: minnie.tuhs.org; dkim=pass (2048-bit key; unprotected) header.d=gmail.com header.i=@gmail.com header.b="C8VIM3eY"; dkim-atps=neutral Received: by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix, from userid 112) id 796009449E; Sun, 19 Apr 2020 08:26:29 +1000 (AEST) Received: from mail-vk1-f176.google.com (mail-vk1-f176.google.com [209.85.221.176]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id C34D694497 for ; Sun, 19 Apr 2020 08:26:28 +1000 (AEST) Received: by mail-vk1-f176.google.com with SMTP id i185so1576774vki.12 for ; Sat, 18 Apr 2020 15:26:28 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20161025; h=mime-version:references:in-reply-to:from:date:message-id:subject:to :cc; bh=gNIcD6vdyJgNO5iMp3Tovu5MtQfWmkYps/zIiSzEjKE=; b=C8VIM3eYDeCHeLCzx32CwAshVRCvv3fIFvew9/YgFe1z9eoz4Fn7VokTwsrpRLzNvR 05TKnnMXhWeTGnJGIH55+LY2BlW1y85O7aOF7hTMusdj39iSlt1gDY6Kl5gRemPjFmqe skdlETQBtpdxUT5qfitDALl5fFZqWD8euUyKItjuvcLotSjc4ouSAx6brpwjV3m/E1r9 K6G4+kkcqSIBr+eXoxOAH3ngCO579LxTAEaRnsr0ujVQKe2pmGpP/o+ndMKibdtP5ytp c7pkmMcIlhWqFv1F6HpaV8HIlfnARcaSACIUKX4ZqOQMWDXLTorQFNeXEXVRF6d1Z0O/ 5t6w== X-Google-DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=1e100.net; s=20161025; h=x-gm-message-state:mime-version:references:in-reply-to:from:date :message-id:subject:to:cc; bh=gNIcD6vdyJgNO5iMp3Tovu5MtQfWmkYps/zIiSzEjKE=; b=cUEClFA+8Lyid8rLb4xzwxVyUfel39Hwr7DeekJNgKg1CCxnU3xv2b9aAUMuaihIVh R9/aQSfBuu7re5FODXLkV3ehTNdP01ROSOK6Bm7kofx2drdX7rzIQqrgUifJMWMANMxc /mB2/xwwXi5NJMb1aJTqLEZmb3c/tbxRre62gKit5+bF2m1K2qjzlSjaFU8zzmrGL3DR Cw9avBCmhj3GMn+isuOPLunNsn08AuinE4sINDyfIbz6Ip6t/+X4fUkXTL/vL8aR11SL WOgXaV7AOi1/JvVCbLXgfATvZsI7IVIol6X5ZJWHY0KPlz5ZGJd1Kkkm0x7ZZ0CRc3Ni ia5g== X-Gm-Message-State: AGi0PubPNv8qIBZusY3DVoUkWwWHdDKhxBRVziReSNghVSao1R2Sw9Or 7Be/d9T8VcJfCXPy/J7+K020CHPe2LElbXbqA1l1EIgs X-Google-Smtp-Source: APiQypKbAqFwNtGqwHsJHjgea7GXNPP9SZwkAi2pVJpMAgBdqONj0bAltQLx+Ep7J/L5M3Ts/LCevMFy4AKXmIFkmcc= X-Received: by 2002:a1f:c504:: with SMTP id v4mr6738837vkf.21.1587248787801; Sat, 18 Apr 2020 15:26:27 -0700 (PDT) MIME-Version: 1.0 References: <20200418172018.AE33F2CF6BF9@macaroni.inf.ed.ac.uk> <20200418172337.GA22829@vagabond> In-Reply-To: From: Rob Pike Date: Sun, 19 Apr 2020 08:26:16 +1000 Message-ID: To: Royce Williams Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="0000000000002acb8f05a398286b" Subject: Re: [TUHS] Plan 9 from outer space ? 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: , Cc: The Eunuchs Hysterical Society Errors-To: tuhs-bounces@minnie.tuhs.org Sender: "TUHS" --0000000000002acb8f05a398286b Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable As it says there, *The hermeneutics of naming yields few insights. Things are named usually because the name is nice (sam), or there is some private reference hard to decode (8=C2=BD), or in honour (perhaps backhanded) of another system (moth= ra), or an indication of expectation (Plan 9, acme), or just because (acid). None of the names tell you anything helpful.Despite the lack of information, those who guess at reasons for naming generate volumes of apocrypha. The real reason is usually, ``because''.* -rob On Sun, Apr 19, 2020 at 3:50 AM Royce Williams wrote: > On Sat, Apr 18, 2020 at 9:45 AM Warner Losh wrote: > >> >> On Sat, Apr 18, 2020 at 11:24 AM Pierre DAVID wrote: >> >>> On Sat, Apr 18, 2020 at 06:20:18PM +0100, Richard Tobin wrote: >>> >> There is a widespred anecdote that "Plan 9" name comes from the >>> >> movie "Plan 9 From Outer Space". >>> > >>> >Given that the full name is "Plan 9 from Bell Labs" I don't think >>> >there's much doubt about it. >>> > >>> >>> Yes, but is there anything besides the name? >>> >> >> Plan 9 is the worst movie ever. And was for many years listed as the >> worst movie ever, including the formative years of plan 9. >> >> A professor(?) at CU once told me, though I don't know if I buy it, that >> plan 9 was Unix Plan B at first. There was a description that it was the >> worst system ever (except for all the others) in a knod to Churchill >> (supposedly based on his comment about Democracy). And from there it was= a >> quick jump to Plan 9 from Bell Labs as all these themes flowed together = in >> a mish-mash of creative naming... With a different name, it could break >> with Unix in interesting ways... >> >> I have no clue if this is true, and I'm no longer in contact with the >> professor that told me this since it was mid to late 90s, and I'm honest= ly >> having trouble recalling his name. It wasn't a 'big name' like Evi, but = I >> think it was someone at CU I had a beer with (which means it could have >> been a grad student to post-doc as well, it was 25 years ago and beer wa= s >> involved). It makes a great story, but I don't know if it's anything mor= e >> than that. I put it out there because I know Rob or Ken is likely to >> correct something that's this detailed and specific if it's really wrong= :) >> > > See also: > > http://9p.io/wiki/plan9/lfaq/index.html#GENERAL_INFORMATION > > Royce > --0000000000002acb8f05a398286b Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
As it says there,

The hermeneutics of naming yie= lds few insights. Things are named usually because the name is nice (sam), = or there is some private reference hard to decode (8=C2=BD), or in honour (= perhaps backhanded) of another system (mothra), or an indication of expecta= tion (Plan 9, acme), or just because (acid). None of the names tell you any= thing helpful.

Despite the lack of information, those who guess at r= easons for naming generate volumes of apocrypha. The real reason is usually= , ``because''.

-rob


<= br>
On Sun,= Apr 19, 2020 at 3:50 AM Royce Williams <royce@techsolvency.com> wrote:
On Sat, Apr 18, 2020 at 9:45 AM Warner = Losh <imp@bsdimp.com= > wrote:

On Sat, Apr 18, 2020 at 11:24 AM Pierre DAVID <pdagog@gmail.com> wrote:
<= /div>
On Sat, Apr 18, 2020= at 06:20:18PM +0100, Richard Tobin wrote:
>> There is a widespred anecdote that "Plan 9" name comes f= rom the
>> movie "Plan 9 From Outer Space".
>
>Given that the full name is "Plan 9 from Bell Labs" I don'= ;t think
>there's much doubt about it.
>

Yes, but is there anything besides the name?

Plan 9 is the worst movie ever. And was for many years listed as the = worst movie ever, including the formative years of plan 9.

A professor(?) at CU once told me, though I don't know if I bu= y it, that plan 9 was Unix Plan B at first. There was a description that it= was the worst system ever (except for all the others) in a knod to Churchi= ll (supposedly based on his comment about Democracy). And from there it was= a quick jump to Plan 9 from Bell Labs as all these themes flowed together = in a mish-mash of creative naming...=C2=A0 With a different name, it could = break with Unix in interesting ways...

I have no c= lue if this is true, and I'm no longer in contact with the professor th= at told me this since it was mid to late 90s, and I'm honestly having t= rouble recalling his name. It wasn't a 'big name' like Evi, but= I think it was someone at CU I had a beer with (which means it could have = been a grad student to post-doc=C2=A0as well, it was 25 years ago and beer = was involved). It makes a great story, but I don't know if it's any= thing more than that. I put it out there because I know Rob or Ken is likel= y to correct something that's this detailed and specific if it's re= ally wrong :)

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