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,HTML_MESSAGE, 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 a127b487 for ; Sun, 13 Oct 2019 22:02:59 +0000 (UTC) Received: by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix, from userid 112) id 262639BD6B; Mon, 14 Oct 2019 08:02:58 +1000 (AEST) Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 8133E9BBE8; Mon, 14 Oct 2019 08:02:20 +1000 (AEST) Authentication-Results: minnie.tuhs.org; dkim=pass (1024-bit key; unprotected) header.d=yaccman.com header.i=@yaccman.com header.b="pYILwZPz"; dkim-atps=neutral Received: by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix, from userid 112) id 8644B9BBE8; Mon, 14 Oct 2019 08:02:17 +1000 (AEST) X-Greylist: delayed 600 seconds by postgrey-1.36 at minnie.tuhs.org; Mon, 14 Oct 2019 08:02:16 AEST Received: from baboon.elm.relay.mailchannels.net (baboon.elm.relay.mailchannels.net [23.83.212.8]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id DF39D9BBD7 for ; Mon, 14 Oct 2019 08:02:16 +1000 (AEST) X-Sender-Id: dreamhost|x-authsender|scj@yaccman.com Received: from relay.mailchannels.net (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by relay.mailchannels.net (Postfix) with ESMTP id 06A345805FD; Sun, 13 Oct 2019 21:45:44 +0000 (UTC) Received: from pdx1-sub0-mail-a61.g.dreamhost.com (100-96-92-142.trex.outbound.svc.cluster.local [100.96.92.142]) (Authenticated sender: dreamhost) by relay.mailchannels.net (Postfix) with ESMTPA id 5D89C580C75; Sun, 13 Oct 2019 21:45:43 +0000 (UTC) X-Sender-Id: dreamhost|x-authsender|scj@yaccman.com Received: from pdx1-sub0-mail-a61.g.dreamhost.com ([TEMPUNAVAIL]. [64.90.62.162]) (using TLSv1.2 with cipher DHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384) by 0.0.0.0:2500 (trex/5.18.5); Sun, 13 Oct 2019 21:45:43 +0000 X-MC-Relay: Junk X-MailChannels-SenderId: dreamhost|x-authsender|scj@yaccman.com X-MailChannels-Auth-Id: dreamhost X-Lyrical-Soft: 431d7be12462163f_1571003143788_3892787411 X-MC-Loop-Signature: 1571003143788:2390829420 X-MC-Ingress-Time: 1571003143788 Received: from pdx1-sub0-mail-a61.g.dreamhost.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by pdx1-sub0-mail-a61.g.dreamhost.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 4496285C0B; Sun, 13 Oct 2019 14:45:38 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha1; c=relaxed; d=yaccman.com; h=message-id :from:to:in-reply-to:subject:date:content-type:mime-version; s= yaccman.com; bh=YTTgowtvxAJac0UN021hxy/WO1U=; b=pYILwZPz0KUKrkuK XXt28C19tW1y4QgE3FkQ3AMt4CKqOP07Keu32fcdSVajxA3ARUKUqhKNticseUjF GMA6GWgloFTYRs7WQkK2CW0BGQVv9lGfLcy8dPcK8Y3vf+ElfRybUxco9Kyskiml SpMxo3qKO9bilXHq/KxgrsKqg58= Received: from localhost (ip-66-33-200-4.dreamhost.com [66.33.200.4]) (using TLSv1 with cipher ECDHE-RSA-AES256-SHA (256/256 bits)) (No client certificate requested) (Authenticated sender: scj@yaccman.com) by pdx1-sub0-mail-a61.g.dreamhost.com (Postfix) with ESMTPSA id DB03D85C0A; Sun, 13 Oct 2019 14:45:37 -0700 (PDT) Message-Id: X-DH-BACKEND: pdx1-sub0-mail-a61 From: "Steve Johnson" To: "Jon Forrest" , tuhs@minnie.tuhs.org X-Mailer: Atmail 7.8.0.2 X-Originating-IP: 10.35.42.221 in-reply-to: <3171e2de-fa39-2112-f2fc-bd901885962e@gmail.com> Date: Sun, 13 Oct 2019 14:45:37 -0700 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="=_916d71785c872076e00da12c2118b48f" MIME-Version: 1.0 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" --=_916d71785c872076e00da12c2118b48f Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable =0A=0AMy Aha, Unix! moment was the Unix man pages, especially that they= had=0Aa section for BUGS.=C2=A0 The very reality of it attracted me.=C2= =A0 As Gloria=0ASteinem said, "Something doesn't have to be perfect to b= e=0Awonderful!"=C2=A0 I notice that on Linux the older man pages still h= ave=0ABUG sections, but the newer ones don't.=C2=A0 Telling.=C2=A0=C2=A0= Even more=0Atelling is that 'man python' gives you a lot of information= , but at=0Athe end where the Bugs section used to be is a section labled= =0A"LICENSING"... =0A=0AI did have the opportunity in the early years to= demonstrate Unix to=0Aseveral dozen people, mostly users of the (IBM) m= ainframe computers=0Aand the GE/Honeywell Time Sharing System.=C2=A0 The= sequence that=0Ainitiated gasps, confusion, and ultimately joy was:=0A%= =C2=A0 echo hello joe > hijoe=0A% cat hijoe=0Ahello joe=0A=0AAt the time= , permanent file storage was a relatively new concept for=0Amainframes,= and the implementations were very influenced by space=0Aconstraints and= punched card images.=C2=A0 The IBM was worst, because for=0Athem a disc= file was made to look like a tape drive -- "records" that=0Ahad multipl= e card images on them."=C2=A0 In order to create a file, you=0Ahad to su= bmit a job (punched cards again) using a Job Control Language=0Awhose au= thors are hopefully all burning in hell at this very moment.=C2=A0=0AAnd= the job failed if the file was already there, ... =C2=A0 The time=0Asha= ring system was not much better -- still had the notion of card=0Aimages= in mind, but also an initial size, a maximum size, and a lot of=0Asetti= ngs for who could do what with the file.=C2=A0 In the time sharing=0Asys= tem, a special subsystem took control and asked you roughly a dozen=0Aqu= estions, one at a time. =C2=A0 It was quite common to botch one or more= =0Aof the answers, in which case you got to answer all the questions=0Aa= gain.=C2=A0 No wonder when the file was finally created, the system=0Are= plied "Successful!".=0A=0ATyping the above created shock and awe followe= d by questions like=0A"what's the blocking factor" and "what device is i= t allocated on".=C2=A0=0AFollowed, mostly, by a dazed joy as they finall= y got it...=0A=0ASteve=0A=0A----- Original Message -----=0AFrom: "Jon Fo= rrest" =0ATo:=0ACc:=0ASent:Sat,= 12 Oct 2019 12:10:12 -0700=0ASubject:Re: [TUHS] What was your "Aha, Uni= x!" moment?=0A=0A I was a new grad student at UC Santa Barbara (where I= did my=0A undergrad) in ~1977. Somebody who I had found for my=0A commi= ttee had just returned from a stay at Bell Labs,=0A and he told me about= this thing called Unix. It sounded=0A very interesting, so I asked arou= nd. It turned out that=0A the Computer Center, where all computing was d= one back=0A then, had a PDP11/45 on which they ran RSTS during the=0A da= y, and Unix at night.=0A=0A In fact, somebody had created a sign in one= of the=0A terminal rooms that said=0A=0A "Oh say can you C by the dawn'= s early light".=0A=0A which very accurately described my life back then,= =0A because I was spending many a night learning C,=0A and was getting u= sed to seeing the dawn's early=0A light while doing so.=0A=0A Not exactl= y an "Aha" moment, but what I learned=0A from spending these sleepless n= ights is what=0A got me started on a career that lasted ~40 years.=0A=0A= Jon Forrest=0A=0A --=_916d71785c872076e00da12c2118b48f Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
My Aha, Unix! moment was the Unix man pages, especially= that they had a section for BUGS.=C2=A0 The very reality of it attracte= d me.=C2=A0 As Gloria Steinem said, "Something doesn't have to be perfec= t to be wonderful!"=C2=A0 I notice that on Linux the older man pages sti= ll have BUG sections, but the newer ones don't.=C2=A0 Telling.=C2=A0=C2= =A0 Even more telling is that 'man python' gives you a lot of informatio= n, but at the end where the Bugs section used to be is a section labled= "LICENSING"...

I did have the opportunity= in the early years to demonstrate Unix to several dozen people, mostly= users of the (IBM) mainframe computers and the GE/Honeywell Time Sharin= g System.=C2=A0 The sequence that initiated gasps, confusion, and ultima= tely joy was:
%=C2=A0 echo hello joe > hijoe
% ca= t hijoe
hello joe

At the time, perman= ent file storage was a relatively new concept for mainframes, and the im= plementations were very influenced by space constraints and punched card= images.=C2=A0 The IBM was worst, because for them a disc file was made= to look like a tape drive -- "records" that had multiple card images on= them."=C2=A0 In order to create a file, you had to submit a job (punche= d cards again) using a Job Control Language whose authors are hopefully= all burning in hell at this very moment.=C2=A0 And the job failed if th= e file was already there, ... =C2=A0 The time sharing system was not muc= h better -- still had the notion of card images in mind, but also an ini= tial size, a maximum size, and a lot of settings for who could do what w= ith the file.=C2=A0 In the time sharing system, a special subsystem took= control and asked you roughly a dozen questions, one at a time. =C2=A0= It was quite common to botch one or more of the answers, in which case= you got to answer all the questions again.=C2=A0 No wonder when the fil= e was finally created, the system replied "Successful!".

<= /div>
Typing the above created shock and awe followed by questions l= ike "what's the blocking factor" and "what device is it allocated on".= =C2=A0 Followed, mostly, by a dazed joy as they finally got it...
<= div>
Steve

=
----- Original Message -----
From:
"Jon Forrest" &l= t;nobozo@gmail.com>
To:
<tuhs@minnie.tuhs.org= >
Cc:

Sent:
Sat, 12 Oct 2019 12:10:12 -0700
Subject:=
Re: [TUHS] What was your "Aha, Unix!" moment?



=0AI= was a new grad student at UC Santa Barbara (where I did my
=0Aunderg= rad) in ~1977. Somebody who I had found for my
=0Acommittee had just= returned from a stay at Bell Labs,
=0Aand he told me about this thin= g called Unix. It sounded
=0Avery interesting, so I asked around. It= turned out that
=0Athe Computer Center, where all computing was done= back
=0Athen, had a PDP11/45 on which they ran RSTS during the
= =0Aday, and Unix at night.

=0AIn fact, somebody had created a sig= n in one of the
=0Aterminal rooms that said

=0A"Oh say can you= C by the dawn's early light".

=0Awhich very accurately described= my life back then,
=0Abecause I was spending many a night learning C= ,
=0Aand was getting used to seeing the dawn's early
=0Alight whil= e doing so.

=0ANot exactly an "Aha" moment, but what I learned=0Afrom spending these sleepless nights is what
=0Agot me started on= a career that lasted ~40 years.

=0AJon Forrest

--=_916d71785c872076e00da12c2118b48f--