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From: chris@mimsy.umd.edu (Chris Torek)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.admin
Subject: Re: Different uses of the 5th field of the passwd file.
Keywords: GCOS
Message-ID: <27549@mimsy.umd.edu>
Date: 8 Nov 90 18:21:06 GMT
References: <723@dynasys.UUCP> <1990Nov6.045108.20266@riacs.edu> <1990Nov8.060424.1828@blackbox.lonestar.org>
Sender: chris@mimsy.umd.edu
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[Article <27543@mimsy.umd.edu>, with a backwards answer, has been cancelled]

In article <1990Nov8.060424.1828@blackbox.lonestar.org>
cbradley@blackbox.lonestar.org (Chris Bradley) writes:
>What is the `real' acronym?  I've seen both `GCOS' (in this thread) and
>`GECOS' (in the docs for C News, I think)?

They are both correct:

>What is the correct expansion of the acronym?

GECOS stands for General Electric Comprehensive Operating System, which
was the name of something that ran on a GE machine.  Then Honeywell
bought in on the deal and tried to etiolate% the E by renaming it the
`General C.O.S.'

Revisionists and lazy people therefore type `gcos'; others use
`gecos'.  You get to guess whether I am being revisionist or lazy when
I use `gcos'. :-)
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% etiolate, v.t. & i. to bleach by lack of sunlight