Xref: utzoo alt.folklore.computers:7936 comp.unix.internals:1444 comp.misc:10898 Path: utzoo!utgpu!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!olivea!uunet!rbj From: rbj@uunet.UU.NET (Root Boy Jim) Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers,comp.unix.internals,comp.misc Subject: Re: Jargon file v2.1.5 28 NOV 1990 -- part 5 of 6 Message-ID: <114455@uunet.UU.NET> Date: 14 Dec 90 03:07:39 GMT References: <1990Dec11.165727.5357@odi.com> <3268@unisoft.UUCP> <1990Dec13.214234.16529@odi.com> Followup-To: alt.folklore.computers Organization: UUNET Communications Services, Falls Church, VA Lines: 16 In article <1990Dec13.214234.16529@odi.com> dlw@odi.com writes: >Well, Multics isn't called that because it does "many things". The >"Multi" part is from the word "multiplexed", meaning that it is >time-sharing system. As is Unix, of course. I wonder what is the >one thing that Unix tried to do well. Actually, it does two things: Schedule Processes and Multiplex I/O. Now if /dev/proc (Processes as Files) had existed at that time, it could be truly said that it did just one thing. Actually, I think that from Ken Thompson's point of view that the one thing it did well was play chess. At least endgames. -- Root Boy Jim Cottrell Close the gap of the dark year in between