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From: sokay@kurgen.mitre.org (Steve Okay W43)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: UNICS
Message-ID: <1991Jan16.182913.647@linus.mitre.org>
Date: 16 Jan 91 18:29:13 GMT
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Reply-To: sokay@kurgen.mitre.org (Steve Okay W43)
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>From: David.Plummer@f70.n140.z1.FIDONET.ORG (David Plummer)
>
>Subject: UUNICSV
>Message-ID: <23.27914ACB@weyr.FIDONET.ORG>
>Date: 12 Jan 91 02:29:00 GMT
>Sender: ufgate@weyr.FIDONET.ORG (newsout1.26)
>Organization: FidoNet node 1:140/70 - Double Check, Regina Sask
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>
>P> "The problem with the Eunuch's Operating System  
>P>         is that it has no balls!"   
>P>                                   - John Richter         
>P> Amiga@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu                    .....Paul...... 
>P>  
> 
>Here's a little trivial for you in relation to your sig... UNIX was
>originally called UNICS (an inside joke there, I guess).  It stood
>for Uniplexed Information and Computing System.  The name was changed
>to UNIX in 1970.  And I bet you though John Richter made that up!

Hmmm...slight correction/addition to your story. UNIX was originally
designed to be a single-user implementation of MULTICS, the Honeywell
time-sharing system. The name UNIX was used to play off the idea that
it was single-user MULTICS ("Humor, it is a difficult concept"--Saavik).
Did MULTICS stand for MULtiplexed Information Computing System?---I
don't know. I do know that things like 'ls' and 'rm' are shorthand
for MULTICS commands though. 'ls' is an abbrev. for 'List_Segment'.
'rm' was the mnemonic for 'ReMove'. They did/do the same thing as
on UNIX, just named differently.
UNCAMULT.BITNET is still running MULTICS I believe....

---Steve
-----------
Stephen Okay
sokay@mitre.org <---work
steve%amidillo.uucp@uunet.uu.net <---work